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 Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time35 minutesmins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
4medium-sized boneless/skinless chicken breasts(see notes if using large chicken breasts or chicken thighs)
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2teaspoonsItalian seasoning,divided (can also use a mix of dried marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme)
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil,divided
1small oniondiced (about 1/3 cup)
4clovesgarlicminced
1/2cupsun dried tomatoesthinly sliced
3cupsbaby spinach
1 1/4cupheavy cream(see notes for dairy-free)
1/4cupfreshly grated parmesanplus more for serving
Instructions
Place each chicken breast between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it down to make it an even thickness.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
Large chicken breasts: If your chicken breasts are really thick and large, you may want to skip the pounding and slice them in half lengthwise, instead. In this case, I would use only 2 breasts (4 pieces total) for the recipe but you could get away with 3 if you add a smidge more cream. Chicken thighs: If you using chicken thighs, you will need about 2 pounds and you can skip the pounding. For boneless chicken thighs, you don't need to reduce the cooking time. I don't really recommend bone-in as they will take too long to cook. For a dairy-free sauce: Coconut milk is a fantastic dairy-free option for this creamy Tuscan chicken. The sauce turns out just as rich and creamy as if you were using heavy cream. For a nice creamy sauce, use full-fat coconut milk and a brand that is notoriously creamy (without much water mixed in). That said, I don't recommend using coconut cream which does have a stronger coconut flavour and will be a little too sweet and too thick. For a dairy-free cheese option, try a reliable store-bought vegan parm, or sprinkle a bit of nutritional yeast.