Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken & Wrapping
- 800 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 120 g parma ham
Garlic & Herb Stuffing
- 150 g cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 5 g fresh chives, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
Vegetables
- 250 g cherry tomatoes, washed and dried
- 100 g baby spinach, washed and dried
- 30 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 638 kcal
- Protein
- 54 g
- Carbohydrates
- 6 g
- Fat
- 44 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 757 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 15 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 166 mg
- Potassium
- 975 mg
- Calcium
- 98 mg
- Iron
- 3.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 83 mg
- Phosphorus
- 420 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 300 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 20 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 167 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.32 mg
- Niacin
- 20.1 mg
- Folate
- 64 mcg
- Water
- 185 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease a large baking dish with a small amount of olive oil.
In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, minced garlic, finely chopped parsley, chives, salt, and black pepper. Stir vigorously until the mixture is smooth and the herbs are evenly distributed.
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. Using a sharp paring knife, carefully cut a horizontal slit into the thickest part of each breast to create a deep pocket. Be very careful not to slice completely through to the other side.
Spoon an equal amount of the cream cheese mixture into the pocket of each chicken breast. Press the edges of the chicken breast gently together to enclose the filling.
Lay two slices of Parma ham slightly overlapping on the cutting board. Place one stuffed chicken breast on top and wrap the ham tightly around it, ensuring the opening of the pocket is completely sealed by the ham. Repeat for the remaining chicken breasts.
Place the wrapped chicken breasts in the center of the prepared baking dish. Arrange the whole cherry tomatoes around the chicken. Drizzle the tomatoes with the olive oil and season them with a pinch of extra salt and pepper.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F) and the Parma ham has rendered its fat and become deeply crispy.
Remove the baking dish from the oven. Carefully transfer the chicken breasts to a clean cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Immediately add the baby spinach to the hot baking dish, tossing it with the blistered tomatoes and pan juices until the leaves are fully wilted.
Serve the rested chicken alongside the warm, pan-wilted spinach and blistered tomatoes. Spoon any remaining pan juices over the vegetables.
Chef's Notes
- Using full-fat block cream cheese is critical for this recipe. Tub or spreadable cream cheese contains a higher water content and stabilizers that will cause the filling to break, separate, or leak excessively during the high-heat roasting process.
- Be sure to pat your chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels before cutting and wrapping. Moisture on the surface of the chicken creates steam, which will prevent the Parma ham from adhering to the meat and achieving its signature crunch.
- The resting period after baking is absolutely non-negotiable. Slicing into the chicken straight out of the oven will cause the molten cream cheese and the natural juices of the meat to instantly flood out, leaving you with dry chicken and an empty pocket.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The Parma ham will lose its crispness.
Reheating: Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through to help recrisp the ham.
Troubleshooting
Cream cheese filling leaks out completely into the baking dish
Cause: The pocket was cut too large, or the Parma ham wrap was too loose
Fix: Scoop the leaked cream cheese and pan juices with a spoon and serve it as a rich sauce over the chicken
Prevention: Cut a smaller, localized pocket and wrap the ham firmly, ensuring the seams of the ham overlap directly over the pocket opening
Parma ham burns and blackens before the chicken is cooked through
Cause: Oven temperature runs hot, or the chicken breasts were exceptionally thick and required more time
Fix: Tent the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil to protect the ham while the chicken finishes cooking
Prevention: Pound the chicken breasts slightly to an even thickness before slicing the pocket, and verify oven temperature
Cultural Context
Wrapping lean meats in cured fat like Prosciutto di Parma is a classic technique rooted in Italian cuisine, most famously seen in dishes like Saltimbocca. The cured ham naturally bastes the chicken as it roasts, infusing the mild poultry with rich, savory umami while providing a tight, protective layer that seals in moisture and keeps the meat incredibly succulent.
