Valentina's Corner
It is no wonder why creamy tuscan chicken has taken over the internet; it tastes that good! Juicy chicken is cooked in a creamy tuscan sauce, soaking up all that incredible flavor. This tasty chicken can be served over pasta or rice for an easy dish.
Chicken is an incredibly diverse protein that can be served in many ways, whether by itself or as creamy tuscan pasta. This tuscan chicken joins our basil pesto chicken and the parmesan-crusted chicken, our favorite chicken dishes that kids and adults enjoy.
This creamy tuscan chicken is simply a mouth-watering dish. Each bite of italian seasoned chicken is doused in the thick tuscan sauce. This simple recipe results in a gourmet chicken you can serve on any occasion.
Marry Me, Chicken!
You may be more familiar with the “marry me chicken” dish! This fun name was given to this dish online because it is so good whoever you serve it to will fall in love.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy meal prep. This chicken is excellent for making and storing a large batch for easy lunches.
- Simple ingredients. This recipe uses a short list of ingredients, making this dish so easy to recreate.
- Quick recipe. This easy meal joins our list of delicious 30-minute meals.
- Flavorful dish. Say goodbye to bland chicken and hello to saucy goodness.
Ingredients for Creamy Tuscan Chicken:
- Chicken – skinless chicken breasts and beaten until even thickness.
- Breading – all you need is all-purpose flour.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – add an incredible flavor and texture to the sauce.
- Sauce – a heavy whipping cream base with chicken broth for depth of flavor.
- Cheese – parmesan cheese adds creaminess and great flavor.
- Spinach – wilts into the sauce to add some greens.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Prep the Chicken Like an Expert:
Chicken breast is thicker at the top than the bottom; if left that way, the thinner part will overcook when the thick part of the chicken is fully cooked. To avoid this, we cut the chicken length-wise and pound to an equal thickness. Pound the chicken using a meat mallet, but only beat the thickest part.
Pro Tip: To prevent raw chicken splatter, beat the chicken while it is in a plastic bag.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken
1 – Coat chicken: Season all sides of sliced chicken breast with italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Add flour to a shallow dish, coat all sides of the chicken in the flour, and tap off the excess.
2 – Cook the chicken: Add olive oil and butter to a skillet. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Use medium-high heat to allow a crust to form. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the pan.
3 – Sauce: To the same pan, add butter, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for one minute over medium heat. Stir in heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and seasoning. Simmer the sauce on medium-low heat until it thickens.
4 – Add spinach and the chicken to the sauce. Cook for a few minutes or until the chicken is warmed through again. Serve and enjoy, friends!
Substitutions and Variations:
All add-ins, substitutions, and variations to the recipe you want to make.
- Protein: Swap chicken for shrimp or salmon to add a light spin to this delicious dish.
- Spicy: Bring the heat to this dish by adding red pepper flakes to the chicken and the sauce.
- Add veggies: You can add other veggies to the dish like cherry tomatoes, green beans or sweet peas.
- Add protein: Add shrimp or bacon to the chicken.
Expert Tip for Juicy Chicken:
Chicken breast is easy to overcook, resulting in a sad, dry chicken. Here is how you can have foolproof, juicy chicken every time:
Cover the seared chicken with a lid and allow it to finish cooking in the residual heat. The chicken will reach 165°F.
Serving Suggestions
- Pasta dish: Serve this creamy chicken over penne pasta for a saucy pasta. This heavy dish will pair perfectly with a light onion salad.
- Chicken and rice: Pour the creamy tuscan sauce over a bed of fluffy white rice and top with the chicken for an incredibly flavorful dish.
- Creamy potatoes: Serve this chicken and the sauce over homemade mashed potatoes.
Elevate Your Dish Like a Pro:
Although it isn’t a requirement for a delicious dish, a few garnishes go a long way:
Top the chicken with fresh parsley or even a sprig of thyme for presentation.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken thighs would work great in this tuscan dish.
Chicken that is cooked in a tuscan sauce is well-known as tuscan chicken. Tuscan sauce has recently been popularized because of its rich and delicious flavor.
If the chicken comes out dry, you are overcooking the chicken. Use a meat thermometer to remove it before it surpasses 165°F when first searing it.
Use half and half or whole milk instead of heavy cream to keep this dish light. The final sauce will not be as thick, but it will still be delicious. You can also add flour to the half-and-half as a thickening agent.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Leftover tuscan chicken can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container.
- Reheat. Warm the chicken with the sauce on a stovetop over low-medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Freeze. This dish makes a perfect freezer meal. Let the cooked Tuscan chicken come to room temperature before packing it in a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze and store for up to 3 months. Reheat: Let the creamy chicken thaw in the fridge overnight and warm up as soon as it is thawed.
More Chicken Recipes
If you enjoyed this tuscan chicken recipe, be sure to try our other popular chicken dishes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this tuscan chicken recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts halved (1 ½ pounds)
- 1 tsp italian seasoning divided
- 1 ½ tsp salt divided
- ½ tsp ground pepper divided
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 3 garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 ⅓ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise and beat the thickest part so they are even in thickness.
- Combine ¾ tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper and season the chicken on both sides.
- In a shallow dish, add the flour for dredging. Coat the chicken in the flour, shaking off any excess flour.
- Add oil and 1 Tbsp butter to a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 155°F.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover to keep warm. The chicken will reach a temperature of 165°F by finishing cooking in the residual heat.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbsp butter, the garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. With a wooden spoon, scrape off the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, parmesan cheese, and remaining italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat to low and cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the spinach and chicken into the sauce and cook until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is reheated.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
- Beating the chicken to an even thickness is vital for the chicken to turn out juicy and evenly cooked. Do this using a meat mallet and placing the chicken in a plastic bag or between plastic wrap.
- Store leftover chicken in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in an airtight container.
- Serve this chicken over pasta or rice for a complete dish.