Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Ingredients

• 2–3 chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained), chopped
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or oregano + basil)
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1–1½ cups fresh spinach
• Optional: pinch red pepper flakes
• Choose Your Creamy Base:
  • ½–1 cup heavy cream or half & half (classic creamy, rich, effortless)
    or
  • 4 oz cream cheese + ½–¾ cup broth (extra thick, glossy, Alfredo-style creaminess)
    or
  • No cream — increase broth to 1 cup + emulsify with more Parmesan (Italian-style: lighter, silkier, more authentic, no heaviness)

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high.
• Season chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
• Sear until golden and cooked through; remove and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium and sauté garlic for 30 seconds.
• Add broth, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and parmesan.
• Choose your sauce style:
  • Add heavy cream or half & half and simmer until slightly thickened
  • Add cream cheese and whisk until smooth and velvety
  • Add extra broth and melt in additional parmesan off heat to emulsify
• Stir in spinach until wilted.
• Return chicken to the pan and spoon sauce over top.
• Let it simmer a couple of minutes to marry the flavors.
• Serve over pasta, rice, potatoes, or with toasted bread to chase the sauce.

Tips & Variations

• Thin sauce with a splash of broth or pasta water if it gets too thick.
• For a thicker sauce, simmer longer or add more parmesan.
• Don’t brown the garlic — 30 seconds max or it turns bitter.
• Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully; even better the next day.
• Swap chicken for shrimp (2–3 mins per side), salmon, or cooked gnocchi.
• Add heat with red pepper flakes, Calabrian chili paste, or smoked paprika.
• Toss cavatappi directly in the sauce to turn this into creamy pasta.
• Finish with a sprinkle of buttered bread crumbs for extra richness, flavor, and the perfect crispy texture!

If epic chicken dinners are your thing.. check out this amazing One-Pot Golden Chicken & Silky Rice recipe or our One Pot Creamy Feta, Lemon, Chicken & Rice!

Want a perfect side dish to this recipe? Check out these Crispy Smashed Potatoes (Garlic Butter & Roasted Lemon).