Creamy Tuscan chicken is a quick and easy 30 minute chicken dinner recipe that is delicious, flavorful, and comforting. Juicy and tender is seared then smothered in a creamy, garlicky, and buttery sauce packed with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. This Italian favorite is fancy enough for Date Night or Sunday Dinner, but easy enough to serve on busy weeknights. Serve it over pasta, rice, or potatoes for a balanced meal.
Why You’ll Love Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- It's a 30 minute dinner. Most of us don't have the time or energy to spend hours in the kitchen, especially on busy weeknights. It is essential to have a few easy dinner recipes in your back pocket. This tuscan chicken is not only quick and easy, but it's absolutely delicious and flavorful.
- Loaded with flavor. To make the amazing creamy Tuscan sauce, you'll start with the natural juices from pan-searing the chicken mixed with fresh garlic, butter, cream, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and more. It has the best combination of ingredients for incredible depth of flavor in every bite.
- Juicy and tender chicken. The chicken is well-seasoned and seared to perfection. It's juicy and tender, and even juicier when smothered in the delicious creamy sauce. Some other creamy chicken favorites are: Chicken Marsala, Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata, and Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken.
Ingredient Notes
To make this easy creamy tuscan chicken, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):
- chicken breasts - use boneless and skinless breasts. You could also substitute with boneless skinless chicken thighs if you want.
- salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning
- vegetable oil - use any kind of vegetable oil such as olive oil, avocado oil, or sun-dried tomato oil.
- butter
- garlic
- heavy cream
- chicken broth
- tomato paste
- Parmesan cheese
- baby spinach
- sun-dried tomatoes - you can substitute with fresh cherry tomatoes and cook until they've burst.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons and a 10-inch skillet.
How to Make the Best Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Sear chicken. Use a paper towel to pat the chicken breasts completely dry. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and sear until golden brown, 6-8 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.
- Make the sauce. In the same skillet, add butter and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well until smooth and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute.
- Add chicken. Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon some sauce over to coat. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce until the sauce has thickened to a desired consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve. Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or potatoes.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken in the Instant Pot
- Pat dry chicken breasts completely with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Turn on the Sauté function on high on the Instant Pot.
- Heat oil for 1-2 minutes until it sizzles and sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Add all the cream sauce ingredients including butter, garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese. Mix well until smooth.
- Switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High and seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position). Cook for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position.
- Turn on sauté on high and stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce thickens to a desired consistency. Season with salt to taste.
What to Serve with Creamy Tuscan Chicken
When you serve creamy Tuscan chicken, I highly recommend that you keep some fluffy bread on the table. You won’t want to waste any of this sauce. This creamy Tuscan chicken also tastes great paired with pasta, rice, or potatoes. Some of my favorite sides to serve are:
- Ciabatta Rolls
- Cacio e Pepe
- Crispy Smashed Potatoes
- Garlic Breadsticks
- Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Vegetables
Storing Instructions
- How to store: Store any leftover creamy Tuscan chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- How to reheat: Reheat leftover Tuscan chicken on the stove in a covered pan over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes. Add some water to the sauce if it has thickened too much in the fridge.
More Chicken Recipes
- 60 Best Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Chicken Marsala
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken
- White Chicken Lasagna Soup
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Recipe
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
Description
Creamy Tuscan chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is a quick and easy 30 minute Italian chicken dinner that is delicious, flavorful, and comforting.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons garlic, finely minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 cups baby spinach
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
Instructions
- Use a paper towel to pat the chicken breasts completely dry. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and sear until golden brown, 6-8 minutes per side. Set aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, add butter and garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well until smooth and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon some sauce over to coat. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce until the sauce has thickened to a desired consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve immediately with pasta, rice, or potatoes.
Notes
Instant pot instructions: Pat dry chicken breasts completely with a paper towel and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Turn on the Sauté function on high on the Instant Pot. Heat oil for 1-2 minutes until it sizzles and sear the chicken until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add all the cream sauce ingredients including butter, garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, tomato paste, Parmesan cheese. Mix well until smooth. Switch to pressure cooking mode on manual High and seal the lid (the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position). Cook for 5 minutes. Once the time is up, quick release the remaining pressure by turning the steam release valve to the venting position. Turn on sauté on high and stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce thickens to a desired consistency. Season with salt to taste.
How to store: Store any leftover creamy Tuscan chicken in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
How to reheat: Reheat leftover Tuscan chicken on the stove in a covered pan over medium-low heat until warmed through, about 10-15 minutes. Add some water to the sauce if it has thickened too much in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
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Anna Petrashov says
Delicious! Everyone loved it!
Nancy says
Oh my deliciousness! I made this for my family that was visiting, and we absolutely loved it. In all my years of cooking, this was easily my favorite dish. So many flavors going on, but not one overpowering the other.
My son is visiting tomorrow, and he appreciates a good, hearty meal, so I’ll be cooking this again.
That said, this dish though easy to prepare and cook, does not take only 30 minutes. My daughter was helping, and it easily took us over an hour. So plan ahead.
Tuscan Chicken will be on my meal rotation from now on. Oh, and I followed the recipe exactly as written, and it’s perfect as is. Yum!! Thank you!!
Mary Ellen Kurtz says
I made this for the first time and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for a great recipe that is easy to make for dinner.
Huong Vu says
It's so delicious, tastes like at the restaurant. All my family loves it.
Thank you very much for your recipe!