These garlic chicken stuffed shells are one of those dependable, satisfying dinners you’ll come back to again and again. They’re creamy, cheesy, loaded with flavor, and surprisingly simple to prepare. Filled with garlicky ricotta, chicken, and spinach, then baked in marinara sauce, this is an easy crowd-pleaser that works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for casual entertaining.
If there’s one thing I love just as much as baking, it’s a comforting, dependable dinner that feels a little special but doesn’t require a ton of fuss. These garlic chicken stuffed shells check every box. They’re hearty, flavorful, family-friendly, and perfect for everything from a quiet weeknight to a casual dinner with friends.
Each jumbo pasta shell is filled with a creamy ricotta mixture loaded with garlic, tender chicken, and fresh spinach, then nestled into marinara sauce and baked. The flavors are classic and familiar, but the garlic and Italian seasoning give everything a little extra oomph. Think cozy Italian-American comfort food—the kind that makes your kitchen smell incredible and guarantees empty plates!
Why You’ll Love These Stuffed Shells
- Make-ahead friendly: Assemble earlier in the day and bake when ready.
- Great use for leftover chicken: Rotisserie chicken works beautifully here.
- Balanced and satisfying: Creamy filling, savory sauce, and just enough cheese.
Grab These Ingredients
- Jumbo Pasta Shells: You’ll need about 32 jumbo shells. I originally cooked a full 12-ounce box, but that was too many shells and we had 19 leftover once everything was filled. If you want to avoid extras, cook closer to 7–8 ounces, or count out 32 shells before boiling, and save the rest of the box for another time.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the garlic and spinach.
- Garlic: Four cloves may sound bold, but it mellows beautifully as it cooks and adds so much flavor.
- Spinach: Fresh spinach wilts quickly and blends right into the filling.
- Cheeses: Ricotta keeps the filling creamy, parmesan adds savoriness, and mozzarella gives you that irresistible stretch on top.
- Egg: Helps bind the filling so it sets up as the shells bake—still creamy, but not loose or watery.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use any combination of Italian herbs that you like such as dried basil, oregano, etc.
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken works well here, but you can really use any cooked chicken, as long as it’s chopped (or shredded) into small pieces.
- Marinara Sauce: Use a good-quality, flavorful sauce you love. I usually use Rao’s classic marinara (not working with the brand, just genuinely like the sauce!).
Overview: How to Make Garlic Chicken Stuffed Shells
Cook the jumbo shells until just al dente, then set them aside.
Sauté the garlic in olive oil, add the spinach, and cook until wilted. Stir this into the ricotta along with the seasonings, egg, parmesan, and part of the mozzarella. Fold in the chopped chicken:
Spoon the filling into each shell, arrange them over a layer of marinara sauce, top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella, and bake until bubbly and lightly golden.
Finish with fresh basil and extra parmesan for serving—simple and delicious!
Serving & Storing
These stuffed shells pair wonderfully with garlic bread or breadsticks and a simple green salad (I love this Italian dressing!). Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator and reheat beautifully, making this a great option for meal prep or next-day lunches.
If you’re craving a cozy, relatively simple dinner that delivers big flavor, this garlic chicken stuffed shells recipe deserves a spot in your rotation! We all really loved it.
Garlic Chicken & Spinach Stuffed Shells
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes (includes pasta)
- Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
- Yield: serves 6-8
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Filled with garlicky ricotta, chicken, and spinach, then baked in marinara sauce, this is an easy crowd-pleaser that works just as well for busy weeknights as it does for casual entertaining.
Ingredients
- 32 (around 8 oz/227g) jumbo pasta shells
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 ounces (142g) fresh spinach
- 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (34g) grated parmesan cheese
- 1 and 1/2 cups (170g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 cups (300g) chopped or shredded cooked chicken breast
- 24-ounce (680g) jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups), divided
- for serving: fresh basil and more parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish or similar size (about 3-quart) casserole dish. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the jumbo shells. Boil the shells until just al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Lay the shells, open side up, on a baking sheet.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach wilts and cooks down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, egg, parmesan, and 1 cup (113g) of the mozzarella. Fold in the chicken and garlic-spinach mixture.
