Bring the bright, rustic flavors of Tuscany to your dinner table with this rich and creamy Tuscan chicken dish. Seared chicken is smothered in a luscious sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and lots of fragrant garlic.
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Coming up with new chicken recipes can be intimidating. There’s so much you can do with chicken! One of our favorite ways to prepare this type of poultry is by making this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe. It has a similar flavor profile to Tuscan pork chops but with chicken instead. It’s an easy chicken dinner that you can make in under 30 minutes and with one pan, like our one-pan chicken and veggies. Take the stress out of busy weeknights and make this creamy Tuscan chicken dish.
What Is Tuscan Chicken?
Tuscan chicken usually consists of sundried tomatoes, heavy cream, and spinach. The result is a creamy parmesan sauce that covers the chicken in rich, savory flavors. It’s a quick and easy family favorite just like our panko crusted chicken.
Although this recipe didn’t technically come from Italy, it still has Italian flavors like garlic, sundried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. This dish was actually on Olive Garden’s menu a few years back, but now, you can make it in your own kitchen!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe Ingredients
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts nestled in a creamy garlic sauce for a creamy dish the whole family will love.
For the CHICKEN breasts
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: You can also use chicken thighs for a richer flavor.
- Olive oil: or your favorite oil.
- Kosher salt & pepper to taste
- Ground paprika
For the CREAMY SAUCE
- Unsalted Butter: Adds a velvety richness to the sauce.
- Small onions & garlic cloves: Aromatics that deepen the sauce’s flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: Adds a slightly smoky flavor to the sauce.
- Baby spinach: Adds some greenery to the sauce.
- Heavy cream: The base for our rich cream sauce.
- Dried basil, dried parsley, & dried rosemary: Classic Italian seasonings.
- Parmesan cheese: Adds a tangy umami flavor to the sauce.
- Fresh basil for garnish
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken
First, season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika. Now, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Next, cook the chicken for 5-7 minutes per side until it’s golden and cooked through. After that, remove the cooked chicken breasts from the skillet and add the butter.
Now, once the butter has melted, toss in the garlic and onion. Cook them for 2-3 minutes until the onions have softened.
Add the tomatoes and spinach to the mix, cooking until the spinach just wilts—around 2 minutes.
Then, pour in the cream and dried herbs, letting it all simmer for 5 minutes.
Next, stir in the Parmesan cheese and return the chicken to the skillet. Allow everything to heat for 2 minutes.
Finally, serve it up with a sprinkle of fresh basil and freshly grated black pepper.
Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips
- If you want to make Tuscan salmon or Tuscan shrimp, swap out the chicken for salmon or shrimp. The rich garlic cream sauce will pair perfectly with these meat alternatives.
- You can add a little spice to this dish by including a pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce. The spicy kick is a delicious addition.
- You can use fresh kale or collards in the sauce instead of spinach if you prefer.
- If you like mushrooms, you can add any variety to this dish! Simply sautee them with the onions.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165ºF.
- Pound the chicken with a kitchen mallet to allow it to cook more quickly if needed.
- Not a fan of sundried tomatoes, use cherry tomatoes instead for a fresher option.
What to Serve With This Tuscan Chicken Dish
Since this dish is pretty low on the carbs, you could serve with a side of rice, pasta, or a baguette. If you prefer to keep things low carb, add some air fryer veggies, roasted broccoli, or air fryer cauliflower to the side.
Leftovers & Reheating
Store leftover Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat:
- Place a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add in the sauce.
- Reheat the chicken in the microwave.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.
More 30-Minute Chicken Recipes
- Quick and Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Air Fryer Chicken Legs
- Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
- Easy Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs
This creamy Tuscan chicken is a great dish for busy weeknights when you want something delicious but don’t want to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. The richness of the sauce combined with the earthiness of the herbs creates a delicious dish that you’ll come back to over and over again.
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken Breasts
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
For the Creamy Garlicky Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 small onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 8 oz baby spinach
- 1 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Season and Sear the Chicken
- Remove the chicken from the package and pat it dry with a paper towel.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika on all sides.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over a medium-high heat.
- Cook chicken for 5 – 7 minutes per side, or until golden and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside. and
Make the Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the now empty skillet.
- Using your spoon, scrape up any browned bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and onion and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, or until onions have softened.
- Add the tomatoes and spinach and cook until spinach has just wilted – about 2 minutes.
- Add the cream and dried herbs and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the parmesan cheese and add the chicken back to the skillet.
- Allow to heat for 5 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° F.
Serve
- Garnish with fresh basil and spoon onto plates with extra sauce drizzled over each chicken breast.
Notes
garlic cream sauce will pair perfectly with these meat
alternatives.
You can add a little spice to this dish by including a pinch of
red chili flakes in the sauce. The spicy kick is a delicious
addition.
You can use fresh kale or collards in the sauce instead of
spinach if you prefer.
If you like mushrooms, you can add any variety to this dish!
Nutrition
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Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! You can chop up the onions, garlic, and sundried tomatoes, so you can just toss them in the sauce.
We suggest a crisp white wine to contrast the richness of the sauce. A perfect option would be Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
I love your skillet recipes, so good!
Delicious! I did add some celery & sweet peppers to the sofrito. Based on availability I used chicken thighs, zucchini & cherry tomatoes (no spinach or dried tomatoes). The chichen stayed in the pan the entire time so the thighs cook fully cook. The flavor profile was outstanding with Kita’s selection of herbs & spices complementing the buttery cream sauce perfectly.
I had everything but dried herbs, so I went to my potted basil and rosemary. Fresh herbs are killer!!
My favorite thing about Kita is her seasoning prowess. This dish was a perfect sauté.
Fresh herbs for the WIN! Thank you, Mr Smith!