Italian Chicken Rolls
A comforting chicken built around boneless skinless chicken breasts, ricotta cheese and cream cheese — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and frying pan / skillet. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: contains meat, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F) and lightly oil a baking dish.
- Place each chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of about 1 cm, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a bowl, mix the ricotta, softened cream cheese, half the mozzarella, the minced garlic and chopped basil until smooth.
- Spread a quarter of the cheese filling over each flattened breast, roll up tightly from the narrow end and secure with toothpicks.
- Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and sear the rolls on all sides for about 5 minutes until lightly golden.
- Pour the tomato sauce around the rolls, scatter over the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan, then transfer to the oven.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74 C (165 F) and the cheese is bubbling.
- Remove the toothpicks and let the rolls rest for 5 minutes before serving with the sauce spooned over.
You'll use: Oven · Frying pan / skillet · Baking dish
Ingredient substitutions
- Ricotta
- cottage cheese (blended) · mashed silken tofu
- Parmesan
- pecorino · grana padano · aged asiago
Tips & common questions
How long does Italian Chicken Rolls take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of ricotta?
Try cottage cheese (blended). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Italian Chicken Rolls is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Chicken roll with vegetables & goat cheese (5742199145).jpg by Luca Nebuloni from Milan, Italy, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.