- Pour about 2 cups (about 450g) of sauce into the prepared baking dish to just cover the bottom.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the shells and arrange in the baking dish.
- Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed shells. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and extra parmesan, if desired.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Assemble the stuffed shells in the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, let the dish sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, then bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if needed.
- Freezing Before Baking: Assemble everything but don’t bake yet. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed. You can also bake straight from frozen—just expect to add about 20 minutes to the bake time and keep the dish covered for most of it.
- Freezing After Baking: Let the shells cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or wrap the entire dish tightly with plastic wrap followed by foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, though you can reheat directly from frozen if needed. To reheat in the oven, cover with foil and bake at 350°F (177°C) until warmed through, about 20–25 minutes if thawed or 40–45 minutes if frozen, removing the foil during the last few minutes so the cheese becomes bubbly again. For individual portions, microwave loosely covered in 1-minute intervals until hot, adding a spoonful of marinara if the shells seem dry.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 9×13-inch Baking Pan (or any similar 3-quart baking dish) | Glass Mixing Bowl
- Pasta Shells: You’ll need about 32 jumbo shells, which is around 8 ounces total. When first testing the recipe, we cooked a full 12-ounce box, but that was too many shells and we had 19 leftover once everything was filled. If you want to avoid extras, cook closer to 8 ounces, or count out 32 shells before boiling, and save the rest of the box for another time.
- Can I Use Frozen Spinach? Yes. Thaw completely and squeeze out as much moisture as possible before using in step 3.
- Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning blend, you can use any combination of Italian herbs that you like, such as dried basil, oregano, etc.
- Chicken: Rotisserie chicken breast is quick and convenient, but any cooked chicken works. Just make sure it’s chopped or shredded into small pieces so it mixes evenly into the filling.
- Can I Skip the Chicken? Yes, you can absolutely skip the chicken. If desired, in step 3, you can sauté chopped mushrooms or red peppers in the oil for a few minutes before adding the garlic and spinach.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4 shells
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 513.8 mg
- Fat: 11.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
- Protein: 25.7 g
- Cholesterol: 77.6 mg
Reader Comments and Reviews
Still raving about this dinner!!! My husband and I prepared this together for guests this week. Delicious and satisfying comfort on a cold winter night. This recipe is now on my ‘best go-to meal for everyone’ list. Thank you!
This was fantastic! My son even said he thought that the chicken made it and that it probably wouldn’t be as good with beef or sausage. I was thinking you could even take the components and layer them into a lasagna style dish with maybe a few adjustments in quantities.
My family loved this recipe! It was easy and simple. Thanks for another great recipe!
I happened to have some Italian flavored ground turkey at home and made it with that instead of chicken. We all loved it!
Can i use other tomato based sauce if i don’t have marinara sauce?
Absolutely, Rina! Use your sauce of choice.
My daughter happily ate these even though she won’t eat tomato sauce! I agree it’s fun to make and my daughter helped fill the shells. The Rao’s marinara you recommended was great, however it is 11$ in Canada. I used deli chicken and will make again. Thanks Sally
Adding the chicken to the stuffed shells is a game changer! My whole family loved this recipe! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
These are so good big Hit with the family
Served these shells to company and everyone loved them. I used some extra marinara sauce and a full 6 oz of spinach (that’s the size of a Trader Joe bag). I felt it could have used another 3 or 4 oz of spinach as it wilts to nothing. I did use scissors to cut the cooked spinach into smaller pieces so it would spread out more through the cheese mixture. Definitely a keeper.
Side note: I love this site! Sally’s recipes are so clear and they print so beautifully which is a bonus compared to other sites:)
Hello, would this work with manicotti?
Hi Nicole, a few readers have reported success using the filling in manicotti. Let us know if you try it!
I can’t have spinach because of the high oxalates. Can I leave spinach out?
