Creamy Tuscan Chicken Delight (Print Version)

Tender chicken in a creamy garlic sauce with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 oz each)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
12 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach

→ Garnish (optional)

13 - Fresh parsley, chopped
14 - Extra grated Parmesan

# How To Make It:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Transfer to a plate and cover loosely.
03 - Reduce heat to medium in the same skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Stir in sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
05 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Stir in Parmesan and dried basil. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.
06 - Add spinach to the skillet and stir until just wilted, about 1 minute.
07 - Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, nestling into the sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken and simmer 2–3 minutes until heated through.
08 - Optionally garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying dinner.
  • The cream sauce somehow tastes like you've been cooking all day, even though it takes barely 25 minutes.
  • Chicken stays incredibly tender and juicy when you nestle it into the sauce at just the right moment.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry; I learned this the hard way when I rushed and ended up with steamed chicken instead of seared chicken, and it completely changed the texture and flavor.
  • If your sauce breaks or looks curdled, immediately remove it from direct heat and whisk in a splash of cold broth slowly; temperature control is everything with cream sauces.
  • Add the Parmesan off the heat or at very low temperatures to keep it from becoming grainy and separated, which will ruin the velvety texture you worked to achieve.
03 -
  • Make sure your skillet is large enough that the chicken pieces don't crowd each other; they need space to develop that golden crust properly.
  • Save a cup of pasta water if you're serving this over noodles, because you can thin the sauce slightly if it thickens more than you like as it sits.
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