Hot Honey Ricotta Stuffed Chicken (Printable Version)

Creamy ricotta-filled chicken with sweet-spicy honey coating

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6.3 to 7 ounces each)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
04 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Ricotta Filling

05 - ¾ cup ricotta cheese
06 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
08 - 1 clove garlic, minced
09 - ½ teaspoon lemon zest
10 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Hot Honey Glaze

12 - ⅓ cup honey
13 - 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce (Sriracha or Frank's Red Hot), to taste
14 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for extra heat)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
02 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut a horizontal pocket into the thickest side of each breast, cutting about three-quarters of the way through without cutting all the way to the edges.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon zest, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir until smooth and well blended.
04 - Divide ricotta mixture equally among chicken breast pockets, spooning about 3 tablespoons into each opening. If needed, secure openings with toothpicks to prevent filling from escaping.
05 - Rub the exterior of each stuffed chicken breast with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Arrange breasts seam-side up in the prepared baking dish.
06 - In a small saucepan over low heat, combine honey, hot sauce, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Warm gently while stirring for approximately 2 minutes until fully blended. Do not bring to a boil.
07 - Brush half of the hot honey glaze evenly over the tops of the stuffed chicken breasts using a pastry brush.
08 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and internal temperature registers 165°F when measured with a meat thermometer at the thickest part.
09 - Remove from oven and brush with remaining hot honey glaze. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Remove toothpicks before plating.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Your guests will think you spent hours in the kitchen when really you just spent twenty minutes prepping and thirty minutes letting the oven do the work.
  • The creamy ricotta center stays juicy against that caramelized, honey-glazed exterior, giving you this textural moment that feels way more restaurant-quality than weeknight dinner.
  • You can adjust the heat to match whoever's eating it, so nobody has to compromise or eat something boring.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step, even though five minutes feels like nothing—it's the difference between juicy chicken and dry chicken, and it costs you literally nothing.
  • If your ricotta mixture seems too wet, it means your fresh herbs were holding moisture; drain them on paper towels first or your filling will leak everywhere during cooking.
03 -
  • Pat your chicken breasts completely dry before anything else, because moisture is the enemy of browning and you want that golden, caramelized exterior.
  • Brush the glaze on twice—once before baking and once after—because the second application gives you this glossy, professional-looking finish that makes the dish look like you actually know what you're doing.
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