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Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Weeknight dinner is solved with this 35-minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken! Made with chicken breasts that are first pan-seared until golden then finished in a luxuriously creamy and flavourful sauce, it's the perfect meal for a busy evening, yet special enough for serving guests.
Prep
15 min
Cook
20 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Instructions
- 01
Place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it down to make it an even thickness.
- 02
Season chicken breast on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to a plate.
- 03
Over medium heat, add remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Add all of the spinach to the pan and sauté until it just starts to soften and wilt down, about 1-2 minutes.
- 04
Add the heavy cream, parmesan and remaining teaspoon of Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Simmer for about 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- 05
Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce; bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove skillet from heat, top with a little more cheese, if desired, and serve immediately.
Variations & swaps
Ingredients And Substitutions
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are most commonly used for this dish but skinless chicken thighs will also work. See below for tips on how to prepare and cook the chicken breast.
- Extra virgin olive oil – This is what we use to pan-sear the chicken. You could use butter instead (or a mix) if you wish.
- Aromatics – Here we are using a small onion and lots of garlic for a very flavourful cream sauce. You could also use shallots in place of the onions.
- Spices and seasoning – For the spices I use a pre-made Italian seasoning blend but you can also use a mix of dried marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Salt and pepper for more seasoning.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes – Fo this recipe, you can use dry-packed sundried tomatoes that come sold in packages, or oil-packed that are sold in jars. I prefer oil-packed because they are softer and you can also use some of the oil for flavouring the dish. If you are using dry-packed and they seem really dry, be sure to re-hydrate them by soaking in some warm water for 15 minutes.
- Baby spinach – I like a lot of fresh spinach in this dish. The recipe calls for 3 packed cups but it wilts down considerably so you can add a little more if you wish.
- Heavy Cream – Though heavy cream makes an unquestionably delicious sauce, we enjoy this dish just as much with coconut milk. I have also made it with a mix of cream and coconut milk which is also delicious. See more below if interested in using coconut milk as a dairy-free option.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated parmesan cheese adds loads of flavour and more creaminess to the sauce. For a dairy-free option, try a reliable store-bought vegan parm, or sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast.
Variations And Additions
- Deglaze with white wine: For a little more depth of flavor, feel free to deglaze the pan with white wine before adding the cream.
- Cherry tomatoes instead of sun-dried tomatoes: If you aren’t a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes would be a great substitution.
- Add mushrooms: If you love mushrooms, they would be great here. Simply sauté some sliced mushrooms with the onions.
- Use kale instead of spinach: If you love kale, it would work wonderful in place of the spinach.
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