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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 easy Italian chicken skillet dinner with restaurant-style glossy flavor and fresh basil on top.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasonings
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.25 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.25 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika to taste
Sauce base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Spinach and finishing
  • 2 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 fresh basil for garnish

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. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F.
  2. Transfer the seared chicken to a plate and set aside while you build the sauce. Leave the browned bits in the skillet for maximum flavor.
Build the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  1. Cook minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute so they soften slightly.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits with the sauce. Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until noticeably thickened and glossy.
Finish with spinach and serve
  1. Stir in the fresh baby spinach and cook just until wilted, 30-60 seconds. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so it stays thick and coats the spoon.
  2. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

Notes

For extra restaurant-style silkiness, simmer the sauce until it visibly thickens before adding spinach; it should coat the back of a spoon. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid breaking the cream. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (the sauce will be slightly thinner).