Creamy Tuscan Chicken

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

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.