Double-Pork Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Vegetables certainly have their place at the Primal table and we eat them often in every season. But man (and woman) cannot survive on vegetables alone. Or, rather, they can and do, but in our opinion it’s a much less tasty (and nutritious) way to live. Nothing lures us in and satisfies our hunger like the savory aroma of meat dripping with juices and glistening with lip-smacking fat.
In our never-ending quest to enjoy all the butcher shop has to offer, we’re turning our attention this week to a cut of meat we rarely buy. Not because it’s exotic or adventurous, quite the opposite actually. In fact, it might just be the least adventurous cut of meat out there. That’s right, we’re talking about the boneless, skinless chicken breast.
We don’t buy this cut regularly, usually preferring to feast on the whole bird or on fattier pieces with bones and skin intact. But every once in a while when we want a simple dish with loads of juicy flavor that will please everyone at the table (including kids and picky meat-eaters), chicken breasts are the perfect meal. Yes, you read that right. Loads of juicy flavor. If you think those words don’t belong in the same sentence as “chicken breast” then you’ve obviously never had Double-Pork Stuffed Chicken Breasts.
The trick to transforming chicken breasts from bland and boring to sensational is dressing them up a bit. The breast is ideal for stuffing; just butterfly it and pound the meat a little thinner so you can fit a lot inside. We use ground pork for its fat content and flavor and season it with three simple, flavorful spices. The options for stuffing chicken breasts, however, are endless. You can add sautéed vegetables or a little grated cheese, or play around with different meat and spice combinations. There is one thing about this recipe you won’t want to change, however, and that’s the part where we replace the missing skin with something even better: Bacon!
Wrapping chicken breasts snugly in a generous layer of bacon steers them out of bland and dry territory into lip-smacking, juicy flavor territory. The bacon also holds the whole dish together so well that you can eat one of these babies with your hands, as if it were a sandwich. This makes Double-Pork Stuffed Chicken Breasts not only a great dinner dish, but something you can eat cold the next day for breakfast or lunch on-the-go.
Ingredients:
4 servings
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3/4 pound ground pork
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 package of bacon
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a skillet over medium heat, sauté pork, shallot, parsley and half of spices for 6-8 minutes until pork is just cooked, but still slightly pink.
Use a knife to butterfly the breasts (slice lengthwise through one side of the breast creating a pocket).
Open up the breasts and pound briefly with a meat tenderizer to thin the meat out a bit.
Sprinkle the remaining spices evenly over the inside of the breasts.
Spoon equal amounts of ground pork on to one side of each breast, then fold the other side over the top.
Wrap bacon slices snugly around each breast, covering entirely.
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, then put under the broiler for 3 minutes to crisp up bacon.
Can be eaten warm or cold.
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Posted By: Worker Bee
Oh my god! These look WONDERFUL! Mark, kudos to your food stylist (or whatever you call the folks who arrange the food and then take a photograph of it). Maybe you did it yourself? The photos that accompany this article, and the photos in The Primal Cookbook, are just beautiful. They add so much to the printed recipe.
This looks absolutely delicious! I always think those boneless skinless chicken breasts need some dressing up.
Thanks!
Wow! It’s only 8am, and I’m jonsin’ to make Double Stuffed Chicken Breast! They look do delicious
my hubby has been on a weightloss kick..now that we lost the weight its more of a bodybuilding kick….this recipe will serve us well..it looks amazing
Once again, BACON for the win.
WOW!!!!!!
I think this may be the best recipe published on this blog due date!
I second that…. me want…..
I just asked my girlfriend what we should eat for dinner tonight. I then sat down at the computer and opened up MDA. I now know whats for dinner tonight! These look awesome.
alot of omega-6…no?
Not if you’re sourcing grass-fed meats.
There is no such thing as grass-fed pork and chicken as far as I know:) Chickens will eat up to 30% of their calories in grass (and that’s a LOT of grass), if allowed access to unlimited supplies.
Pigs natural diet seems to be mast, which is composed of seeds and fruits fallen from trees, various plants, bugs etc.
Now, ruminants, such as cows and sheep, can be raised totally on grass, but by all accounts, poultry and pork cannot.
So, they are pastured, not grass-fed:))
Grass-fed, pastured meats contain a lot less omega 6 compared to conventional meats.
Cow, either way, has a lot less omega 6 compared to pork but poultry has more than red meats.
Another reason to eat more red meat…
This looks awesome and I can’t wait to try it! As someone who is big into BBQ,I would suggest using a woven “bacon mat” instead of just wrapping the bacon around the chicken. The mat seems to hold everything together better and gets even more bacony flavor! Here is a link with a picture of how the bacon mat works (different recipe though)…
http://www.bbqaddicts.com/blog/recipes/bacon-explosion/
I’ve made the bacon explosion. It is soooo good! Like a bacon-sausage steak. I’m drooling just thinking about it.
I almost cried when I clicked that link. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
I love it Mark, set my mouth to watering. We eat a lot of chicken, so anything new is totally welcome! And, wrapping it in bacon.. ooOOOoooooh, yummy! Printing it out now to keep FOREVER!!!!!
I find anti-chicken breast rants tiresome.
harry, no rant just watching my 6 intake
musajen, thanks!
Wow, that’s a primal recipe if ever I saw one.
Seems like an awful lot of trouble to go to.
Meat, meat, and more meat. I’m drooling. This is epic! Kudos, Mark! I will be making this dish this evneing. mmmm. . . .
Cool step by Step!
Basically all of my favorite things in one dish. Might add bacon…
Hahaha I love the messages in the pictures when you move the mouse over them.
“Pound, do not choke, your chicken” lol you just made my afternoon!
Damn that looks good! If i can just find some ground pork without sugar in it
I’m with you on the additives thing. I grind my own. Years ago I spoiled myself with a KitchenAid mixer; the attachments have been lovely birthday/Christmas gifts along the way. Get a pork shoulder (butt) and grind away. I season some as Italian sausage, some as breakfast sausage, and keep some just plain. Then, it’s SUPER easy to grad a package of whatever and proceed with the recipe of the moment.
That looks like a delicious recipe thanks for sharing. Double pork yummmy!
Alright! I’ve got this in the oven right now. Let you know how it turns out! Kitchen smells sooooo good!
I made this earlier today, with a slight variation. I added some chopped apples to the ground pork mixture, and it tasted amazing. Definitely adding this to the playlist for future meals.
Ohhh, apples–hadn’t thought of that–sounds good!
Thank you for the apple suggestion. It added a nice crunch and flavor to the stuffing. My non-paleo wife also loved this dish. She usually won’t eat leftovers (I love leftovers) but this dish she asked for some leftovers the following 2 nights! Definite win.
Does anyone get a bit depressed that they haven’t had one of these yet
very cool , i try it in weekend , thanx mark
Wow that looks pretty damn awesome
Mark, have you been watching these guys?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xc5wIpUenQ
Made this for dinner tonight… A-MAZ-ING. I’m sold. Next time, I’ll add a little bit of cheese inside to give it just another dimension.
it was totally amazing, will post a replay of making the recipe on my blog tomorrow, with a link back here. We all loved it, Had 4 guests over and they demanded the left overs! WIN!
The moment I read this recipe I thought, “no imagine adding a bit of blue cheese…”
Drooling at the the thought of it…
can’t wait to try this!
looks like sushi