Hi Deborah, absolutely, you can omit the spinach if needed.
Really enjoyed this casserole. I think next time l will cover lighty with foil for the first 20 min. If any part of the noodle was not covered with sauce, it was a little dry.
This recipe is a keeper. My husband mentioned he would like stuffed shells. Sally’s recipe came to mind. And a bonus, I already had pulled rotisserie chicken in the freezer. We are a family of 3 and it’s 3 thumbs up. Thank you Sally.
This recipe looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Can I leave out the chicken? Or would it be better to substitute in some veggies/more cheese?
Hi S, Yes, you can absolutely skip the chicken. If desired, in step 3, you can sauté chopped mushrooms or red peppers in the oil for a few minutes before adding the garlic and spinach. Enjoy!
I made this for company & they loved it. I prepared the day before, refrigerated, since I had a tight schedule.
It tasted even better as leftovers.
I grew up with traditional stuffed shells a lot. These are so much better, not as heavy but more filling. I used ground chicken which cooking in all the spices made it full of flavor. Thank you for another great recipe.
Just made these for Valentine’s Day dinnner and they were delicious. So much flavor and very easy and quick to put together. I will definitely be making these again.
I made this for dinner with a nice salad tonight. I’ll admit, I measured the garlic & cheese more with my heart than a measuring cup. I sprinkled some parmesan on top with the mozzarella too, just for fun.
Everyone went back for seconds … it was very tasty.
Thank you sally, I saw your email a few days ago and knew this was one I had to try! I’ve just prepared it and popped in the fridge ready to bake for an easy Friday night treat dinner. It looks awesome and was fun to prepare. I can’t wait to taste it.
Can I half the recipe?
Hi Ryan, yes, you can halve this recipe. For the egg, I would crack an egg, beat it, and use just 2 Tablespoons of the beaten egg.
We loved this ! It was very easy to make. The recipe was so easy to follow. Will definitely add this to the rotation.
Can I substitute the ricotta with bechamel sauce?
Hi Irma, I haven’t tested that. But I would assume that you can substitute béchamel for the ricotta. However, the filling will be a bit creamier and less textured than the original version. I’d recommend using a thick béchamel… almost spoonable rather than pourable, so the shells don’t turn watery as they bake. Let us know what you try!
I haven’t made this yet, but would like to as I like shells.
Can I freeze in little batches instead of one big dish as I would be making it for just me. Also, how long would it last in the freezer.
Hi Kathy, absolutely. You can freeze smaller portions for up to 3 months.
I’m going to try this one, it looks delicious….but it would be sooooo helpful if you could include the Nutrition info, calories, marcros, etc… 🙂
Hi Nora! I hope you love it. You’ll find that info below the recipe.
Hello Sally, I can not eat red sauce, Can I use alfredo sauce instead. Thank You Nancy
Yes, absolutely!
Can you freeze already cooked casserole? I’m thinking about baking in spring, freezing it and not having to turn my oven on in the summer! Also, there’s no button to add this recipe to my favorites! Thank you 🙂
Hi Kate! Yes, you can freeze the baked shells. See those Freezing Instructions below the recipe in the Notes. I’m so sorry that save button isn’t appearing. Do you see it now? It’s next to the Print button. There may have been a glitch yesterday!
Would 8 oz mushrooms and 1 red pepper be adequate substitute for chicken?
Hi Gail, yes, 8 ounces of mushrooms plus 1 red bell pepper is a great substitute. I recommend dicing them fairly small so they mix evenly into the filling, then sautéing them with the olive oil and garlic, before adding the spinach. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and soften.
Would ground sausage or lean hamburger also work?
Thank you, Linda
Absolutely. Fully cook either with the garlic before adding the spinach.
What would you suggest as a substitute for the Ricotta cheese.
Hi Shirley, a full fat cottage cheese would work nicely, especially if you blend or puree it a bit.
Does this freeze well?
Hi Karen! See recipe Notes for freezing instructions.