This Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Chicken recipe is going to be a new family favorite! Juicy chicken breasts are stuffed with your favorite pizza toppings and coated in a crunchy breading for a delicious meal.
You are going to love this pepperoni and cheese stuffed chicken! We pound chicken breasts thin, roll it up with spicy pepperoni and gooey mozzarella cheese, then cover it in parmesan and pork rind panko for a tasty, crispy finish. It’s the perfect low-carb dinner for picky eaters and is so easy to prep ahead of time for a quick meal later!
Want more recipes like this? You’ve got to try our Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken, Green Chili Cheese Stuffed Chicken, and Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Chicken!
What you’ll love about this recipe:
- IMPRESSIVE – This recipe requires multiple steps, and the finished product is beautiful! This is the perfect recipe for an at-home date night, dinner parties, and holidays.
- KID FRIENDLY – While this looks very impressive, it has easy-to-find ingredients that kids love. This (more mature) pizza-stuffed chicken is a recipe that will garner no arguments at the dinner table!
- EASY TO MEAL PREP – This isn’t a quick weeknight meal from start to finish, but you can meal prep the recipe right up until baking for up to 3 days ahead of time. The unbaked, prepped chicken rollups are freezable as well, so you can make a double batch, store half in the freezer, and have a fancy meal ready to bake any time!
Ingredients
Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need for this baked chicken recipe. For exact measurements, keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card near the bottom of the page.
- Chicken Breast – Skinless, boneless. Each one will be sliced in half and pounded thin, so don’t worry too much if yours are different sizes and shapes. Boneless, skinless thighs could be probably used, but they are smaller and would likely be done quicker.
- Pepperoni – Large, thin deli slices. These are ideal because of their size and fat content. Most popular pizza-sized pepperoni brands can be very greasy, so it’s best to go with the thinner, larger deli slices.
- Mozzarella – Large, thin deli slices. This should be like Sargento sandwich slices, NOT fresh whole milk mozzarella. Fresh mozzarella has too much moisture and will become a watery mess, but the sandwich-sliced mozzarella melts beautifully in the chicken.
- Pork Rind Panko, Eggs, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, Garlic powder, Salt, and Pepper – This seasoned mix creates a deliciously crispy breading while keeping it keto and gluten-free! If you want to avoid the pork rinds, you could make this low-carb bread and use breadcrumbs instead.
How to Make Breaded Stuffed Chicken
This recipe does have multiple steps, but I’ve got photos to walk you through each part of the process! Use this step-by-step guide to make this stuffed chicken.
Prep your chicken
Lay your chicken breasts flat on a cutting board, then cut in half horizontally (parallel to the cutting board). Cut the chicken as though you are butterflying it, but slice all the way through to create two thinner pieces from each breast. Place plastic wrap over the chicken, then beat with a meat mallet until chicken is just 1/4″ thick.
Assemble & chill
Cut 4 12″x12″ squares of plastic wrap, placing a piece of chicken on each one. Top each piece of chicken with two pepperoni slices and one slice of cheese. Roll the chicken breast very tightly, securing in plastic wrap. Repeat until all chicken has been rolled. Place chicken bundles in the fridge and chill for 1 hour (this helps them hold their shape and cook evenly later).
Bread & chill
While chicken is chilling, set up two breading stations. In one shallow bowl, beat eggs and set aside. In the second bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Unwrap the chicken and roll each bundle in the eggs, then roll in the breading. Make sure chicken is coated very well and place on a plate or baking sheet. Once all bundles are covered in breading, freeze for 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 400 degrees F. This chilling time helps ensure the breading stays on the chicken.
Bake
Once the oven has preheated, transfer the chicken to a greased, oven-safe dish and spray the chicken roll ups with oil (helps develop a beautiful golden brown color). Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F as measured by a meat thermometer.
What to serve with Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken
You are going to LOVE this with Cheesy Zucchini Breadsticks and a Rosemary Gin Fizz! Easy low-carb bread sides like Garlic Bread Chaffles or Keto Dinner Rolls work great with this meal. For more veggies and fiber, consider serving with Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts, Smashed Broccoli, or Garlic Butter Mushrooms.
Storage & Reheating Tips
- FRIDGE: Prepped, uncooked chicken rollups can chill in the fridge up to 3 days before baking. If already cooked, allow leftover chicken to completely cool, then store in an airtight container up for 3-4 days.
- FREEZER: Prepped, uncooked chicken rollups can be frozen up to 6 months if wrapped multiple times in plastic wrapped, then stored in a freezer bag with all the air sucked out. Thaw overnight in the fridge before cooking. If already cooked, allow leftover chicken to completely cool, then wrap multiple times in plastic wrap, store in a freezer bag, and eat within 3 months for best taste and texture.
- REHEAT: If frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge. For crispiest results, reheat in the air fryer (300 degrees, 3-6 minutes) or oven (325 degrees, 8-12 minutes). For quickest results, microwave in 1-minute blasts at 50% power until heated through.
Chicken Rollatini FAQs
When you grind up pork rinds to the size of panko, they act as the perfect crispy breadcrumb! They have almost no carbs at all. If you do not want to use pork rinds, you can bake low-carb bread (or buy it if your store has some), then turn that into breadcrumbs instead.
Yes, both chilling steps are crucial to the stuffed chicken keeping its shape. The chicken cutlet naturally wants to unroll, so chilling it for an hour before breading and then about 15 minutes after breading helps to keep it tightly rolled for even cooking and the breading on for a crispy coating.
Absolutely! Replace the pepperoni and mozzarella with salami and provolone or prosciutto and gruyere for tasty variations. Thin deli slices make for the best texture.
More Keto Chicken Dinners
- Oven-Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Easy Keto Chicken Tenders
- Keto Chicken Piccata Recipe
- Crock Pot Sundried Tomato Chicken
Pepperoni and Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 large chicken breast
- 8 slices large deli-style pepperoni
- 4 slices mozzarella cheese (such as Sargento, not fresh mozzarella)
For the Breading
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup pork rind panko
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the chicken lengthwise, as if you are butterflying, but cut all the way through. This will give you four thinner chicken breasts. Place plastic wrap over the chicken and beat with a meat mallet until the chicken is 1/4” thick.
- To assemble the chicken top each thin breast with two slices of pepperoni and one slice of cheese. Use toothpicks as needed.
- Cut 4 12”x12” squares of plastic wrap. Place one chicken breast on one square of plastic wrap and roll the chicken breast and very tightly. Secure in plastic wrap. Repeat until all chicken has been rolled.
- Place the chicken bundles in the fridge and allow them to chill for 1 hour.
- Set up two breading stations. One bowl will contain the beaten eggs. The second bowl will contain breadcrumbs, parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Unwrap the chicken, roll it in the eggs, and then in the breading. Make sure the chicken is coated well.
- Place the chicken in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. This will help ensure the coating stays on the chicken.
- Place the breaded chicken in a greased oven-safe dish and spray the chicken roll ups with olive oil. Bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes until it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
