Juicy chicken breasts rolled around a savory filling of turkey bacon, mushrooms and spinach make a dinner that looks special but comes together with simple ingredients you can find at any store.

Each breast is pounded thin, spread with a sautéed filling of onion, mushrooms, turkey bacon, garlic, rosemary and spinach, then rolled up and baked. It looks fancy on the plate, but it is easy enough for a weeknight dinner.

The Best Turkey Bacon Stuffed Chicken Breast (with Spinach and Mushrooms)

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes! It’s juicy, salty, and has crispy onions and turkey bacon. There are lots of different side dishes I like to pair it with, but I think my favorites are my potato wedges and steamed yellow squash.

The magic is in the filling. Onions, mushrooms and finely chopped turkey bacon cook together in olive oil until the onions turn soft and translucent and the bacon gets a little crisp around the edges. Garlic and rosemary go in next, and then a few big handfuls of fresh spinach that wilt down into the mix in a minute or two.

That savory filling gets spread over chicken breasts that have been butterflied and pounded thin, so every slice has a swirl of chicken, bacon and greens. Pounding the chicken to an even thickness also means it cooks evenly and stays juicy instead of drying out at the thin end.

A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper on top is all the chicken needs before it heads into the oven. This was also one of the recipes I used while working on my photography, and you can see the “before” and “after” below.

Why You’ll Love This Stuffed Chicken

Big flavor. Salty turkey bacon, earthy mushrooms and rosemary make every bite savory.
Juicy chicken. Pounding the breasts thin helps them cook evenly and stay moist.
Veggies inside. Spinach, mushrooms and onion are rolled right into the chicken.
Quick bake. The rolls bake at 350°F in about 20 to 25 minutes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.

Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless breasts work best. Make sure they are fully thawed so they cut and pound evenly. Larger breasts are easier to butterfly and give you more room for filling. Pat them dry with paper towels so the olive oil and seasoning stick.
Onion: One large chopped onion adds sweetness once it softens and turns golden. Yellow or sweet onions both work well.
Mushrooms: Chop them finely so they cook quickly and spread easily over the chicken. Cremini or white button mushrooms are both great here. As they cook, they release their water and turn deeply savory.
Turkey bacon: Chopped finely, it crisps up in the pan and seasons the whole filling with smoky saltiness. Regular bacon works too, but it adds more fat, so drain some of it off before adding the spinach.
Garlic: Minced garlic goes in after the onions so it doesn’t burn. It only needs a minute to turn fragrant.
Rosemary: Fresh or dried both work. Rosemary pairs beautifully with chicken and mushrooms. If you use fresh, chop it roughly so you don’t bite into whole needles.
Fresh spinach: Two or three big handfuls look like a lot, but spinach shrinks down to almost nothing once it wilts. Baby spinach is the easiest since there are no tough stems to trim.
Olive oil: Used to sauté the filling and drizzled over the rolled chicken before baking to help the outside brown.
Salt and pepper: A simple sprinkle over each breast before baking. Keep in mind the turkey bacon is already salty.
Toothpicks: They hold each roll closed in the oven. Count how many you use so you can remove them all before serving.

How to Make Turkey Bacon Stuffed Chicken

Heat the oven. Preheat to 350°F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick olive oil spray.
Butterfly the chicken. Cut each breast in half horizontally, but do not cut all the way through. Open it like a book until it lies flat.
Pound it thin. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until it is evenly about 1/4 inch thick. Even thickness is the key to juicy, evenly cooked chicken.
Cook the filling. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms and turkey bacon and sauté until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms have softened. Add the garlic, rosemary and spinach and cook just until the spinach has wilted down. Remove from the heat.
Fill and roll. Spread the mixture over each chicken breast, leaving a small border around the edges. Roll each breast up from one end to the other and secure with toothpicks.
Season. Place the rolls seam side down on the baking sheet. Drizzle each with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink inside and an instant read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Remove the toothpicks and serve with your favorite side dish.

Kami’s tip: Cook the spinach just until it wilts, then take the pan off the heat. It will keep softening as it bakes inside the chicken, so there is no need to cook it longer in the pan.

Ways to Customize Stuffed Chicken

Add cheese. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella, Swiss or crumbled feta over the filling before rolling for a melty center.
Change the greens. Chopped kale or Swiss chard can stand in for spinach. Cook them a few minutes longer, since they are sturdier.
Swap the herbs. Thyme, sage or Italian seasoning all work in place of rosemary.
Use regular bacon. Pork bacon makes the filling richer. Drain off extra drippings before adding the garlic and spinach.

Turkey Bacon Stuffed Chicken FAQs

How do I know when the chicken is done? Use an instant read thermometer. Chicken is safe to eat when the thickest part reaches 165°F. Color alone is not a reliable test.
Can I use regular bacon instead of turkey bacon? Yes. Pork bacon adds more fat, so drain some of the drippings from the pan before you add the spinach.
Do I have to pound the chicken? It helps a lot. Pounding the breasts to about 1/4 inch makes them easy to roll and helps them cook evenly so they stay juicy.
Can I make these ahead? You can cook the filling up to a day ahead and keep it in the fridge. Fill, roll and bake the chicken the day you plan to serve it.
How do I store leftovers? Refrigerate in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until hot all the way through, to 165°F.
Can I freeze stuffed chicken? Yes. Wrap cooked, cooled rolls well and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Why did my rolls come apart in the oven? Usually the chicken was too thick or the filling was spread all the way to the edges. Leave a small border, roll snugly and use enough toothpicks to hold the seam closed.
What should I serve with it? My favorites are potato wedges and steamed yellow squash. A green salad or rice works too.

Turkey Bacon Stuffed Chicken- No Diets Allowed

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Bacon and Spinach

This stuffed chicken breast with bacon and spinach rolls thin chicken around a sautéed filling of turkey bacon, mushrooms, onion, garlic, rosemary and spinach. It bakes in about 20 to 25 minutes and comes out juicy and savory.

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Ingredients

4 chicken breasts thawed
1 large onion chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1½ cup mushrooms finely chopped
6 slices turkey bacon finely chopped
2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp of dried or fresh rosemary roughly chopped
toothpicks

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cut chicken breast in half, but do not cut all the way through. Open the chicken until flat and pound with meat mallet until the breast is evenly about ¼ inch thick.
Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms, and turkey bacon and sauté until onions are translucent. Then add the garlic, rosemary, and spinach. Cook just until the spinach has wilted down. Remove from heat.
Spread the mixture over each chicken breast. Roll up breast starting from one end to the other and secure with the toothpicks.
Spray a baking sheet with non-stick olive oil spray. Place chicken breasts on sheet and drizzle each breast with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on each.
Bake until chicken is no longer pink on the inside which is approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Remove toothpicks and serve with your favorite side dish!

Made this stuffed chicken? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and tell me how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing what sides you serve it with.