Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate Chicken

This Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate chicken is a quick and easy weeknight dinner, loaded with superfoods! Great for kids and adults!

PIN 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. 

And now? This balsamic glazed chicken.

I’m eating them to a point where it is scaring Mr. FFF

The actual amount that I am eating is not what is causing him to be a worry pants though. 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 nurse, 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.

On, the bright side I don’t have to wear as much makeup these days. Pomegranate juice = instant, natural blush. Plus it’s really healthy and that means my cheeks are extra happy.

I’m sure I read some article in Cosmo about happy cheeks being important.

But, I also haven’t read a Cosmo in approximately 40,000 years so I could be lying.

Moving on. We’ve got Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate Chicken to discuss!

Let’s talk about one of my favorite topics, beside shoes, and that is cheese. Specifically cheese from my cute little friend: the goat. Side note: Don’t worry, I don’t actually think goats are cute. How-ev-er, I think that goats around the world feel like everyone feels that way, so I am trying to pretend change the goat movement.

Ya know, just in case one is reading this.

Ok, Goat Cheese. Yes. This is actually my favorite kind of cheese in the whole Milky Way (milky way=cheese. You see the connection.)

It works in just about any dish, ESPECIALLY goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts, but I also love it with strawberry chicken with goat cheese, as it is so mild in flavor but BIG on creamy, smooth nom nom nom-age. I stuffed some into the center of this easy balsamic chicken and, BOOM, insta-chicken-that-I-want-to-crawl-up-inside-of-and-make-a-little-home.

Is that weird and excessive?

I just really like goat cheese you guys.

Side note: Since we are kind of, in a round about way, talking about the appearance of animals, do you guys think that chickens look like mini dinosaurs? Is that just me? Please say no.

Sometimes I really don’t know how and why I think of these things. Furthermore, why I say them to YOU.

Alright, so we’ve established that you need to put some goat cheese in your balsamic chicken breast.

Let’s talk about the pomegranate balsamic glaze on this Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate Chicken that takes approximately 43 seconds to prepare. <– Ok, maybe a few more seconds than that, but it is SO EASY.

Seriously, if you want to make just about ANYTHING taste delish and look extra fancy, make this sauce.

Do it. Don’t even think about it. It’s even good on things like cookies, as we learned in the cranberry pistachio gluten free shortbread and salads like balsamic butternut squash salad with bacon.

It’s thick, sweet, a little bit tangy and has a pop of freshness from the pomegranate juice. The best part about all this magic? One pot wonder. Yesyesyes.

BUTBUTBUT, do NOT overcook it. SRSLY BAD THINGS HAPPEN. It will no longer look like delicious, sweet and tangy sauce…but more like stick-to-your-teeth balsamic vinegar CANDY. Not good for your teeth. not good for the chicken. NOT GOOD FOR ANYONE.

You get the picture.

Finally we come ‘round the bend to the pomegranate arils. If you did not know this, these little seedies are JAM PACKED with antioxidants that will make yo’ body feel the warm tinglies of health and love and joy…and stuff.

How-ev-er there are three other reasons what you should finish off your chicken by topping it with pomegranate arils and sweet, fresh basil:

1)     Ohhh so pretty!

2)     Ohhh the crunch!

3)     Ohhh so fancy!

You like it. I like it. Let’s eat it.

Recipe

Baked Balsamic Goat Cheese Stuffed Pomegranate chicken

5 from 6 votes

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Serves: 4 People

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Total: 30 minutes

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:

Calories: 336kcal (17%) Carbohydrates: 27.2g (9%) Protein: 29.8g (60%) Fat: 9.6g (15%) Saturated Fat: 4.6g (29%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g Monounsaturated Fat: 3.9g Sodium: 251mg (11%) Potassium: 374mg (11%) Fiber: 0.8g (3%) Sugar: 19.8g (22%) Vitamin A: 410IU (8%) Vitamin C: 4.2mg (5%) Calcium: 59mg (6%) Iron: 0.8mg (4%)

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: Taylor

Course:Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine:American

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FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:

• Balsamic Vinegar
• Large Baking Dish
• Large Pan
• Ceramic Knives

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