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This 25-minute Tuscan chicken recipe is so easy and totally irresistible. You will love the restaurant quality creamy sauce with all the best Italian-inspired flavors!
For more inspiration, try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Soup and Creamy Tuscan Orzo with similar flavors next.
Why you’ll love it
This creamy Tuscan chicken is a favorite in my home. I mean, what’s not to like about melt-in-your-mouth chicken that’s pan-fried to golden perfection and slathered in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach and basil? It’s a simple way to make a quick weeknight dinner feel really special, and that flavor combo is so good.
For those unfamiliar, this Tuscan chicken recipe is inspired by the one at Olive Garden, but I have to say this one is even better with my own twist! As with most of my creamy chicken recipes, it elevates pantry staples for a dish that’s good enough for serving company. You’ll make this comfort food meal again and again. I know I do. 😉
What you’ll need
- Chicken – I cut two chicken breasts in half lengthwise. The cutlets cook faster and more evenly so that they remain tender. You can use four smaller chicken breasts, but you will need to cook them a bit longer.
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, this infuses savory flavor right in the chicken
- Flour – for that irresistible golden pan-seared exterior on the cutlets
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Chicken broth – another layer of flavor and the base of the sauce. Feel free to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay to fancy it up a little bit!
- Dijon mustard – it’s a tried and true way to add an extra savory note to the sauce. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the sauce taste mustardy. I use Dijon in many of my recipes to enhance the flavor.
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious
- Spinach – fresh baby spinach is what we’re using here
- Sun-dried tomatoes – I buy the kind packed in oil
- Basil – it’s the ideal complement to tomatoes and rounds out the “Tuscan” flavor profile
Pro tip
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165F in the thickest part. They’re inexpensive and the best way to guarantee that chicken is neither overcooked nor undercooked. Every home chef should own one to take the guesswork out!
How to make Tuscan chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken into 4 thinner cutlets, season with garlic powder and salt & pepper, and dredge in the flour. Pan sear in the oil and butter until golden, and transfer to a plate. Pour the chicken broth into the skillet, add the Dijon, and scrape up the browned bits.
Pour in the cream, and add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Return the chicken to the pan, and fully cook it through while the sauce thickens. Stir in the basil, and season with additional salt & pepper if needed.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for something else like milk or half-and-half because there’s a chance the sauce may curdle, and it will end up thinner and less flavorful. With that said, you can always experiment, especially if you’re used to tweaking sauces.
- If sun-dried tomatoes aren’t your thing, you could substitute them for fresh tomatoes. I suggest using a handful of grape or cherry tomatoes or cut up one medium tomato.
- For more herb-forward flavor, try adding in 1/2 tsp of Italian seasoning.
- Garlic lovers out there, go ahead and throw in a couple of cloves of minced garlic if you want to amp up the garlic flavor.
What to serve with creamy Tuscan chicken
- For extra deliciousness, grate some parmesan over top just before serving.
- The rich sauce goes great with your favorite starch. Try jasmine rice or a big pile of Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pasta like my easy Buttered Egg Noodles would also work.
- For a lighter choice, try a side salad with mixed greens and my Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing or Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This Tuscan chicken will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat slowly until warmed through. Be careful to not reheat it too quickly or with a high temperature, or the sauce could separate.
- Our kitchen doesn’t recommend freezing leftovers of this one.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or if you’ve tried this easy Tuscan chicken recipe! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts sliced lengthwise
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes see note
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Coat in flour.
- Melt the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes/side or until golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and Dijon mustard. Scrape up any brown bits and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce reduces a bit.
- Stir in the basil and season with extra salt & pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If the sun-dried tomatoes are not packed in oil, you may want to add a bit more – the oil-packed ones taste more concentrated. I drain the oil prior to adding them to the pan.
- If you have particularly small chicken breasts, I recommend leaving them whole and cooking them for a few minutes longer.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it’s reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on April 27, 2018. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I’ve made it twice! Huge hit!!!
Wonderful! Thank you 😀
Tried this tonight made in the Instant Pot. Delicious!!!! Will definitely make it again.
Excellent!
I am not a very good cook, but I’d like to try this tonight. Can you be more descriptive on how to cut the raw chicken? I’m confused about what slicing it lengthwise means. Thank you! Looks so yummy!
Hi! You’re cutting them so you’ve got 4 equal-sized thinner pieces. Here’s a blog post that explains the process with photos and a video: https://www.seasonedkitchen.com/butterflying-chicken-breasts
Hello! We are so excited to try this! Would it work with canned or frozen spinach? We don’t have fresh readily available, and I’m not sure how to sub the other variations, if possible. Thanks!
Hi! I think it will work. I haven’t tried canned spinach before, but I think frozen will be ok if you thaw it and then squeeze the water out of it very well. It’ll kinda come apart a bit more (the fresh leaves wilt but retain their shape), but I think if you add it in towards the end of cooking, it’ll be ok. You may have to make this a couple times to figure out exactly how much you like to include in there.
Hi
Can I subsiture spinach with broccoli
Thanks
Yes, but you may want to cook the broccoli separately because it’ll take longer to cook unless you like it very crisp.
Tried this for the first time with my family of four – 2 kids home from college. One of the few recipes we all like! I served with egg noodles and roasted zucchini – so I got a double serving in of veggies! Thanks for a great recipe! We will be making again for sure and exploring your site for more great recipes!
That’s great!! 🙂 You’re welcome! So glad you found my website.
Followed the recipe exactly. It was delicious. My husband loved it! Will definitely make it again and of course share this with my sisters.
Quick and Easy just like promised. Thanks so much!
Awesome!! 😀 You’re welcome XO
I made this for the first time today for my family and they love it!! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
Wonderful! You’re welcome!
Can I freeze this
You can if you really need to, but cream sauces don’t typically freeze/thaw that well. They often separate (especially if warmed on a high heat like in a microwave), so I would be sure to re-warm on a low heat. The spinach will also be even more wilted. I think it’ll still taste fine, but it’s not an ideal recipe for freezing.
If the cream sauce is leftovers, how do you reheat the next day? Will it break up into oil?
I would reheat on a low heat. That can definitely happen if you let it boil. Sometimes adding a splash more cream can save it if that happens.