Chorizo-Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Queso Sauce Recipe

By
Jennifer Olvera
Jennifer Olvera is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Jennifer Olvera is a Chicago-based food writer and cookbook author who has written eight cookbooks and contributed to Serious Eats, the Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, and others.
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Updated March 21, 2019
20140817-Chorizo-Stuffed-Chicken-Queso-Sauce-Jennifer-Olvera.jpg
Inspired by queso fundito, these chorizo-and-jalapeño-stuffed chicken breasts cook in a silky, beer-based cheese sauce. . Jennifer Olvera

A simple yet flavorful mixture of chorizo, jalapeño, and onion serves as the filling for these pounded chicken breasts, which cook in an ultra-creamy, beer-based cheese sauce. Check out our other stuffed chicken recipes for more inspiration!

Why this recipe works:

  • Pounding the chicken breast halves and trimming them into an even rectangular shape makes stuffing and rolling easier.
  • Kitchen twine works better than toothpicks to hold these rolls together.

Recipe Details

Chorizo-Stuffed Chicken Breasts With Queso Sauce Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Filling:

  • 1 (6-ounce) link Mexican chorizo, casing removed

  • 1 medium jalapeño, stemmed and minced

  • 1/2 medium white onion, minced (about 1/3 cup)

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

For the Cheese Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium white onion, minced

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup light beer, such as pale ale or lager

  • 3 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes

  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes

  • 4 ounces pepper Jack cheese, cut into small cubes

  • 3/4 cup whole milk

Directions

  1. For the Chicken and Filling: Cook chorizo in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it into small bits until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add jalapeño and onion and continue cooking until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels and reserve.

  2. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breast halves: Slice along the length of each breast, and, working parallel to the cutting board, continue slicing until nearly all the way through (but not completely), so that each breast opens like a book.

  3. Set each butterflied chicken breast half on a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and, using a meat pounder, pound each breast to a 1/4-inch thickness. Remove plastic and trim each chicken breast to form an even rectangle. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling over each chicken breast, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Roll each breast lengthwise and secure at 3/4-inch intervals with kitchen twine. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper.

  4. For the Cheese Sauce: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-heat until shimmering. Sear chicken on all sides until brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat to a platter and reserve. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes.

  5. Add beer and increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from the bottom on the Dutch oven. Add cheeses and cook, stirring, until melted and smooth. Season generously with pepper and stir in milk.

  6. Return chicken to Dutch oven, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F (or 160°F if you want to follow USDA guidelines) when inserted into the center of chicken rolls, about 15 minutes.

  7. Transfer chicken from to a clean plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard twine and serve immediately, topped with cheese sauce.

Special equipment

Meat pounder, kitchen twine, Dutch oven

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
752Calories
46gFat
15gCarbs
64gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories752
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 46g59%
Saturated Fat 21g105%
Cholesterol 202mg67%
Sodium 1366mg59%
Total Carbohydrate 15g5%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 64g
Vitamin C 8mg40%
Calcium 605mg47%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 736mg16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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