When Ina Garten drops a video outlining “the easiest dinner she knows how to make,” it’s a run don’t walk situation to the closest grocery store to grab the necessary ingredients. Luckily, this recipe that I and close to five million others have seen on Instagram requires only three ingredients: chicken breasts, goat cheese, and fresh basil.
I probably make roasted chicken breast at least once a week as it’s one of the only proteins everyone in the family agrees on. That said, I usually keep it pretty plain, roasting it in haste, with nothing more than salt, pepper, and olive oil for ease.
Ina’s simple tip of adding a little goat cheese and basil offers a major return on investment and I’m so glad I have a new go-to weeknight dinner in my lineup. Plus, while my kids are not the biggest fans of goat cheese, they gobbled this up. The cheese adds a really pleasant earthiness; the flavor is not overpowering. Even those who swear they don’t like goat cheese (how could that be?!) will love this dish.
How To Make Ina’s Easiest Dinner Recipe
Like many of Ina’s beloved recipes, this chicken dish is beyond simple. You loosen the skin on chicken breast and to create a nice little pocket to tuck some flavorful ingredients into. Then, you fill said pocket with slices of herbed goat cheese and fresh basil. To finish the prep, you stretch the chicken skin over the fillings, and drizzle it with a little olive oil and salt and pepper.
Roast the stuffed chicken breasts in a 375°F oven—this is where the magic happens. The fat from the goat cheese and the skin self bastes the chicken while the basil infuses the meat with herbaceousness, ensuring each and every bite is full of flavor and moisture.
Ina Tip!
Ina suggests taking the chicken out of the oven when it is slightly undercooked to prevent the chicken from drying out. Then, during the 10-minute resting period, the chicken will finish cooking, resulting in a perfectly cooked, moist, and flavorful chicken breast. Just make sure that the chicken reaches 165°F.
Simply Recipes / Molly Adams
Why I Love Ina’s Goat Cheese Chicken
While most of Ina’s recipes are genius, and her ability to cook a good chicken knows no bounds, what makes this recipe really stand out is the simplicity. It took all of 10 minutes to prep, and I loved that you get all the flavor of stuffed chicken with no butchering skills required.
Using the chicken skin to contain the goat cheese and herb filling was super quick and easy, and ensured the meat stayed nice and juicy. Ina suggests using boneless skin-on chicken breasts, which cook in just 35 to 40 minutes. I happened to have bone-in skin-on breasts which worked beautifully, but needed about 15 minutes more in the oven. I served the chicken with a side of roasted potatoes and asparagus, which made for the perfect early Spring-ish dinner.
Now that I’ve given her original version a try, I look forward to trying different variations. I’m talking feta, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh oregano, or perhaps a spreadable cheese (like Boursin) with lemon slices and parsley. How easy is that?
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