My version of Tuscan chicken pairs seared chicken breasts with a creamy, flavorful sauce and veggies. This is a 30 minute, one pot meal that tastes restaurant-quality! Recipe includes a how-to video!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fast and perfect as a weeknight dinner! It takes just 30 minutes to make from start to finish.
- Sneaks in some veggies (like peppers, tomatoes, and spinach) without feeling too veggie-forward for picky eaters.
- Serve over noodles with a side of crusty artisan bread for a complete, hearty meal.
- Protein-rich and full of flavor with minimal effort. This is such an easy and satisfying recipe!
Today I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite dinners as of late: Tuscan chicken. Not only is this dish super easy to whip up, but it’s so flavorful and satisfying. I love it for weeknights, but honestly, it’s crave-worthy any time and would make a great and impressive date-night dinner, too.
Ingredients
Most of the ingredients needed here are pretty straightforward, but there are a few I’ll highlight before we get started.
- Chicken. I opt for boneless, skinless chicken breast and slice it thin (makes searing it easier and gives you a better-seasoned bite!). You could substitute boneless skinless thighs instead, just note they’ll cook much faster!
- Parmesan cheese. Please grate your own cheese! It will melt into the sauce and create a silky smooth texture. I do not recommend using the pre-grated kind (you know that one that comes in the green shaker can).
- Spinach. This adds some greens to the dish. Spinach always seems like too much when you first add it, don’t worry it’ll quickly cook down and wilt into the sauce!
- Sun dried tomatoes. Choose a version marinated in oil and Italian herbs (it’s hard to find them without these things, honestly). These add a very Tuscan feel to the Tuscan chicken. You can use the julienned kind or buy whole tomatoes and slice them yourself. Make sure to drain the oil; we don’t need all of that in the sauce!
- Spices. Including basil, thyme, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Feel free to increase the crushed red pepper if you want a spicer dish!
SAM’S TIP: If you eat gluten free, you can substitute a gluten free all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken. It will work just as well!
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Tuscan Chicken
- Slice, season, and dredge the chicken.
- Sear the chicken. Your pan must be nice and hot to get a good sear, but not so hot that it burns the chicken! I’ve found searing meat takes a little patience and a little practice.
- Cook the peppers and onions. You want them to be nice and softened before you proceed.
- Add the garlic and tomatoes and cook for about 30 seconds, then stir in the spices and salt.
SAM’S TIP — SEARING: To get a nice, golden sear on your chicken make sure your oil is nice and hot (it should be shimmering!) before adding the chicken. Once you place the chicken, let it sit undisturbed for several minutes — moving it will diminish the sear. And don’t over-crowd your pan or you’ll end up steaming your chicken (turning it grey, not golden!). Cook the chicken in batches if needed (I do!)!
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth while scraping the bottom of the pain. Cook until reduced by 50%. If you’re thinking “why not just use half the amount of broth” it’s because we’re concentrating the flavor; this is a robustly flavored dish because of these extra steps we’re taking!
- Drizzle in the cream, then stir in the parmesan.
- Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Taste test the sauce at this time and add more seasoning if needed.
- Add the chicken and cook until warmed through, then serve!
SAM’S TIP: Make sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan while you add your chicken broth–there’s lots of flavor there, and we want to incorporate that into our sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions
At its core, this recipe is quite Americanized, but the influence is Tuscan-inspired. It’s developed using the simple, rustic flavors of the Tuscany region of Italy. We use Tuscan herbs, veggies, and cheese and a sauce that is bursting with flavor but not too heavy. You could also substitute the chicken broth in the recipe for a dry white wine to add even more Tuscan influence.
The sauce for this dish isn’t overly thick or heavy like an Alfredo sauce would be, but it still should have some body and richness and it isn’t thin like a broth. To ensure your sauce reaches the proper thickness, make sure you reduce your chicken broth enough and stir your cream in slowly to give it time to incorporate with the other components of the dish. When combined with these two important steps, the flour from the chicken and the parmesan cheese should ensure you have a perfectly textured, velvety sauce.
Enjoy!
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Tuscan Chicken
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 647kcal
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Instructions
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Use a sharp knife to filet each chicken breast into two thin pieces. Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and pepper. Dredge through the flour and set aside.
1 lb (453 g) boneless skinless chicken breast, Salt & pepper, ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown. Flip and cook until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, place on a plate and set aside.
2 Tablespoons avocado or olive oil
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Reduce stovetop heat to medium and add a tablespoon of oil to your pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened.
1 Tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup (70 g) yellow onion, 1 (68 g) red bell pepper
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Add garlic and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, then cook for an additional 30 seconds.
½ cup (55 g) sun dried tomatoes, 1 ½ Tablespoons minced garlic
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Stir in dried basil, dried thyme, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper
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Gradually add in the chicken broth, make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you do so that any browned bits are worked back into the sauce. Cook until liquid is reduced by 50 percent.
½ cup (118 ml) chicken broth
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Slowly drizzle in cream, stirring until fully combined.
1 ¼ cups (296 ml) heavy cream
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Add parmesan cheese and spinach and cook until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Taste-test and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
½ cup (30 g) grated parmesan cheese, 2 cups (60 g) baby spinach
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Add the chicken back to the pan and allow to warm through. Serve immediately (this dish is delicious served as-is or over pasta).
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Sauce is prone to breaking when reheated, so it’s recommended to reheat slowly (like in a saucepan over low heat).
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 647kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 656mg | Potassium: 1206mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3725IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 222mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
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