Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet (Printable Version)

Tender chicken breasts in a creamy garlic sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach for a comforting meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and sliced
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil leaves
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom.
05 - Add Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens, approximately 2-3 minutes.
06 - Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken breasts to the skillet, spoon sauce over the top, and simmer for 2-3 minutes to heat through.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil and extra Parmesan cheese before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you're eating dinner before the evening really gets away from you.
  • One skillet means one pan to wash, and honestly, that alone might be reason enough to make this on a busy night.
  • The sauce is rich and elegant without any pretense, tasting like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really didn't.
02 -
  • Don't rush the searing step—those golden-brown bits on the chicken are where the flavor lives, so give it a full 5-6 minutes per side without moving it around too much.
  • If your sauce seems too thick after adding everything, a splash of the chicken broth will loosen it back up, so taste and adjust as you go rather than worrying about exact timing.
03 -
  • If your chicken breasts are thicker than an inch, gently pound them to even thickness so they cook at the same rate without the thin parts drying out.
  • Letting the sauce simmer together for a minute before you return the chicken allows all the flavors to marry properly instead of tasting like individual ingredients playing separately.
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