Creamy Tuscan Chicken

By Youcipe

1 month, 3 weeks ago

Ingredients

There are 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 they have a deeper, bolder flavor that just makes this dish pop—and going classic using dairy. But you tweak to your liking! Here are 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.

Instructions

How to Make The Best Tuscan Chicken Recipe

Season and cook the chicken. Season both sides of each chicken breast with 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!