Tuscan Chicken

My Tuscan chicken is a terrific one-pan chicken dish to whip up when a rustic meal loaded with mouthwatering flavor is what you're craving. Creamy yet light, this Tuscan chicken recipe is brimming with savory flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, garlic, splash of white wine, spinach, and a touch of cream. It's a fantastic option to spoon over pasta or enjoy with crusty bread!

A rustic chicken dish with a light, creamy sauce

When we're craving some rustic comfort food, and I happen to have a package or two of skinless and boneless chicken breasts on hand, a quick one-pan chicken recipe is one of my favorite ways to go.

We thoroughly enjoy my chicken Dijon recipe, my chicken stroganoff with mushrooms recipe, or my skillet chicken with rustic tomato sauce. But my "foodie antenna" is always up looking for inspiration for another tasty way to prepare a simple-yet-rustic chicken dish to add to our repertoire.

Enter this Tuscan chicken recipe, which fits the description of a rustic, simple, yet utterly flavor packed one-pan chicken dish. It's perfect when we're craving something cozy, slightly creamy, and incredibly comforting!

And the best part? This recipe requires only a few very flavorful ingredients, is prepared lickety-split, and tastes like a dish we'd find on the menu of our favorite Italian bistros!

My recipe for Tuscan chicken

What I really appreciate about this Tuscan chicken recipe is that it boasts a short list of very tasty morsels to create texture and delicious flavor. And yet, it is incredibly uncomplicated to prepare.

This dish is really about layering the ingredients to create flavor. So I like to season my chicken breasts well before searing them off in the pan.

Aromatics such as finely minced shallot and garlic are also used, along with dried herbs, and sweet-tangy sun-dried tomatoes (julienned or chopped). I also add a small splash of white wine for balance, and a couple of handfuls of baby spinach as well.

And with a touch of cream and chicken stock to create the light, savory sauce, the result is an exceptionally flavorful chicken dish—perfectly creamy, without being overly rich.

We love to enjoy it spooned over farfalle (bow ties), pappardelle pasta, or even mashed potatoes. But if you really want to keep it simple (in other words, not have to prep an accompaniment), serving this Tuscan chicken with warm, crusty bread on the side to sop up the sumptuous sauce is absolutely delicious as well.

Here's a glance at my Tuscan chicken recipe

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I season and sear off my chicken breast cutlets, then remove them from the pan to hold.
2. Next, I add in some aromatics, followed by a small splash of white wine, which reduces all the way down. I then add in my chicken stock and cream, followed by some baby spinach.
3. Then, I nestle my seared chicken breasts into the sauce, and allow the dish to very gently simmer for a couple of minutes more, to warm the chicken and cook it through completely.
4. When done, I add in a small sprinkle of chopped fresh basil.
5. To serve, I lay the Tuscan chicken over top of farfalle pasta (or another type of pasta) along with a few spoonfuls of its sauce. I would even serve it with thick slices of crusty bread on the side, for soaking up the sauce.

Recipe

Tuscan Chicken

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

This Tuscan chicken with earthy sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is creamy yet light, brimming with deliciously savory flavor in each bite!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian-American

Yield: Serves 6

Nutrition Info: 391 calories (per serving, without optional accompaniments)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half horizontally to create 6 thinner cutlets
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided use
• 2 large shallots, finely minced
• 6 large cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• ½ cup (slightly heaping) sun-dried tomatoes, julienned or chopped (blotted dry if packed in oil)
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream, room temp
• 3 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped if large
• ½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• Torn or julienned basil, as optional garnish

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. Season the chicken breasts with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tablespoon), a generous pinch of salt and black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon of the Italian seasoning. Toss or rub into the chicken to coat, and marinate for 10 minutes.
3. Next, place a large heavy-bottom pan or braiser (about 3 to 4 quart size) over high or medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add in the seasoned chicken breasts (work in batches if necessary), allowing them to sear to golden-brown color for about 3 minutes on the first side. Then, flip, and sear on the second side for 3 minutes more. Set the chicken aside on a plate to hold, repeating with remaining chicken breasts as needed.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low under the pan, and add in a drizzle more olive oil, if needed. Add in the shallots and sauté those for about 1 to 2 minutes, just until softened. Next, add in the garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and the sun-dried tomatoes, and continue sautéing those until aromatic, about 1 minute.
5. Add in the white wine and allow it to vigorously bubble up, reducing completely, for about 30 seconds.
6. Next, add in the chicken stock and the heavy cream, and stir to incorporate. Once this begins to bubble, add in the spinach leaves, and stir them in until they wilt, about 30 seconds.
7. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese, and whisk to blend into the sauce, which will be fairly thin in consistency, rather than thick and heavy. Next, nestle the seared chicken breasts into the sauce, and allow things to very gently simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, uncovered, just to completely cook/heat the chicken through.
8. Turn off the heat and sprinkle in the basil, if using. Serve with some of the sauce over bow tie (farfalle) pasta (or your favorite type), over mashed potatoes, or simply with warm, crusty bread.

Tips & tidbits for my Tuscan chicken recipe:

• Thicker chicken breasts to create cutlets: I opt for larger, organic chicken breasts here, and slice them in half lengthwise to create thinner chicken breast cutlets for easier cooking. You can certainly use smaller, full-size chicken breasts, which you do not have to slice through in half. Just take care to fully cook them in the sauce before serving—it will likely take a bit longer.
• Go lighter on the cream: If you'd like to use a little less heavy cream, feel free to cut the amount to ½ cup, and use about a total of 1 ½ cups chicken stock instead. The sauce will be a bit thinner, but it's still extremely tasty, and just a little less rich and creamy.
• Tangy-sweet sun-dried tomatoes: I typically like to use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, simply drain them of oil, and blot them dry with a paper towel. If you can find already julienned sun-dried tomatoes, opt for those, or simply chop them yourself to your desired size.
• Delicious accompaniments to this Tuscan chicken recipe: A terrific way to serve this recipe is spooned over top of pasta, and we love farfalle (bow tie) or wide, ribbon-y pappardelle pasta with this recipe. You can certainly use any type of pasta you prefer. Other terrific options are mashed potatoes, or even thick slices of warm, crusty bread for all that delicious sauce.

Craving more comfy-cozy chicken recipes? Check out my recipe for Chicken Cassoulet, Salsa Verde Chicken with Beans, Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs, Braised Chicken with Andouille Sausage, Chicken Cacciatore, or even my recipe Chicken Dijon!