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 also very simple.

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.

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
• 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
• 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
• 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.