Baked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Thighs in Tangy Tomato Sauce

These baked mozzarella stuffed chicken thighs are a proper quick supper — and one of those recipes that looks considerably more impressive than the effort involved. The key is having a good tomato sauce to hand. My Andalucían baked beans sauce works beautifully here — rich, slightly smoky, and robust enough to stand up to the cheese and chicken.

Stuffed, sauced, and straight from the oven. — The Flexible Chef

A word on mozzarella: don't use buffalo. Save that for your salad. The cheap stuff melts better, costs less, and does exactly what you need it to do here.

Baked Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Thighs — Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs, skin on
• 1 ball mozzarella, sliced
• Fresh thyme sprigs
• 300ml tangy tomato sauce
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Black pepper

Method

Tuck a slice of mozzarella and a sprig of thyme under the skin of each thigh. Place in a small roasting dish and pour over the tomato sauce. Lay further slices of cheese and thyme between the chicken pieces, pressing down gently without completely covering them. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and finish with a good grind of black pepper.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C | 160°C fan | Gas 4 for 35 minutes, or until the thighs are cooked through and the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with saffron wild rice or mashed potatoes.

This recipe is part of my Chicken Recipes collection — from quick weeknight suppers to slow-braised Andalucían dishes and van life favourites. Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef