Description
Tender chicken breasts in a creamy garlic sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and Parmesan cheese. This restaurant-quality Tuscan chicken comes together in one pan in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner that tastes absolutely gourmet.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs total)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil), drained and chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
- Red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. If they’re uneven in thickness, pound them to about 3/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika.
- Sear the chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5-6 minutes on the first side without moving them until they develop a golden-brown crust. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Make the sauce base: In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic and sauté for about 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Add cream and seasonings: Stir in the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and half of the Parmesan cheese. Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Add spinach: Add the fresh spinach to the sauce in batches, stirring until wilted. This will only take about 2 minutes. The spinach will reduce significantly in volume.
- Finish the dish: Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and let everything simmer together for 2-3 minutes so the flavors meld and the chicken warms through.
- Serve: Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired. Serve immediately with your choice of sides.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the chicken: Use a meat thermometer to check for 165°F internal temperature. Chicken can dry out quickly if overcooked.
- Sauce too thick? Add a splash more chicken broth or cream to reach your desired consistency.
- Sauce too thin? Let it simmer a bit longer or add an extra tablespoon of Parmesan.
- Make it spicier: Add red pepper flakes to the sauce or use spicy sun-dried tomatoes.
- Dairy-free option: Use full-fat coconut cream instead of heavy cream and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce (about 300g)
- Calories: 485
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 42g
- Cholesterol: 165mg