I can’t stop thinking about this Tuscan Chicken, where silky garlic cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach come together around one clever secret ingredient.
I love a dish that looks fancy but is stupidly easy. My Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe, described simply as Creamy Tuscan Chicken, lives right there — rich, tangy, a little showy but totally forgiving.
The bright bite of sun dried tomatoes with tender baby spinach somehow makes me think I did something clever even when I wing it. Sometimes I call it Tuscan Garlic Chicken With Spinach or jokingly label it Chicken Spinach Sun Dried Tomatoes for the takeout vibe.
Truth is I mess up often and still end up with a plate I want to eat standing at the sink.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast: Lean, high in protein, filling, low in carbs, soaks up flavors well.
- Sun dried tomatoes: Tangy, concentrated tomato flavor, lots of lycopene and natural sweetness.
- Heavy cream: Gives ultra creamy texture, rich in fat, adds calories and luxurious mouthfeel.
- Parmesan cheese: Sharp salty umami adds calcium and savory depth, use sparingly.
- Spinach: Fresh low cal packed with iron vitamins A and K and fiber.
- Olive oil: Heart healthy monounsaturated fats helps brown chicken, subtle fruity flavor.
- Garlic and shallot: Garlicky aromatics that boost flavor small calories but big punch.
- Lemon juice and basil: Brightens the sauce with acidity, basil adds fresh herbal lift.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour optional
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish
How to Make this
1. Pat the chicken dry, season both sides with salt and pepper, and if you like lightly dredge in the flour shaking off the excess.
2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter is foamy, then add chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165F, don’t crowd the pan, work in batches if needed; transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
3. Lower heat to medium, add the chopped shallot to the same pan and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until soft, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant.
4. Chop or tear the sun dried tomatoes and stir them in, then pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan scraping up the browned bits, let it reduce a minute.
5. Pour in the heavy cream, add the grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes if using, stir and bring to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add the lemon juice to brighten the sauce.
7. Add the fresh baby spinach in handfuls, stirring until wilted and incorporated into the sauce.
8. Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over the pieces and simmer 2 to 3 minutes so everything heats through and the flavors meld.
9. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil or parsley, let the chicken rest a minute, then serve spooning extra sauce over top.
Equipment Needed
1. Large skillet 10 to 12 inch, heavy bottom so chicken browns evenly
2. Tongs or a spatula, to flip chicken and keep fingers safe
3. Instant read thermometer, to check chicken reaches 165F dont guess
4. Chef’s knife, for shallot garlic and herbs
5. Cutting board, sturdy and roomy
6. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth cream and seasonings
7. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula, to stir and scrape up browned bits
8. Box grater or microplane, for freshly grated Parmesan
9. Plate and aluminum foil, to rest and tent the cooked chicken
FAQ
Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken breasts: swap for boneless skinless chicken thighs (they stay juicier and are more forgiving), or turkey cutlets for a milder bird option, or firm tofu pressed and seared if you want it vegetarian — treat tofu like chicken so it soaks up the sauce.
- Heavy cream: mix 3/4 cup half and half + 1/4 cup melted butter per cup of cream for similar richness, or use full fat coconut milk for a dairy free version (mild coconut note), or whisk Greek yogurt with a splash of milk and stir in off heat so it wont split.
- Sun dried tomatoes packed in oil: use jarred roasted red peppers for a sweeter milder taste, or rehydrate dry-packed sun dried tomatoes in hot water for 10 minutes, or saute halved cherry tomatoes until jammy for a fresher bright alternative.
- Parmesan cheese: swap with Pecorino Romano or Asiago for a sharper saltier bite, or nutritional yeast for a dairy-free umami boost (add gradually so the sauce stays smooth).
Pro Tips
– Save and use some of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes, even just a tablespoon. It adds big flavor when you sear the chicken and helps the sauce taste richer, so dont toss it with the tomatoes.
– Use an instant read thermometer or butterfly thicker breasts so they cook evenly; pull the chicken at about 160F and let it rest a few minutes, it will carry over to 165F and stay juicier than if you overcook it.
– If the sauce looks grainy or too thin, take the pan off the heat and whisk in a small splash of cold cream or a cornstarch slurry, then simmer gently until it smooths and thickens. Also add the grated Parmesan gradually off the hottest heat so it melts into the sauce instead of clumping.
– Be careful with salt, taste as you go. Sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan are both salty, so you might need less salt than you expect; a squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything without more salt.
– Add the spinach in batches right at the end so it wilts evenly and keeps its color, and always finish with fresh herbs for that pop of freshness, dont toss them in too early or they will lose flavor.
Easy Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
I can't stop thinking about this Tuscan Chicken, where silky garlic cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach come together around one clever secret ingredient.
4
servings
647
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large skillet 10 to 12 inch, heavy bottom so chicken browns evenly
2. Tongs or a spatula, to flip chicken and keep fingers safe
3. Instant read thermometer, to check chicken reaches 165F dont guess
4. Chef’s knife, for shallot garlic and herbs
5. Cutting board, sturdy and roomy
6. Measuring cups and spoons, for broth cream and seasonings
7. Wooden spoon or silicone spatula, to stir and scrape up browned bits
8. Box grater or microplane, for freshly grated Parmesan
9. Plate and aluminum foil, to rest and tent the cooked chicken
Ingredients
-
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
-
1 small shallot finely chopped
-
3 cloves garlic minced
-
1/4 cup all purpose flour optional
-
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
-
1 cup heavy cream
-
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
-
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
-
2 cups fresh baby spinach
-
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley for garnish
Directions
- Pat the chicken dry, season both sides with salt and pepper, and if you like lightly dredge in the flour shaking off the excess.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter is foamy, then add chicken and cook 4 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165F, don't crowd the pan, work in batches if needed; transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil.
- Lower heat to medium, add the chopped shallot to the same pan and sauté 1 to 2 minutes until soft, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant.
- Chop or tear the sun dried tomatoes and stir them in, then pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan scraping up the browned bits, let it reduce a minute.
- Pour in the heavy cream, add the grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes if using, stir and bring to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add the lemon juice to brighten the sauce.
- Add the fresh baby spinach in handfuls, stirring until wilted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over the pieces and simmer 2 to 3 minutes so everything heats through and the flavors meld.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil or parsley, let the chicken rest a minute, then serve spooning extra sauce over top.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 291g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 647kcal
- Fat: 45.5g
- Saturated Fat: 18.5g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.5g
- Monounsaturated: 15g
- Cholesterol: 192mg
- Sodium: 325mg
- Potassium: 530mg
- Carbohydrates: 14.5g
- Fiber: 1.8g
- Sugar: 5g
- Protein: 43.5g
- Vitamin A: 775IU
- Vitamin C: 6.8mg
- Calcium: 172mg
- Iron: 1.65mg
