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This 25-minute Tuscan chicken recipe is so easy and totally irresistible. You will love the restaurant quality creamy sauce with all the best Italian-inspired flavors!
For more inspiration, try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Soup and Creamy Tuscan Orzo with similar flavors next.
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 a simple way to make a quick weeknight dinner feel really special, and that flavor combo is so good.
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. You’ll make this comfort food meal again and again. I know I do. 😉
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. You can use four smaller chicken breasts, but you will need to cook them a bit longer.
- 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. Feel free to use a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, or chardonnay to fancy it up a little bit!
- 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
Pro tip
- Use an instant read thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to 165F in the thickest part. They’re inexpensive and the best way to guarantee that chicken is neither overcooked nor undercooked. Every home chef should own one to take the guesswork out!
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. With that said, you can always experiment, especially if you’re used to tweaking sauces.
- 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.
What to serve with creamy Tuscan chicken
- For extra deliciousness, grate some parmesan over top just before serving.
- The rich sauce goes great with your favorite starch. Try jasmine rice or a big pile of Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Pasta like my easy Buttered Egg Noodles would also work.
- For a lighter choice, try a side salad with mixed greens and my Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing or Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This Tuscan chicken will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat slowly until warmed through. Be careful to not reheat it too quickly or with a high temperature, or the sauce could separate.
- Our kitchen doesn’t recommend freezing leftovers of this one.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or if you’ve tried this easy Tuscan chicken recipe! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts sliced lengthwise
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes see note
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and garlic powder on both sides. Coat in flour.
- Melt the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes/side or until golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth and Dijon mustard. Scrape up any brown bits and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. Add the chicken back to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through and the sauce reduces a bit.
- Stir in the basil and season with extra salt & pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If the sun-dried tomatoes are not packed in oil, you may want to add a bit more – the oil-packed ones taste more concentrated. I drain the oil prior to adding them to the pan.
- If you have particularly small chicken breasts, I recommend leaving them whole and cooking them for a few minutes longer.
- Chicken is safe to eat when it’s reached an internal temperature of 165F. Use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on April 27, 2018. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Delicious, thanks for a great recipe! I used cream cheese instead of cream. The chicken ended up with a nice coating/ texture on the outside, so we decided to serve on the side rather than putting it back into the sauce. My husband loved it that way!
So glad it worked out, Kara! 🙂
Love this recipe. Can’t wait to try the pasta version!
Thanks so much, Taylor! Let me know if you make it. Thanks for leaving me a comment! 🙂
Delicious recipe! Made with rice and it kept awesome for leftovers for lunch the next day! I added extra sundried toms!
That’s great! So pleased you liked it 🙂
This was great. Made it last night –It was gone b4 I could photograph it. Served it with gnocci.
Thanks!
Wonderful! 😀
Made this for a family of 3 and it was more than enough food. We served with a zucchini casserole but I think it would also delicious with noodles or rice, especially with the sauce in the recipe. This dish is quick, easy, and delicious. Even my 4 year old approves
I am so glad you all enjoyed it! 🙂
Hello, are these recipes Health conscious?
Hi, I’m not really sure what you mean. I have hundreds of recipes on here. Some will work for some diets/health issues, and others will not. This particular recipe has cream in it, so it may not be ideal if you’re sensitive to dairy. As far as calories go, this one is on the higher end… but I don’t personally believe there are good/bad foods. It’s ok to sometimes have “treat” meals and sometimes to eat lower calorie meals. Also portion control is important for any food. Just part of the balance of life.
I made this tonight- just as the recipe said… it was sooooooo good! We ate all the chicken so I saved the extra sauce because I couldn’t bear to throw it away! Now i have to figure out what to do with the sauce!
I am so happy you guys liked it!! The sauce is soo good over mashed potatoes. 🙂
Through some shrimp in the sauce and serve over noodles.
This was as good as I expected. Sun dried tomatoes and cream cinched this for me. Next time I will add a scooch more tomatoes, spinach and basil. Note: I buy the TJ container of basil, snip off the tips of stem and place in water. They last for weeks and sprout roots.
So glad you liked it! Yes, I like to store my basil that way too.. definitely helps extend its life!
This recipe looks so delicious and hearty. I can’t wait to make this for dinner! The spinach is a great touch too! 🙂
Thanks, Peter!! Really hope you like this recipe. 🙂
Just made this tonight. I didn’t want to buy a huge container of basil (anyone who shops at Trader Joe’s knows what I mean!) but did have an open jar of pesto so I threw some of that in at the end and it was awesome! We served it over pasta and ate the lot. Definitely keeping this recipe and looking forward to making it again!
Haha I don’t live in the States, but I know exactly what you mean about the basil – whenever I’m on vacation and pop into Trader Joe’s, I see that container of basil. It always looks so good. Wish I could bring some home with me. 😛 I am so glad you liked this recipe, Megan! 🙂
Looks so delicious!
Thank you!!