Hasselback Chicken Recipe with Spinach and Ricotta (Print version)

Juicy chicken breasts sliced Hasselback-style, filled with spinach ricotta, topped with cheese, and baked until tender.

# Ingredients:

For the chicken

01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6-8 oz (170-225 g) each
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
03 - 1 teaspoon paprika
04 - 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
05 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided

For the spinach ricotta filling

06 - 5 oz (140 g) fresh baby spinach
07 - 1 cup (245 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
08 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 - 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
11 - 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional

For the topping

12 - 3/4 cup (85 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
13 - 1/4 cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
14 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for serving

# Instructions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken breasts in a single layer.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Cool slightly, then press out excess moisture and roughly chop.
03 - Stir the chopped spinach with ricotta, garlic, lemon zest, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until evenly combined.
04 - Pat the chicken dry. Make crosswise slits about 1/2 inch apart, cutting about three-quarters of the way through without slicing through the bottom.
05 - Spoon the spinach ricotta filling into the slits. Place the chicken in the baking dish and season the outside with paprika, remaining salt, and remaining pepper.
06 - Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over the chicken. Bake for 22-28 minutes, until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 F.
07 - Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley and spoon any pan juices over the top.

# Good to know:

01 - Use similar-size chicken breasts so they finish cooking at the same time.
02 - Fresh spinach or well-drained frozen spinach both work.
03 - Best served warm after a short rest.

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