Crab Imperial Stuffed Chicken Breast with a lemon horseradish sauce

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Chicken Breast stuffed with crab imperial wrapped in puff pastry and baked till golden brown.  Served with a light lemon horseradish cream.  Perfect for your next date night!

Total Time: 50 minutes
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When it comes to stuffed chicken breast, the sky’s the limit. And with my chicken breast stuffed with crab imperial and spinach, you’re reaching for the stars!

Chicken stuffed with crab meat wrapped in puff pastry, served with a lemon horseradish sauce. Sitting on a white plate

My restaurant days were some of my happiest days,  creating incredible dishes, having all eyes on me as I walked across the dining room, and the sheer joy on people’s faces as they enjoyed their meals! One of the more challenging parts of my job running the restaurant was deciding what my specials would be, what would I create to satisfy and amaze my guests. It was always easy to come up with show stoppers when using pricier ingredients, but not everyone that came in was looking for that high ticket entree, they were there to enjoy a good meal without breaking the bank.

For those recipes I turned to chicken, it helped keep the cost down and allowed me to use some higher priced ingredients as well, blending flavors to make the dish enticing and delicious! I think the fact that I didn’t eat red meat helped me create some really good chicken dishes, and one that I’m going to share with you was always a favorite.

Chicken breasts don’t require a lot of prep, but one thing you do want to consider when working with chicken breasts is that they do need to be pounded out a bit. Being a chef I always have a meat hammer to work with, but I have been at other people’s homes that didn’t have a specific meat hammer and sometimes you need to be creative. Of course, a regular hammer will do, just remember to wrap it in foil or plastic wrap first and use the side of the hammer, not the head. You can also use a small frying pan and give it a few whacks to flatten it out.

chicken breast between plastic wrap on a cutting board with a meat hammer sitting on top

I would, of course, suggest adding a small meat hammer to your kitchen if you don’t already have one, you’re going to use it and it will make your life easier! When pounding out chicken breasts, you do want to use the flat part of any meat hammer, not the ridged sides, the other side is reserved for beef or pork, meats that can use some help in tenderizing. It’s also a good idea to place a layer of plastic wrap under the chicken and one over top of the chicken before pounding.

This will actually help in the flattening process, and keep little bits of chicken from embedding themselves throughout your kitchen! While pounding the chicken don’t strike straight down, you want to almost push the meat towards the outer edges while you pound. We want the breast intact and this is the best way gain size without breaking apart the breast.

Chicken Stuffed with Crab imperialcut in half with a front view on a white plate. Lemon cream sauce and a lemon showing on plate

I stuffed this chicken breast with a crab imperial mix with some fresh spinach added in, and in Lisa would eat roasted red peppers you would have seen them in the mix as well. People eat with their eyes, so think festive and use colorful foods to add a little extra visual pizzazz to your dishes. If crab meat isn’t in your budget or just isn’t something you enjoy eating, you can always stuff your chicken breast with any of your favorites. Sausage, cheese, spinach and apples, would make a great stuffing especially for this time of the year, or if you would like to keep it simple how about a nice bread stuffing with mushrooms! The dish is yours be creative.

If crab meat isn’t in your budget or just isn’t something you enjoy eating, you can always stuff your chicken breast with any of your favorites. Sausage, cheese, spinach and apples, would make a great stuffing especially for this time of the year, or if you would like to keep it simple how about a nice bread stuffing with mushrooms! The dish is yours be creative.

I had intended to make a Dijon cream sauce for this dish, but had no Dijon on hand and just didn’t have the time to run to the store, so I made a Horseradish Lemon cream sauce, have fun with the sauce and use what you have on hand. When I developed recipes in my restaurants, I would use what I had on hand and just combine flavors that went well together, just don’t be afraid to experiment!

