Get a cozy, restaurant-quality Tuscan chicken dinner on the table in about 30 minutes with one pan, simple ingredients, and minimal cleanup.
Love Creamy Chicken Breast? Try Creamy Chicken and Spinach and Creamy Paprika Chicken and Spinach next.
Fix Your Chicken Fatigue with Creamy Tuscan Chicken
If your weeknight chicken keeps coming out bland or overcooked, this ultra-creamy Tuscan chicken fixes it with a foolproof skillet method and a rich garlic-Parmesan sauce. A few small tweaks-like deglazing the pan and finishing with a splash of lemon-set it apart from the usual copycat version.
Love Tuscan Recipes? Try Marry Me Butter Beans and Marry Me Chicken Soup for the Tuscan flair, spinach and tomatoes!
Why This Recipe Works
- One Pan Wonder: You get tender chicken simmered in a rich, garlicky cream sauce with Parmesan, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in about 30 minutes. The best part: it uses simple, everyday ingredients and just one skillet, so cleanup is as easy as the cooking.
- Restaurant Level Chicken: This creamy Tuscan chicken tastes like something you'd order at a cozy Italian restaurant: juicy chicken, a silky garlic-Parmesan cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and wilted spinach make every bite rich, bright, and comforting.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced (3 medium cloves)
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Lemon wedges, for serving
How To Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients, measurements & instructions are in the recipe card below.
1. Season Chicken Breasts
In a large skillet add your olive oil and heat on medium. Salt and pepper your chicken breasts on both sides and add to the pan when it is heated.
2. Cook Chicken Breasts
Depending on the size of chicken breasts, cook about 4-8 minutes on each side, small breasts for about 4 minutes each side and large breasts about 8 minutes each side. Cook until no longer pink and about 160 degrees and remove from the pan and set aside. They will cook a little more when they are added back to the pan at the end.
3. Add Garlic and Butter
Drop your skillet to about medium low and add your butter and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
4. Add Cherry Tomatoes
Add your halved cherry tomatoes and a little salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add Spinach
Cook the tomatoes until they start to break down and then add your spinach and oregano and cook until the spinach starts to wilt in the pan.
6. Add Heavy Cream and Parmesan
Add your heavy cream and parmesan cheese and allow it to come to just a simmer, stirring as it heats.
7. Simmer and Add Chicken Back
Drop your pan to low and simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Add your chicken back to the pan and reheat it for about 4-6 minutes.
Cream Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1½ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet add your olive oil and heat on medium. Salt and pepper your chicken breasts on both sides and add to the pan when it is heated. Depending on the size of chicken breasts, cook about 4-8 minutes on each side, small breasts for about 4 minutes each side and large breasts about 8 minutes each side. Cook until no longer pink and about 160 degrees and remove from the pan and set aside. They will cook a little more when they are added back to the pan at the end.
- Drop your skillet to about medium low and add your butter and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add your halved cherry tomatoes and a little salt and pepper to taste. Cook the tomatoes until they start to break down and then add your spinach and oregano and cook until the spinach starts to wilt in the pan.
- Add your heavy cream and parmesan cheese and allow it to come to just a simmer, stirring as it heats. Drop your pan to low and simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Add your chicken back to the pan and reheat it for about 4-6 minutes. Serve with a lemon wedge and Enjoy!
Equipment
- Large frying pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Knives and a stirring spoon
Variations to the Recipe
You can add other vegetables like mushrooms, olives and onion. You can also add sun dried tomatoes for a little more kick of tomato taste.
FAQ
- Why do I have to remove the chicken while I make the sauce? You don't want to over cook your chicken so it is easier to remove it and then reheat it in the sauce.
- Why do I have to use "freshly grated" Parmesan? Pre-grated cheeses tend to have filler in them to keep it from sticking together that does not melt well. PLUS! It tastes better!!
Tips for Success
- Gather ingredients ahead of time: Gather all your ingredients at once and prepare equipment ahead of time.
- Room temperature ingredients: Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature unless mentioned that they should be cold or frozen.
- Sear your chicken: Make sure your pan is pretty hot when you place the chicken in it to cook. This will lock in the moisture and keep your chicken from drying out.
- Shimmer Slowly: Make sure you simmer your sauce low and slow. You don't want it to get lumpy, you want it to thicken naturally slowly.
- Go Heavy!: Make sure you use heavy cream and not just milk, even if it's whole milk, so your sauce has the right smooth and thickened texture.
Karina says
Made with chicken tenders because i like them small and bite size. Soooo good!