Southwest Stuffed Chicken Breast with Pepper Jack Cheese

Ingredients

  • Ingredients:
  • • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (tenderloins removed and saved for another use)
  • • 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for grill pan
  • • 1 teapsoon lime zest
  • • 1-1 ½ teaspoons lime juice
  • • 1 teaspoon salt
  • • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • • 1 teapsoon paprika
  • • ½ teaspoon granulated onion
  • • ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
  • • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • • Pinch black pepper
  • • 1 ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
  • • ½ cup black beans
  • • ½ cup corn kernels
  • • ¼ cup sliced roasted red peppers (from jar)
  • • Pico de Gallo (prepared), for garnish
  • • Cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • • Lime slices/wedges, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Preparation:

-Place the chicken breasts into a medium-size bowl, and add in all of the ingredients beginning with the olive oil, up to and including the black pepper, and toss to season the meat well; marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes, or even overnight, if preparing ahead.

-Once chicken in marinated, preheat your oven to 350°, and line a baking sheet with foil and top with a wire rack.

-Preheat your grill pan over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 1-2 tablespoons of oil; once hot, add in the chicken breasts (work in a couple of batches, if necessary) and grill them for about 3 minutes per side, or just until golden on the outside (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point, which is fine.)

-Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, make a pocket in the thickest part of the breast, taking care not to cut all the way through, but just creating a large enough of pocket to stuff with filling; add a generous ¼ cup of the cheese, then a couple of tablespoons each of the black beans and corn, and then a few slices of the roasted red peppers.

-Use a couple of toothpicks to secure the opening, and place the stuffed breasts onto the wire rack, and place into the oven to bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melty.

-Top each stuffed chicken breast with some of the Pico de Gallo, plus a few cilantro leaves, if desired, and a slice/wedge of lime, for garnish.

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