If you’ve tried my Stuffed Chicken Breast recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME  on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels,  Twitter and Facebook

5 from 2 votes
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Stuffed Chicken Breast- Crab Imperial and spinach wrapped in puff pastry

Chicken Breast stuffed with crab imperial wrapped in puff pastry and baked till golden brown.  Served with a light lemon horseradish cream.  Perfect for your next date night!

Author: Chef Dennis
Nutrition Facts
Stuffed Chicken Breast- Crab Imperial and spinach wrapped in puff pastry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1172 Calories from Fat 765
% Daily Value*
Fat 85g131%
Saturated Fat 24g120%
Cholesterol 202mg67%
Sodium 1804mg75%
Potassium 754mg22%
Carbohydrates 64g21%
Fiber 3g12%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 36g72%
Vitamin A 6090IU122%
Vitamin C 31.4mg38%
Calcium 162mg16%
Iron 6.2mg34%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 1172 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
  • 1 lb lump crabmeat
  • 8 oz baby spinach
  • 2 oz roasted red peppers (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Mayonnaise Hellman's preferred
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp old bay
  • 2 sheets puff pastry dough (defrosted)
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
Lemon Horseradish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
  • juice of one half lemon
  • pinch of black pepper
Instructions

  1. Trim chicken breasts and pound thin (chicken should almost double in size)

  2. Cook spinach in a little water until completely wilted. Squeeze out all the water from the cooked spinach.

  3. Mix mayonnaise, egg, sugar, and old bay together and blend well, this is your imperial sauce.
  4. Mix together crabmeat, spinach and roasted peppers (if your using them)
  5. Add the imperial sauce and mix together. (do not add all the imperial sauce in at one time in case its too much sauce for your mixture, the mix should be loose but not too loose.) Chill this mixture for at least 30 minutes, it will be easier to work with.
  6. Place chicken breasts on a tray and divide mixture between the four breasts.
  7. Wrap breast around the crab meat mixture, tucking in all the sides until a nicely shaped ball is formed.

  8. Place stuffed chicken seam side down in a casserole dish, adding a little chicken stock, or water in the bottom to keep the chicken moist, cover with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

  9. While the chicken is cooling prepare your puff pastry dough, by rolling it out so that's it's a little thinner and larger (you want to have 4 eight inch squares)

  10. Place cooled chicken breast in the center of the puff dough and wrap the dough around the breast sealing the dough under the chicken breast *
  11. At this point, you can refrigerate your chicken and bake it later in the day

  12. Before baking, brush dough with a lightly beaten egg, place in 350-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry dough has a nice golden brown color.

While the chicken is baking make your sauce.

  1. Melt butter in small pan, then add in the flour, allow the roux to cook for 5 minutes on low, do not let it darken or burn.

  2. Add in warm chicken stock and mix well

  3. Add in heavy cream and continue to mix if the sauce seems to thick add in more chicken stock or a little water.

  4. Add in horseradish, lemon juice and black pepper, taste and adjust according to your tastes, using more horseradish if you like.

  5. Serve chicken with lemon horseradish sauce and sides of your choice.
Recipe Notes

*Do not overlap the pastry dough on the bottom, trim it so there is an even layer of dough, or it will not cook entirely and you will have raw dough on the bottom when you serve the chicken.

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About Chef Dennis

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Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

Comments

  1. Marie says

    Hi,

    I just ran across your recipe and would like to make it for guests. Is it possible to do a good portion of the recipe the day before –even baking the chicken breast- or must it all be done the day of.

    thanks

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      hi Marie-
      you can prepare the recipe up to the part where you wrap it in puff dough, the day before and finish the cooking process before your party. That’s how we use to do it at the restaurant, otherwise it would have taken too long.

