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Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Creamy Tuscan chicken with golden-seared breasts and a silky sun-dried tomato and spinach cream sauce that coats the back of a spoon. An Italian chicken skillet dinner with Parmesan and red pepper flakes for a restaurant-quality finish.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Pat dry for better browning.
  • Salt Season generously.
  • pepper Season generously.
  • garlic powder Season generously.
  • Italian seasoning Season generously and used again in sauce.
  • smoked paprika Season generously.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil For searing the chicken.
Tuscan sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves Minced; cook briefly to keep it fragrant.
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced Drain well so the sauce stays creamy.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth Use to deglaze and build flavor.
  • 1 cup heavy cream Simmer gently; do not boil hard.
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated Stir in for a glossy, thickened sauce.
  • 2 cup fresh baby spinach Stir in until just wilted.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning Added with the cream and seasonings.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes Add heat to taste.
  • Fresh basil Garnish before serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove to a plate.
Make the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
  3. Pour in chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
  4. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened.
  5. Stir in the fresh baby spinach until wilted.
Combine and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: Pat the chicken dry and let it sear undisturbed for the first minutes to build a golden crust. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through. Freezing isn’t recommended because the cream sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly thinner but still flavorful).