Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Win over dinner guests with this simple Tuscan chicken recipe! Juicy chicken breasts are seasoned with Italian spices and seared until golden, then simmered in the most luxurious cream sauce filled with parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, onions and plenty of spinach.
What is Tuscan Chicken?
I’ll admit, I had to do a bit of research on where “Tuscan chicken” actually originated from. But it seems like there’s no one strict answer. My two cents is that it’s a spin on a classic Italian Florentine sauce, which is made from white wine, cream, and spinach. Then it was given a Tuscan twist by adding garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the warm cream and spinach base.
But what really popularized this dish (at least in America) was Olive Garden’s Tuscan Garlic Chicken, a dish with a similar flavor profile, served over fettuccine.
Either way, I’m glad this Tuscan chicken became a trend because it’s literally the best thing ever. Especially when you’re craving something rich and cheesy, with an Italian flair.
Tuscan Chicken Ingredients
There’s a few ways you can go about making the Tuscan sauce – with fresh cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes and with dairy or dairy-free. For this version, I’m using sun-dried tomatoes since it has a deeper, bolder flavor that just makes this dish pop. And going classic using dairy. But you tweak to your liking! Here’s the ingredients, plus a few substitution ideas:
- Chicken: This dish is typically made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. But you could also use chicken thighs as well if that’s more your thing.
- Italian Seasoning: You can usually find Italian seasoning at the market. If not, just use a mix of mix of individual spices such as oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary.
- Garlic and Onion: Lots of garlic is always welcome. And for onions, you can use white, yellow, or even shallots.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes: After trying several jars from different brands, I came across this jar of sun-dried tomatoes that tasted so fresh and delicious. Plus, it’s the perfect amount for this recipe!
- Spinach: Feel free to go heavy on the baby spinach (I really pack it in the measuring cup) since it wilts down to teeny bits as it cooks!
- Heavy Cream: While dairy-based heavy cream is traditionally used, you have dairy free options as well. You can use a can of coconut cream (not to be confused with coconut milk) or you can make cashew cream at home.
- Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan is the way to go here. For a dairy-free option, nutritional yeast mimics a similar cheesy, nutty flavor.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make The Best Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Season and cook the chicken. Season both sides of each chicken breast in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then warm up a large skillet with some olive oil. Add the chicken, sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, and transfer the chicken to a plate. If your chicken breasts are on the thicker side, you might need an additional minute.
Helpful tip: You can swap olive oil with the sun-dried tomato oil from the jar to give your chicken extra flavor!
Start the tuscan sauce. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil with the onion, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, and saute for another minute, or until it smells incredibly delicious and fragrant.
Helpful tip: If you want to deglaze the pan a bit more, feel free to pour in a bit of white wine as you’re cooking the onions.
Add the spinach. Pile the spinach in the pan and saute for another minute, until it just starts to wilt down.
Finish the Tuscan sauce. Add the heavy cream and cheese, and stir everything together. Go ahead and let this simmer so all the flavors can meld together.
Tuck the chicken back into the skillet. Using tongs, add the chicken breasts back to the pan. Let the chicken cook for about 5 minutes on the stovetop, or until warmed through, then remove from heat. Just be aware that the sauce will also thicken as it cools!
Ways to Serve Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Make this a full, hearty meal by adding the chicken (and of course large spoonfuls of sauce) on top of rice, lentils, polenta, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower. Any of these options will soak up the sauce beautifully!
Want a side salad? You can whip up this massaged kale salad really quickly, or continue the Mediterranean theme with my Mediterranean Chickpea salad.
Storage Tips
Not gonna lie, you’ll be hard-pressed to have leftovers of this recipe. Because if there’s a chicken breast left in the pan someone is going back for seconds! But here’s how you can store leftovers:
- To store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- To freeze: Freezing is also a smart idea if you want to enjoy this again in the near future. You can store leftovers (or a second batch) in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Tuscan Chicken Recipe Video
Trust me, you’re going to want to see a visual of this recipe with how satisfying it looks on screen. I mean, that creamy drizzle is everything! Follow along with the video when you make it yourself! Click below to watch.
More Favorite Easy Chicken Recipes
If a pack of unused chicken is staring at you – here’s some easy dinner ideas I guarantee you’ll love. And if you need more inspiration, check out my roundups of the best chicken breast recipes or chicken thigh recipes.