      Reply

  2. Anna S. says

    I served this recipe for my Mother’s Day main dish, along with asparagus spears. It was a hit! My chicken breasts were very large, so I ended up butterflying them into two halves and then pounding each half thin. Worked like a charm. The crab stuffing turned out perfectly, and the chicken was meltingly tender and moist. I don’t like horseradish, so I went with your original idea of a dijon cream sauce and substituted 1 tbsp grey poupon for the horseradish, which was a great choice. Sauce was delicious, and went equally well over the asparagus as over the chicken. Simply outstanding. This one takes a little time to get all the steps right, but my mom was astonished at the results, so it was very worth it. Adding this one to my recipe file for special occasions! Thanks, chef!

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment Anna, and I’m very happy to hear that everyone enjoyed the stuffed chicken breast! Anytime we can make our moms happy its a good day!

      Reply

  3. Emily says

    It was a hit!!! Chicken was a lil dry inside but more than likely due to me cooking longer prior to wrapping the pastry shell…

    Reply

    • Chef Dennis Littley says

      Hi Emily

      thanks so much for letting me know that the chicken did turn out, even though it was a little dry. You don’t want to cook the chicken all the way through,so maybe next time give it a little less time in the oven before wrapping it, as it will finish cooking in the oven.

      Reply

  4. Emily says

    I’m prepping this right now for my Sunday dinner!!!! I added the roasted red peppers and am anxious to see how it turns out!!!! Stay tuned!!!!

    Reply

      • Emily says

        Question for you.. My chicken breasts were odd shaped after pounding them out so making a ball was pretty impossible… I did the best I could and they are baking now.. Never used a puffed pastry before so I’m assuming that I can save the day with the pastry wrap… (Yikes) btw… Taking a lot longer than 20 mins for chicken to cook.. Should they be thoroughly cooked prior to wrapping the shell?? Thanks So Much!!

        Reply

  5. Lynda Husbands says

    Very interested in using this dish for my husbands 80th birthday, have people coming who are allergic to fish and pork so I will use a selection of veggies instead, do you think the chicken could be wrapped in Filo pastry instead of puff pastry. ?

    Reply

  6. Yu says

    This sounds delicious, gonna try it…just wonder if the imperial source is only for crabmeat stuffing..I plan to use sausage and spinach…thanks.

    Reply

    • Chef D says

      the imperial sauce is the binder, I use it for making chicken or turkey croquettes as well! Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  7. thoma says

    I think it’ll be quite liberating to go pound pound with that hammer…I may never want to stop! You’ve had quite some cream in your life and on your chicken too! It’s truly sensual! kudos!

    Reply

  9. Barefeet In The Kitchen says

    I love these restaurant kitchen posts. This looks wonderful and I would have happily ordered it. Have you ever made your own pastry sheets? That’s something I’d like to try, but I haven’t found any great recipes for it yet.

    Reply

    • Chef D says

      not having been a trained baker, I have not made my own sheets, although I did find an interesting recipe for pastry dough I may be trying soon, so I can teach it too my girls! I’m glad you enjoyed my post!

      Reply

  10. Clarissa says

    I made this last night and it was the best stuffed chicken I’ve ever made. Subbed a sausage apple stuffing as recommended, similar to this one http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,221,158183-232200,00.html. I was so excited that I forgot to make the sauce while it was baking and by the time I pulled it out of the oven and my supper guests got a peek at it they refused to wait for me to whip it up. This recipe is not hard to make but it takes a little time, perfect for a rainy day. Thanks!

    Reply

  11. Kita says

    Oh my goodness. This looks insanely delicious. I have to admit, I never order chicken out because I hate how often it becomes bland – if they were serving anything like this I would have to try it!

    Reply

  19. Kim - Liv Life says

    Congrats on the Top 9, Dennis!! I forgot to mention that earlier. I LOVE this sort of chicken recipe, and while I don’t really like to pound my chicken (my girlfriend got me a pounder, but I hardly use it) I just might do it for this one. Love it!

    Reply

  22. Sprigs of Rosemary says

    A horseradish lemon sauce! Wow! You never cease to amaze me. I make a dish like this often but I love the little tweaks you’ve done I wouldn’t have thought of. Just wonderful. And congratulations — again! — on your Top 9! Great!

