This Four Cheese Hasselback Chicken Recipe looks fancy but it's actually a really easy way to make stuffed chicken. You can stuff it with anything but my version has four different kinds of cheese, shredded zucchini, and bacon. Bacon is always a welcome ingredient in my house. This easy recipe is low carb, keto, gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly.
So, what do I do when my husband and I each buy a 6-pound pack of chicken on the same day? Make lots of chicken recipes.
I've been seeing photos of Hasselback chicken on Pinterest for a while now and I decided it was time to make my own version. Bacon crumbles were the first ingredient I grabbed out the fridge. Followed by cheese. And then I was stumped. I normally put a veggie in stuffed chicken and chicken casseroles.
How could I stuff a veggie into those tiny cracks? And then I remembered my friend Marisa gave me one of her garden zucchini. Perfect. I shredded it, mixed it with the cheese and bacon, and stuffed those chicken breasts.
What is Hasselback Chicken?
Hasselback chicken has slits cut in the top and is filled with your choice of toppings. It is quicker than pounding the chicken and rolling around a filling and cooks faster and more evenly with the slits.
How to Make Hasselback Chicken
- Cut slits in your chicken breasts. Make sure not to cut all the way through the chicken. Leave the bottom ½ inch attached.
- Prepare your filling. It should be thinly sliced or finely chopped.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and stuff them.
- Bake until the chicken is fully cooked.
What type of cheese for stuffed chicken?
You can really use any type of cheese for this Hasselback chicken recipe. I used what I had. The Muenster and provolone were sliced for sandwiches so I just stacked the slices and cut them into cubes.
More Filling Ideas for Hasselback Chicken
- Stuff the chicken with thinly sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil.
- Chop cilantro, tomatoes, and onions. Add some lime zest. Use to stuff the chicken.
- Stuff the chicken breasts with thin slices of softened eggplant. Place on top of some marinara sauce in a baking dish. Cover with mozzarella for a delicious twist on both chicken and eggplant parmesan.
- Stuff raw ground sausage down into the slits. Bake until almost done and then top with fresh mozzarella.
What should I serve with Hasselback chicken?
I just served this with some steamed green beans and tomatoes. It is great with keto mashed cauliflower, roasted brussels sprouts, keto Caesar salad, or you can double up on the zucchini and serve it with zucchini salad.
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Ingredients
- 8 chicken breasts about 3 pounds
- 2 oz provolone cheese cut into small cubes
- 2 oz muenster cheese cut into small cubes
- 4 oz cheddar cheese cut into small cubes
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup bacon crumbles
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 medium zucchini shredded
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Sprinkle a little salt on the shredded zucchini and set aside.
- Cut slits in the chicken breasts every ¾ inch. Be careful not to cut all the way through. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper.
- Squeeze as much liquid out of the zucchini as possible. Combine cheeses, zucchini, bacon, and garlic in a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Stuff the stuffing down into the slits of the chicken. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the chicken is at least 160 degrees.
Nutrition
Want more easy dinners? Try these:
Originally Published onAugust 27, 2016. Revised and Republished on July 25, 2019.
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Nozuko says
I love it and it's so easy to make.Thank you very much
Lovinglowcarb says
I’ve made this a couple times and the family loved it. This week I was looking for a low carb side so I decided to do hasselback zucchini instead. I used the same filling- minus the zucchini and stuffed it into the zucchini. It was great!! Thank you for the inspiration for a great dish!
Debbie Discher says
The recipes you posted look absolutely delish, I will be including them in this weeks menu plan. Thank you so much for creating seasonal recipes!
Katy says
This is my first recipe tried from your site, it was DELICIOUS.
I was looking for something different then grilled chicken. It was a breeze to prepare, very forgiving when "stuffing" the chicken. I was surprised by the shredded zucchini, but it gave the dish a little something extra and I wouldn't skip when I make this next time. Love the "use what's in the fridge already" approach for the cheese. I too used some sliced and some shredded. I did add chicken broth to the pan just to make clean up easier. Family, included 6and 8 year olds were very happy. I looked forward to left overs for my next 2 lunches.
Thanks for such a great recipe. I look forward to trying more soon
florida says
Is a serving size one chicken breast?
Taryn says
Yes
Sharon says
May be a silly question, but could I just use regular shredded cheese? I don't have any chunk cheese on hand right now. Thanks.
Taryn says
Yup!
Rosita says
You didn't say when to use the bacon, do you mix it in with the cheese or sprinkle on top when finished?
Taryn says
Mix it with the cheese.
Stacy J. says
I made this for dinner last night. It was AMAZING! I didn't have provalone or muenster cheese so I used cream cheese cheddar and parmesan. I had some filling left over so I smeared it all over the top. It baked up nice and crisp. It's a good thing that I only made one for each of us or I might have eaten all the extras myself.
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
Mmmm. Hasselback chicken... I just love it. Great idea adding the zucchini to it. Great! Pinned.
Karly says
The more cheese the better is my motto, and this chicken is the perfect way to live that up. Love this SO much- and love that my family will adore it, too! Perfect weeknight dinner!