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Recreate the famous Ruth’s Chris stuffed chicken with juicy roasted chicken breasts stuffed with a creamy cheese and fresh herb filling, savory seasonings, crisp golden skin, and a buttery lemon garlic finish. This gourmet, steakhouse-inspired copycat is rich, flavorful, and elegantly presented for holidays, dinner parties, or any night you want an exceptional meal.
Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes for a complete dinner meal!
I know a lot of people think it’s blasphemy to order chicken at a steakhouse, but the stuffed chicken at Ruth’s Chris Steak House is absolutely top-notch. It’s incredibly flavorful, rich, and creamy, and it’s the perfect choice when you’re just not in the mood for a steak.
I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I went home and recreated it and I have to say, it’s just as delicious.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Chicken – Airline chicken breasts are perfect for this recipe because they’re thick enough to be stuffed while staying juicy and tender. If you can’t find airline chicken or don’t feel like butterflying the chicken, regular boneless, skin-on chicken breasts work just as well.
- Ranch Seasoning – Ranch seasoning adds tons of flavor with almost no effort. Don’t omit!
- Cream Cheese – Make sure it’s softened at room temperature.
FAQs:
Can I make the filling ahead of time?
Absolutely! The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated until ready to use. If it gets too stiff in the fridge, simply pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it softens and becomes more spreadable.
What is an airline chicken breast?
It is a specific butchery cut of a chicken breast that includes part of the wing (drumette) still attached and the skin on. This recipe uses a double airline chicken breast to mimic the fine dining steak restaurant, Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse. This type of chicken tastes better than a boneless/skinless chicken breast because the skin renders fat while cooking, adding moisture and flavor to the meat. The skin also holds the filling. The attached wing bone helps improve juiciness and a bit for flavor.
What type of chicken is this – airline or spatchcocked?
This is a combined spatchcocked and airline chicken that has been stuffed. It combines the best techniques into one meal that truly elevates it to gourmet. Spatchcocking ensures even heat distribution, airlining creates a uniform, restaurant style portion, and stuffing adds internal moisture and concentrated flavor.
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts?
Yes, this can be made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts; however, it won’t be as flavorful without the bones and skin. The cooking time will be shorter.
Top Tips
- Save the backbone for a bone broth, if desired. Use the thighs for another recipe.
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning to allow the seasoning to adhere and reduce excess moisture for the crispiest skin.
- Refrigerating the cream cheese filling for a few minutes allows it to firm up a bit for easier stuffing.
- Don’t overstuff the chicken breasts. Depending on the size of your chicken, you may not use all of the filling.
- Use toothpicks to secure the seal to help keep in the filling during the cooking process. Remember to remove them before serving.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the meat.
- Smaller airline breasts, about 8-10 ounces will take about 35 minutes to bake, larger size, about 12-14 ounces, will take about 45 minutes to bake.
- Allow chicken to rest 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute for the moistest chicken possible.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave at 50% power until heated through. Alternatively, wrap tightly with foil and reheat in a 300°F oven until internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Freezing
I don’t recommend freezing this meal.
Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Also, please consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Ruth Chris Stuffed Chicken
Equipment
- Toothpicks
- sharp knife
- Kitchen Shears
Ingredients
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, divided
- 6 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
- 1 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, rosemary and thyme
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 whole chicken, about 4-5 pounds
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Set aside.
- Make the filling by mixing the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon dry Ranch seasoning, 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon onion powder. Mix until smooth and incorporated. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes while preparing the chicken.
Directions to spatchcock and airline the chicken:
- Remove the giblets from the cavity. Place chicken breast-side down on a cutting board and use kitchen shears or a sharp knife to cut along both sides of the backbone and remove it completely.
- Cut a small sliver between the shoulders and press on the shoulders firmly to reveal the keel bone. Remove the keel bone. Trim rib bones from the breast section to clean the airline cut.
- Flip the chicken over so it is breast-side up, then press firmly and evenly down on the breastbone until the chicken flattens out into a spatchcocked position. Locate the thigh joint and use a knife to slice through the skin between the breast and the thigh. Cut through the joint to remove the thighs.
- Locate the wing joints and cut through the joint to remove part of the wing, leaving only the drumette attached.
Directions for preparing the chicken:
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to gently lift the skin from the breasts, taking care not to tear the skin.
- Using a sharp boning knife, insert the tip into the thickest part of the breast and slice inward, parallel to the cutting board, to create a deep pocket into the centers. Be careful not to cut all the way through or pierce the skin.
- Spoon about ½ of the filling into each pocket, pressing gently so it fills the entire cavity evenly. Do not over fill. You may not use all of the filling depending on the size of your chicken.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the outside of the chicken and under the skin. Sprinkle and rub the seasoning blend evenly on both sides of the chicken and under the skin. Use toothpicks to tightly close the opening, so the filling stays sealed in place during cooking. Pull the skin over the seam so it overlaps slightly, if possible. Some seepage is normal during the roasting process.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter evenly across a small baking sheet. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake, breast side up, at 375°F for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Cooking time depends on the size of your chicken.
- Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Remove butter from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Carefully remove the toothpicks. Pour the lemon butter over the roasted chicken and top with fresh chopped parsley. Allow chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning to allow the seasoning to adhere and reduce excess moisture for the crispiest skin.
- Refrigerating the cream cheese filling for a few minutes allows it to firm up a bit for easier stuffing.
- Don’t overstuff the chicken breasts. Depending on the size of your chicken, you may not use all of the filling.
- Use toothpicks to secure the seal to help keep in the filling during the cooking process. Remember to remove them before serving.
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°F at the thickest part of the meat.
- Smaller airline breasts, about 8-10 ounces will take about 35 minutes to bake, larger size, about 12-14 ounces, will take about 45 minutes to bake.
- Allow chicken to rest 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute for the moistest chicken possible.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
