Description
Creamy Tuscan chicken so good, you’ll think it’s from an Italian bistro! Best part is that the recipe is done in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (that’s 1 – 1 ½ lbs)
- 2 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided use
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil (I use avocado oil)
- 2 cups chopped onion (that’s one 10 oz yellow onion)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (about 3 large cloves garlic)
- 1 ½ cups unsalted diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (optional)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves for garnish (if desired)
Instructions
1. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with 1 tsp of the salt and the pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add the onion and ½ tsp salt. Cook until translucent, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat if onions start to scorch before they fully soften. Add garlic and cook a minute more.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet to deglaze it, lifting off any browned bits stuck to the bottom.
5. Add the heavy cream, diced tomatoes, dried Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Stir well and bring the mixture to a simmer to let the sauce reduce for 5 minutes to thicken and meld flavors.
6. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted in. Taste and add about 1 tsp more salt to taste.
7. Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce. Let it simmer until cooked through to 165ºF.
8. Add spinach and cook until just wilted.
9. Garnish with fresh basil leaves just before serving.
Notes
For best flavor, don’t skip properly browning the chicken — it adds depth to the sauce.
You can swap heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter version, though the sauce will be thinner.
Serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 379
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 1942mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14g
- Trans Fat: 0.03g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 81mg