Stuffed Chicken Ballotine
This slimming friendly Stuffed Chicken Ballotine would make a delicious dinner party meal — great if you're counting calories or following Weight Watchers!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories303
- Carbs2g
- Protein28g
- Fat3g
- Saturates1g
- Sugars0.02g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This slimming friendly Stuffed Chicken Ballotine makes a delicious dinner party meal and is great if you’re counting calories or following a plan like Weight Watchers.
Traditionally, a dish like this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine would have used boned chicken thighs, but nowadays it’s perfectly acceptable to use chicken breast which is what we’ve done here.
We originally created this recipe to test out a new kitchen gadget – the Instant Pot Sous Vide Immersion Circulator. Sous vide is a method of cooking food in a vacuum sealed plastic bag which is then placed in a temperature controlled water bath for a longer period of time than regular cooking. This ensures that the food stays moist and is perfectly cooked!
Don’t worry if you don’t have one of these sous vide machines, as we’ve also explained how to cook this dish another way!
What diets is this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine suitable for?
This Stuffed Chicken Ballotine recipe is suitable for dairy free diets.
It should also be gluten free, but please do check the following ingredients as brands may vary;
- Low fat sausages (some brands are gluten free, but please do double check the ingredients)
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Stuffed Chicken Ballotine?
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As we mentioned earlier, we use the Instant Pot Sous Vide Immersion Circulator which you can pick up on Amazon but there are plenty of other options available too.
The Vacuum Sealed Bags
Of course the quickest and easiest way to seal your food in the bag is to use a vacuum packer.
If you don’t have a vac packer then don’t worry as you can still create a vacuum sealed bag by using the water displacement method.
First you’ll need a Ziploc bag. You can get 2 different sizes depending on what’s going in them.
Next, put the food in the bag. Seal it up but leave the last 2.5 cm (1 inch) open, then lower the bag into a large container of water. As the bag lowers into the water, the water pressure will push the air out of the bag through the small opening.
Just before the bag is fully submerged in the water, seal it up completely and remove the bag from the water. The food should now be sealed without any air in the bag.
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You can pick up this vacuum packer from Amazon.
You’ll need Ziploc bagsZiploc Heavy Duty Freezer Bags – Gallon Size (Double Zipper) – 38 Count -26.8cm x 27.3cm like these from Amazon.
How many calories are in this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine?
There are 303 calories per portion in this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine, which means it falls into our Everyday Light category. Calories may vary depending on the brand of sausage that you use, so please double check.
This Stuffed Chicken Ballotine is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
First remove the sausage meat from the skin and mix with the sage, thyme and a little salt and pepper.
Step 2
Place the chicken breast on a board, and with a sharp knife slice through horizontally, starting at the thick side. Be careful not to cut through it completely. Cover with a piece of cling film and flatten it out slightly using a rolling pin or your hand. Don’t be too heavy handed or you may rip through the meat.
Step 3
Roll half of the sausage meat into a sausage shape and place it in the centre of the flattened out chicken breast.
Step 4
Fold the narrower end of the chicken in to keep the sausage in place, then roll up the chicken.
Step 5
Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around the rolled up chicken. Make sure the bacon covers the seam of the rolled chicken as it will help keep it rolled. Wrap the bacon covered chicken tightly in cling film and tie one end tightly.
Step 6
Gently squeeze out all the air, then tie the other end tightly. Repeat with the other chicken breast Follow the instructions below depending on which cooking method you are using.
If you're using the sous vide method
Step 1
Place the cling film wrapped chicken in a vacuum bag, see the information above for the 2 different ways of doing this.
Step 2
Set the Sous Vide to 68.3 (the temperature is very precise) and place the vacuum packed chicken into the water bath. Set the timer to cook for 90 minutes.
If you're cooking in a pan on the stove
Step 1
There’s no need to put the chicken in a vac bag, just make sure it’s wrapped securely in cling film. Make sure no moisture can get in. Bring a pan of water to the boil, place the wrapped chicken in the water, turn down the heat so it’s not quite boiling.