    Reply

  27. Elin says

    Nay..you are still young and fit and we are counting on you for more recipes from your restaurant kitchen 🙂 Stay young ya !

    This would be great for the coming Xmas dinner :p love the fact that the fillings has crabmeat awww and wrapped in puff pastry….luxury meal no doubt. That horseradish lemon sauce is great for this stuffed chicken breast. Thanks …Chef for this recipe…I appreciate your sharing and have added this recipe for my Xmas menu…one item on the menu list :))

    Have a nice day,
    Elin

    Reply

  30. Becky says

    Your stuffed chicken is gorgeous, especially wrapped in the puffed pastry. i can see enjoying the wonderful dish with a nice glass of Chardonnay in the candlelight.

    Reply

  33. Kath says

    That is a fantastic looking chicken dish, Dennis! I’ve made a sausage-stuffed chicken breast recipe (one from Marcella Hazan) which is very good. Wrapping it in puff pastry, though, really puts it over the top! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  39. Cristina says

    Chef: I’ve been using the wrong side of the hammer when pounding out chicken. Thx for setting me straight! 😉 I do luv puff pastry and this Chicken Moliere is just what I’d like for dinner tonight. Have a fabulous week!

    Reply

  44. Dana Salvo says

    The pastry looks perfect! I love what you stuffed it with too. I just ate breakfast & I swear if one of these were in front of me I would devour it!

    Reply

  45. The Kitchen Noob says

    Jen (my wife) has been “encouraging” me to pound out chicken when I make Parmesan chicken or panko crusted chicken for oriental chicken salad…now I guess I have no excuse! lol

    Looks great and happy birthday!

    Reply

  48. MadAboutMacarons says

    You can’t go wrong with the chicken – it’s always a hit! (sorry, I just HAD to say that.)
    Love the stuffing – great idea using crabmeat. And so glad you didn’t have the Dijon – that lemon horseradish sounds absolutely delicious.
    Good luck with the 16hrs – we’re thinking of you!

    Reply

  49. Marguerite says

    Omg, this dish is over the top! I’ve had chicken stuffed with crawfish, but never with crab meat! I can only imagine how scrumptious this is, and that sauce is just fabulous! Good luck with your busy days and remember to take time to relax, now and then. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply

  51. Manu says

    I love that there is pastry around this chicken! And the stuffing sounds amazing too. I am actually happy you did not have Dijon mustard on hand or I would have missed out on that delicious lemon horseradish sauce!!!

    Reply

  52. Ann says

    Delicious! Crab meat would be in my list to use, but with allergies, I’d do spinach, pine nuts and maybe a wee bit of garlic and parmesan. I love, Love, LOVE the sauce you made with it!

    I hope the classes go by quickly and productively!

    Reply

  54. Baking Serendipity says

    I love stuffed chicken, but have never added a second meat to the stuffing. Usually it’s full of veggies and cheese 🙂 Yours looks delicious! It’s crazy to think, but I’ve already survived 6 weeks of my school year. The beginning of the year business has subsided and it’s sort of nice to fall into a routine again. Hope your busy days slow down a bit soon!

    Reply

  55. Boulder Locavore says

    This looks great and I would never think of stuffing it with crab meat. But then maybe if it was MY birthday I’d think of it! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHEF DENNIS! As you are in the midst of your long haul I hope you had a bit of relaxation and football today.

    Ok I know about the past in fashion photography but did not know you ran a restaurant. Hoping for a fill in on that!

    Thanks for the consistently beautiful food. This is a wonderful reminder for the cooler weather and to spark creativity for filling.

    Reply

  58. Curt says

    That is so awesome. I have always been a backyard smoker and grilling guy, and obviously that’s why my blog is in that niche. But lately I have been reading so many different food blogs, I have learned so many things and have been expanding my cooking.

    I always wanted to know how this process was done. I’ll be trying this one.

    Reply

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