Add a hint of fresh rosemary flavor to your main meal with this recipe for making a delicious rosemary chicken thigh dinner.

Cooked chicken thighs with rosemary in a clear dish.

Baked Chicken Thighs with Fresh Rosemary

Adding a cream cheese filling to a simple baked chicken thigh dinner really takes the meal up a notch. We’ve included bacon bits and chopped rosemary to load it with flavor. When using fresh rosemary be sure to release the juices to extract the flavors and scent before adding it to the filling mixture.

piece of baked rosemary chicken thigh cut in half

Rosemary is a shrub with fragrant needle-like leaves and tastes delicious when paired with culinary chicken (or lamb) dishes. Fortunately for us, our mom has a large rosemary plant growing in her kitchen as part of her fresh herb garden.

Ingredients:

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2lbs chicken thighs
250g cream cheese
¾ cups bread crumbs (plain or Italian seasoning)
3 tbsp fresh rosemary
½ cup bacon bits
2 tbsp butter softened and divided
1tsp Vegeta
Salt and pepper

Fresh Rosemary Chicken Thigh Recipe

Begin by trimming rosemary plant and separating leaves from stem.

Remove chicken thighs from packaging and place on a meat cutting board. Gently hammer the thighs to flatten.

Add a dash of salt and pepper over the chicken.

Wash and dab rosemary dry with a paper towel. Chop into smaller pieces and press to release the flavors.

Mix together cream cheese, bread crumbs, rosemary and bacon bits in a medium sized bowl.

Add vegeta to the mix and combine again.

Filling made with cream cheese, bread crumbs, rosemary and bacon bits mixed together in a bowl.

Butter the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking pan.

Grab a spoonful of the filling and place on top of chicken thigh. Wrap the thigh around the filling and pin sides together with a toothpick. Repeat for all chicken thighs.

A spoonful of cream cheese filling in between two pieces of chicken thighs.

Place the prepared chicken thighs in the pan with the toothpick side down.

Brush the tops of the chicken thighs with melted butter.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 360F for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Uncover the chicken for the last 20 minutes to get some color.

Cooked rosemary chicken thighs in a pan.

Don’t have chicken thighs? Well then change it up and use chicken breast pieces instead following this same recipe!

A piece of rosemary chicken thigh on a fork.

Serve Rosemary Chicken Thighs Alongside these Dishes:

These tasty baked chicken thighs are perfect alongside some simple rice and peas; steamed cauliflower with bread crumbs or this traditional cooked potatoes and Swiss chard recipe.

delicious plate of steamed cauliflower with bread crumbs over top — Rice and Peas

Looking for More Chicken Recipes?

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Fresh Rosemary Chicken Thigh Recipe

Jane and Sonja

Baked chicken thighs stuffed with a flavorful fresh rosemary and cream cheese filling.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 20

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken thighs
250 g cream cheese
¾ cups bread crumbs plain or Italian seasoning
3 tbsp rosemary fresh chopped
½ cup bacon bits
2 tbsp butter softened and divided
1 tsp vegeta
salt and pepper

Instructions

Remove chicken thighs from packaging and place on a meat cutting board.
Gently hammer the thighs to flatten.
Add a dash of salt and pepper over the chicken.
Wash and dry rosemary. Chop into smaller pieces and press to release the flavors.
Mix together cream cheese, bread crumbs, rosemary and bacon bits.
Add vegeta to the mix and combine again.
Butter the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking pan.
Grab a spoonful of the filling and place on top of chicken thigh. Wrap the thigh around the filling and pin sides together with a toothpick. Repeat for all chicken thighs.
Place the prepared chicken thighs in the pan with the toothpick side down.
Brush the tops of the chicken thighs with melted butter.
Cover with tin foil and bake at 360F for 1 hour 20 minutes.
Uncover the chicken for the last 20 minutes to get some color.
Serve with rice and potatoes.
Can also be made with chicken breast pieces.