Step 2
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Browning the chicken after cooking
Step 1
When cooked remove the chicken from the water and unwrap then carefully. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
Step 2
Spray a frying pan with a decent amount of low calorie cooking spray and turn up the heat. When the pan is hot add the chicken and brown on all sides.
Step 3
Allow to rest for a minute, then slice and serve.
What could I serve with this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine?
Our Stuffed Chicken Ballotine is a fantastic dinner party dish and works really well with the following starter, accompaniment and dessert:
How do you know when this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine is cooked?
You should cook this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine for 90 minutes if you’re using the sous vide method.
If you’re cooking your Stuffed Chicken Ballotine in a pan on the stove then this should take around 20 minutes.
Once your chicken is cooked, pop it into a hot pan until it’s brown on all sides.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
Can I cook this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine any other way?
Yes you can!
We’ve used a sous vide machine to cook this Stuffed Chicken Ballotine which takes 90 minutes at 68.3 (the temperature is very precise!).
If you’d like to cook this recipe in a pan on the stove, then there’s no need to place the chicken into a vac bag, simply wrap it securely in cling film so that no moisture can get in. Bring a pan of water to the boil and then place the chicken into the water before turning the heat down to a simmer for 20 minutes.
How long can you keep Stuffed Chicken Ballotine in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any leftovers to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Stuffed Chicken Ballotine in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze Stuffed Chicken Ballotine?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Stuffed Chicken Ballotine?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Stuffed Chicken Ballotine
This slimming friendly Stuffed Chicken Ballotine would make a delicious dinner party meal – great if you’re counting calories or following Weight Watchers!
-
Prep Time
15 MINS
-
Cook Time
1 HR 40
- KCals 303
- Carbs 2G
Instructions
- First remove the sausage meat from the skin and mix with the sage, thyme and a little salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken breast on a board, and with a sharp knife slice through horizontally, starting at the thick side. Be careful not to cut through it completely. Cover with a piece of cling film and flatten it out slightly using a rolling pin or your hand. Don't be too heavy handed or you may rip through the meat.
- Roll half of the sausage meat into a sausage shape and place it in the centre of the flattened out chicken breast.
- Fold the narrower end of the chicken in to keep the sausage in place, then roll up the chicken.
- Wrap 2 pieces of bacon around the rolled up chicken. Make sure the bacon covers the seam of the rolled chicken as it will help keep it rolled. Wrap the bacon covered chicken tightly in cling film and tie one end tightly.
- Gently squeeze out all the air, then tie the other end tightly. Repeat with the other chicken breast.Follow the instructions below depending on which cooking method you are using.
If you're using the Sous Vide method
- Place the cling film wrapped chicken in a vacuum bag, see the information above for the 2 different ways of doing this.
- Set the Sous Vide to 68.3 (the temperature is very precise) and place the vacuum packed chicken into the water bath. Set the timer to cook for 90 minutes.
If you're cooking in a pan on the stove
- There's no need to put the chicken in a vac bag, just make sure it's wrapped securely in cling film. Make sure no moisture can get in. Bring a pan of water to the boil, place the wrapped chicken in the water, turn down the heat so it's not quite boiling.
- Simmer for 20 minutes.
Browning the chicken after cooking
- When cooked remove the chicken from the water and unwrap then carefully. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Spray a frying pan with a decent amount of low calorie cooking spray and turn up the heat. When the pan is hot add the chicken and brown on all sides.
- Allow to rest for a minute, then slice and serve
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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We agreed with Slimming World to remove their trademarked terms from our website
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4 comments
See what others have to say
rhonaSaturday 30th December 2017
oh dear! i mean oh wow! i bought the 8qt ip and now seeing this recipe i want the sous vide attachment, i had no idea it was even an option! wow. you’re changing my life! 🙂
KateFriday 3rd March 2017
Hi Bloss
Glad you all liked it!
CarolynMonday 27th February 2017
Great recipe and easy to do really tasty
Sheila SearsMonday 27th February 2017
This looks fantastic, now noted on my “To Cook” list. 🙂
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