This Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe is filled with tender and juicy chicken breasts in a creamy parmesan sauce that’s studded with sweet sun dried tomatoes.
I love how the whole recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
What Is Tuscan Chicken?
While this recipe definitely leans towards those Italian flavors, this easy chicken recipe did not originate in the fields of Tuscany, Italy. This Tuscan Chicken recipe actually came about from popular food chains in America like Olive Garden – and became a modern staple in households due to how quick and easy it is to make.
The flavor of the sauce is reminiscent of Alfredo, but with sweet pops of sun dried tomato and spinach throughout. I love serving this chicken over fettuccini noodles for a hearty, and guest-worthy dinner.
Tuscan Chicken Ingredients
Here’s the basic list of ingredients that you’ll need in order to make this one pan chicken dinner at home. As always, you can find the full list of ingredients located in the printable recipe card below.
- Chicken Breast – you can also swap out the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Seasonings – a mixture of salt, pepper, paprika (for added color) and Italian seasoning bring out some amazing flavor in the chicken and sauce.
- Chicken Broth – to help deglaze the pan after searing the chicken – it’s also the start of the creamy sauce.
- Heavy Cream – use heavy cream for the best consistency in the tuscan sauce. If you end up swapping it out for milk, the sauce will be much thinner.
- Parmesan Cheese – this hard cheese adds amazing flavor to the sauce and also helps thicken it up.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes – look for these in the produce section of your grocery store. I like the ones that are dried and not packed in oil. If you use ones packed in oil, just blot them dry with paper towels before adding to the sauce.
- Spinach – adds a beautiful color and nutrients to the dish. You can swap with kale, or leave out completely if you’re not a fan.
How To Make The Best Tuscan Chicken
Grab all your ingredients and get them ready to go, because this recipe goes quickly!
Pound Chicken, Season and Sear
My biggest tip in this recipe, and with cooking any sort of chicken breast, is to pound your chicken to an even thickness. This helps the chicken cook more efficiently and evenly – resulting in juicy chicken breast every time.
Sear the chicken in a hot skillet, until they’re a nice golden brown on each side. We’re not looking to cook the chicken all the way through at this point, just enough to give them some color (flavor).
Once they’re seared, set them on a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Create The Pan Sauce
All those golden browned bits on the bottom of the pan are now waiting for you to unlock them!
Splash the pan with that chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bits off the bottom and then gradually add in the heavy cream to create your creamy Tuscan sauce.
Add In Sun Dried Tomatoes and Spinach
Stir the freshly grated parmesan cheese and sun dried tomatoes into the creamy sauce you just created.
Next, stir in the spinach and nestle those chicken breasts back into the sauce.
PRO TIP: Make sure there aren’t any sun dried tomatoes hiding under the chicken breast in the pan, it can prevent the chicken from finishing being cooked through.
Finish Cooking The Chicken
Let the chicken simmer in the sauce until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I like to use my instant read meat thermometer to test the chicken.
When I start making this recipe, I’ll also start a pot of boiling water to cook some noodles in. By the time the chicken is done, so are the noodles! Everything is ready in under 30 minutes.
Ways to Serve Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Like I mentioned above, serving this hearty tuscan chicken and sauce over a plate of noodles is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it. You could also serve this creamy tuscan chicken with some homemade gnocchi, over rice, mashed potatoes or even polenta!
PRO TIP: Since I have smaller children, often times I’ll dice up the chicken and toss it directly into the sauce with the cooked noodles. This makes it super easy to serve a family.
Make Ahead and Storage
This recipe is super easy to make ahead, store in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheat in the microwave and enjoy all over again. It’s perfect for meal planning for the week.
You can also freeze creamy tuscan chicken for up to 3 months. I love using these silicone freezer trays to portion out meals for the future.
I know you’re going to love this viral Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe. It’s perfect for busy weeknights, but also fancy enough to wow dinner guests!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 3 breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tsp garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1 cup baby spinach
Instructions
- Use a heavy rolling pin or meat mallet to pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness. Season the chicken with salt, Italian seasoning, pepper and paprika on both sides.
- Heat a skillet with avocado oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, cook the chicken in the pan for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate, cover loosely with foil to keep warm. NOTE: The chicken will not be cooked through at this point, you're just wanting to have a nice golden sear on both sides.
- To the hot skillet, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Splash in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan, releasing any browned bits (loads of flavor!). Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Add in the sun dried tomatoes and baby spinach. Nestle the chicken breasts into the creamy sauce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
- Serve the chicken and creamy sauce over rice, noodles. mashed potatoes or with gnocchi. Enjoy!