- Butter Chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Chicken Stir-Fry
- White Chicken Chili
I can’t wait for you to make this Tuscan chicken. I guarantee you’ll have it on repeat when you need something super delicious and impressive. Once you cook this up, let me know your thoughts in a comment below!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, or a mix of individual spices such as oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, *see note above for dairy-free options
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Prep the chicken. Season both sides of each chicken breast in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.
- Cook the onions. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil and the onion. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion has softened.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant.
- Add the spinach, and saute another minute, until just starting to wilt.
- Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stir together, and bring to a simmer.
- Let it simmer. Place the chicken back in the skillet and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Lisa’s Tips
- If you need some help choosing out a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, I’ve been loving this Alessi brand!
- For dairy-free folks swapping in nutritional yeast, I’d recommend 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- If you have extra large or super thick chicken breasts, you may need to sear them longer in step 2. You could also pound them evenly flat or butterfly each chicken breast for a faster cook time.
Amazing!
This is such a flavorful and delicious meal! Everyone loved it. The sun dried tomatoes are amazing in this dish. I used coconut cream as suggested. This was on point! Thank you!
Wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Raquel!
Thrilled to hear you loved this Tuscan chicken Raquel!
I made this fabulous recipe 2 days ago and my God it was soon yummy.I ate pasta with it but pasta tasted bland.So I tried with soda bread and OMG soooooo tasty.So now it is this recipe with soda bread!!!!Thank you so much for sharing this.
Glad you found the perfect accompanying ingredient to enjoy with this Tuscan chicken :)
Sometimes my family gets chicken fatigue, so I was thrilled to see a different chicken recipe from our norm. It was easy to make and the sun dried tomatoes gives this chicken dish such a depth of flavor. Overall this hearty chicken dish is one I will definitely make again. It felt so hearty and reheated well.
Glad this brought back some excitement for a chicken dinner Ryan!
This was absolutely amazing! We will definitely start making this more often. It’s so quick and easy to make. After adding the heavy cream I was worried that it would taste very bland since there’s barely any seasoning in it but it was so flavorful!! (I’m guessing from the dried tomatoes?)
Made some pasta with it and it was gone way too fast
Yep! The seasoning plus sun-dried tomatoes create a beautiful base for flavor.
I ended up slicing the chicken breasts and serving on Penne the kids loved it!
Sound great over Penne! Glad you and the kiddos love it :)
Love the recipe! Im wondering what braising pan is in the pics?
Thanks!
I’m using my Le Creuset braiser, which can be found in the Shop page on my website :)
Unbelievably good – this is a restaurant quality dish you must try! I am also one of those who get exasperated when someone writes a review (usually negative) after they’ve changed the recipe. But I had some chicken breasts I needed to fix for dinner and came across this recipe, which sounded amazing. I had everything except the spinach – darn. Decided to fix it anyway, so so glad I did! I did have a small jar of marinated artichoke hearts which I drained and added to the skillet after I’d sauteed the onions. The sauce was truly amazing, but I needed to stretch it a bit; had half a jar of sweet Italian peppers on hand, which did the trick. Served with spaghetti and additional fresh grated cheese.
Happy to hear you enjoyed this Tuscan chicken! Next time, definitely add the spinach :)
HI LISA !!! I CANT STOPPED MAKING THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE! SO EASY AND TASTY, MY FAMILY LOVES IT !! WHEN WE ARE NOT HAVING RED MEAT IS OUR WAY TO GO WITH CHICKEN.
THANKS FOR SHARING ALL OF THOSE GREAT RECIPES WITH US! MUCH LOVE AND BLESSINGS FROM NASHVILLE. I REALLY HOPE ONE DAY YOU VISIT US. ♥️
Oh my gosh…this is the BEST!! I love this recipe!! Easy to prepare, and oh so delicious…. making it for the second time today, my mouth is watering already. Thank you Lisa, this is a real winner!!
Glad you enjoyed this Tuscan chicken Michelle!
I made this for the second time last night. It is so easy and full of great flavor. My husband said it’s a keeper.
Glad both you and your husband enjoyed this recipe Neesha!
This dish is so easy to make and so delicious, like lick the spoon delicious!! Never can make enough to stretch it past one day cause we gobble it up!!
Yay, awesome! And make sure to try my recipe for Creamy Cajun Chicken as well. It’s a variation of this recipe with a similar cream sauce. :)