The whole family will love Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate Chicken! A quick and easy meal that’s loaded with superfoods!
PINÂ Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate chicken
First published Jan 22/2014. Updated Dec 29/2017
I have been eating a lot of pomegranate lately. Liiiike, in superfood paleo brownies and Breakfast Cookies with bananas and pomegrante.Â
And now? This balsamic glazed chicken.
I’m eating them to a point where it is scaring Mr. FFF
What is causing his anxiety is the fact that he comes home from work every morning to a wife covered in splattery, red, spots.
Considering he is a doctor, he automatically jumps into super life saving mode and assumes that his wife is in the midst of doom and death.
Nope. I am just a reallyyyyy messy pomegranate de-seeder person trying to make dinner in the form of THIS balsamic chicken recipe.
Why this is the BEST Pomegranate Chicken Recipe
Chicken is SUCH a versatile meat, and I love working with flavors and textures to find new ways to enjoy it! Here in the FFF kitchen, we’ve made everything from crispy air fryer chicken breast all the way to chicken zucchini casserole and today, we’re adding fruit to the mix! Everyone put your hands together and give a warm welcome to pomegranate chicken stuffed with goat cheese. It’s got texture, it’s got sweetness, zinginess, and some richness to top it all off. It’s the PERFECT all-in-one meal, and can also be served with sides to amp it up even more. You are going to love this healthy dinner recipe!
Health Benefits of Pomegranate Seeds
Pomegranate seeds are not only sweet, tasty and addictive, they’re also healthy! This super fruit is jam packed with antioxidants which help fight illness and disease, and also has a high amount of nutrients- fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K just to throw out a few. Cook up some pomegranate chicken stuffed with goat cheese and you will get to enjoy a delicious meal that is also nourishing for your body!
Ingredients Needed
This recipe calls for a handful of healthy, wholesome ingredients that taste GREAT and that you’ll feel good about feeding your family. Let’s go ahead and round everything up so that we can get started on this fabulous recipe that bring sweet and savory together:
- Chicken Breasts
- Goat Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Olive Oil
- Shallots
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Pomegranate Juice
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Coconut Sugar
- Salt
- Pomegranate Arils
- Fresh Basil
How to make Baked Chicken Breast Stuffed with Goat Cheese
Prepare
Turn on your oven so that it can preheat and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.Â
Stuff
Slice a pocket into each chicken breast, ensuring that you don’t cut through the breast. Stuff goat cheese into each pocket, seasoning each breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder.Â
Brown
Heat up a splash of oil in a large pan. Place the chicken breasts in the oil and cook, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking dish.Â
Cook
Place the shallots into the pan that the chicken was in, and cook until they are soft. Add in the vinegar, pomegranate juice, broth, brown sugar and salt. Whisking, bring the mixture to a boil and cook until the sauce reduces and starts to thicken.Â
Bake
Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and pop them in the oven to bake until the chicken is cooked through.Â
Serve
Garnish the chicken with pomegranate seeds, fresh basil, and any leftover sauce. DEVOUR!
How to make it Dairy Free
This keto stuffed chicken breast with goat cheese will be just as tasty when you make a dairy free version! Simply use dairy free cream cheese instead of goat cheese, and follow the rest of the directions normally.
Serving Suggestions
Although this chicken recipe can be enjoyed as is, it would be delicious with a side dish to add some more color to your plate. I suggest some sauteed broccolini or cauliflower rice to serve alongside your stuffed pomegranate chicken!
Ingredients
- For the Chicken:
- 1 Lb Chicken breasts (4 small breasts)
- 4 Oz Goat Cheese (dairy free cream cheese for dairy free options)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- For the Balsamic Reduction:
- 1/4 Cup Shallots minced (about 4 small shallots)
- 2/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Pomegranate juice
- 1/4 Cup Low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp Coconut sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 Cup Pomegranate arils
- 1/4 Cup Fresh basil diced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cut a pocket into the center of each chicken breast, using a sharp knife,, making sure to not cut all the way through the breast.
- Stuff each pocket with 1 oz of goat cheese and sprinkle each breast with a pinch of salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- In a large pan, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium/high heat.
- Cook the chicken breasts until lightly golden brown on each side (about 1-2 minutes per side.) Use tongs to flip the chicken as it helps to keep all that cheese inside. However, some cheese may ooze out as it begins to warm up.
- Once browned, transfer the chicken to the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the shallots right into the same pan the chicken was in.
- Cook the shallots until soft (about 2-3 minutes.)
- Add in the balsamic vinegar, pomegranate juice, chicken broth, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, stiring constantly, until the sauce just begins to reduce and thicken (about 4-5 minutes.)
- Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake until they are cooked through (15-20 mins.)
- Serve each chicken breast drizzled with some of the leftover sauce, pomegranate seeds and fresh basil.
- Devour!
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
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Aura says
This sounds amazing! I am planning to cook it for my friend this weekend as a treat – do you have any recommendations on starters/sides you think would really compliment it? I have never even had pomegranate so have no idea where to start!
Taylor Kiser says
Hmmmmm!! Maybe one of these:
https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/easy-sauteed-fresh-green-beans-recipe-with-proscuitto/
https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/superfood-roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-bacon/
https://www.foodfaithfitness.com/cauliflower-bake-with-goat-cheese/
Let me know how it goes!
Heather says
Second night making this. So glad it came up in my google search. Delicious! Thank you!
jeff borsecnik says
This is a great, easy recipe. The sauce is fabulous. It makes dull chicken breasts into a really nice meal. Might be good with other meats also … pork chops? The only “I need to get” (stuff I don’t usually have around) item is a pomegranate, and they last a while. The basil is a nice touch. I don’t usually have that handy, but I do have pesto.
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks, Jeff! So glad you like this recipe!