Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Updated Jun 21, 2024
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Simmered in a rich Parmesan sauce, this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe is easy to make with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and Italian herbs. It’s a one-pot chicken dinner that’s ready in 30 minutes!
One-Pan Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Given the chance to cook something Italian-inspired, I’ll take it, from chicken piccata to creamy pesto chicken. So, it’s no surprise this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe is a repeat hit for weeknight dinners. It’s like an even creamier version of marry me chicken, with juicy chicken breast and rich, Tuscan-inspired flavors.
Keep the breadsticks on standby to sop up the ultra-creamy Parmesan pan sauce infused with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and Italian herbs.
Everything to Love About This Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- It’s a one-pan chicken recipe ready in just 30 minutes. Everything sautés, sears, and simmers in the same pan for quick and easy cleanup.
- With minimal prep and simple ingredients, this creamy Tuscan chicken makes a great weeknight chicken dinner. Low effort, LOTS of flavor.
- Don’t feel like cooking on the stove? Pop this creamy Tuscan chicken into the oven instead. It tastes just as good when made as a baked chicken breast recipe.
- Feel like changing it up? Easily swap the chicken in this recipe for creamy Tuscan shrimp or salmon.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this restaurant-style chicken recipe. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
- Olive oil – My personal favorite for sautéeing. Use your preferred cooking oil.
- Chicken breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are quick-cooking and save on prep time. You can also make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs, which are juicier and may need longer to cook.
- Butter – Unsalted or salted.
- Yellow Onion – White onion or shallot also works.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is always best. Substitute ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove, if needed.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes – Pick up a jar from your favorite brand. Note: Sun-dried tomatoes usually come jarred in oil. They are not the same as canned tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Baby Spinach – You can also use regular spinach, but you’ll need to chop it.
- Heavy Cream – Evaporated milk and half-and-half are good substitutes. For an extra-rich sauce, use cream cheese.
- Dried Herbs – Dried basil, dried oregano, and dried rosemary. You can replace these individual herbs with Italian seasoning, or use fresh herbs if you prefer. You’ll need approximately three times as much fresh herbs, as dried herbs are more concentrated.
- Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated has the best flavor and texture. Feel free to use pecorino, mozzarella, or an Italian cheese blend instead.
- Fresh Parsley – For garnish. You can also use chopped fresh basil.
Tips and Variations
- Use frozen spinach. Frozen spinach works great as long as you thaw it and drain the extra moisture. Press the thawed spinach between paper towels.
- Add mushrooms. Borrow from my chicken marsala and toss sliced mushrooms into the pan right after the onions. It’s an extra veggie and will add lots of umami to the dish.
- Use Italian seasoning. Although I love the combination of dried herbs, you can skip the measuring and add Italian seasoning to taste.
- Use a meat thermometer. Especially if the chicken breasts have different thicknesses, it’s hard to tell whether they’re cooked through. Using a meat thermometer is the quickest way to tell if they’re done. When you insert it into the thickest part of the chicken, it should read 165 F.
What to Serve With Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Appetizers: Try these keto garlic breadsticks and Italian wedding soup as a starter.
- Chicken pasta: Turn this creamy chicken into marry me chicken pasta. Add your favorite cooked pasta, then toss it all together.
- Veggies and salad: Serve this creamy Tuscan chicken with skillet zucchini and mushrooms or roasted artichokes. To complement the rich flavors, add a fresh tomato burrata salad.
- For dessert: Finish the meal with refreshing cottage cheese ice cream.
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Simmered in a creamy sauce, this Tuscan chicken recipe is packed with Italian flavors from sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and garlic, and it's ready in just 30 minutes!
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Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For The Cream Sauce
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 package (6 to 8 ounces) baby spinach
- 1½ cup heavy cream, you can also use half & half or evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Chicken
- Prep. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for about 7 minutes; flip and continue to cook for 6 more minutes, or until done. Cooking time also depends on the thickness of the chicken breasts; use thinner chicken breasts for faster cooking. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
Make the Cream Sauce
- Sauté. Add butter to the same pan and melt. Stir in the onions and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for 1 more minute, or until the onions are soft.
- Add tomatoes and spinach. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Stir in spinach and continue to cook until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Make the sauce. Add heavy cream, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Mix in Parmesan cheese; stir until the sauce has thickened.
- Put it all together. Place the chicken back in the pan and cook for 1 minute to heat through. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 465kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 1000mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1205IU | Vitamin C: 9.8mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 2.2mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
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How to Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Making this easy, creamy chicken recipe requires one pot and 30 minutes. Follow the steps below.
- Sear the chicken. Start by heating olive oil in a large skillet, then add the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes per side, until cooked through. Season to taste, then remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Cook the onions. Next, melt the butter in the same pan. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the garlic and stir well. Let it cook for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes. Stir in the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 3-5 minutes to wilt the spinach, then lower the heat to medium-low.
- Make the sauce. Pour in the heavy cream. Add the dried herbs, season with salt and pepper, and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Lastly, stir in the Parmesan cheese until it’s melted and the sauce has thickened.
- Add the chicken. Now, return the chicken to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken while it heats through. Sprinkle with parsley, serve, and enjoy!
Oven Instructions
Here’s how to bake this chicken if you’d prefer to use the oven instead of the stove. Also check out my original baked Tuscan chicken recipe.
- Grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Add the chicken breasts.
- Whisk the remaining sauce ingredients, tomatoes, and spinach in a large bowl. Pour it in.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake at 375ºF for 20-35 minutes.
Make-Ahead
You can prepare the cream sauce up to 2 days in advance. Allow the sauce to cool and then refrigerate it in an airtight container. For an easy dinner, cook the chicken as directed, then reheat the sauce over medium-low heat in the pan and add a splash of chicken broth, water, or milk to thin it out. Add the chicken and serve.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, add a splash of milk and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and heat for another 30 seconds to 1 minute until warm. Alternatively, heat in a pan over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes per side, adding extra sauce and milk to keep it from drying out.
I forgot heavy cream and spinach at the store. However, I compromised and just put basil flavored Alfredo sauce and added everything as normal and turned out delicious! Ended up cutting the chicken while it was cooking so it would cook faster
Thank YOU, Hollie!! I am glad it turned out great! 🙂
A fantastic recipe. Made it twice just for the house, now I’m taking it on the road, with home made bread and served over fettuccine noodles, I plan on feeding about 10 tonight. Such a treat for all of use.
I hope everyone enjoys it!! Thank YOU! 🙂
How much cheese do I use? I’m not seeing it listed in ingredients. Thanks!
This was quick, tasty and even better the next day. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Looks delicious!! Any suggestions on what to serve as a side?
Excellent! Even better the next day. This recipe will be added to my family favs! Thank you!
Oh! The 2nd time I added some sliced mushrooms 😉
Asparagus
Do you slice the breasts in half for a thinner piece of chicken?
Excited to cook this tomorrow!!
I’m happy to skip heavy carbs for fats any time, this works for me, love the creaminess and even the spinach-tomato, thank you for this recipe!
This looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Wow, that looks absolutely mouthwatering!
This dish looks incredible! Such a tasty, creamy, easy and fabulous dinner!