Creamy Tuscan Chicken (30-Minute Skillet Dinner)

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william By 1 min read

Creamy Tuscan chicken skillet with parmesan cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach
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Creamy Tuscan chicken skillet with parmesan cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach

Creamy Tuscan Chicken (30-Minute Skillet Dinner)

You have got chicken breasts, a jar of sun-dried tomatoes, a bag of spinach that needs using up, and a little cream in the fridge, and somehow, twenty five minutes later, the whole kitchen smells like you ordered in from a good Italian place.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 medium
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach loosely packed
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional

Method
 

  1. Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels, then season both sides with the salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. That extra minute of drying matters. A dry surface is what gives you a deep golden crust instead of pale, steamed chicken.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the chicken in and leave it alone for 5 to 6 minutes, until the first side is deeply golden. Flip and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, then move the chicken to a plate. It will finish in the sauce, so it does not need to be cooked through just yet.
  3. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the same skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic smells fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. That stuff is flavor. You want every bit of it.
  4. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble lazily for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices that collected on the plate. Simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, spooning sauce over the top, until an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165 degrees F.
  6. Take the skillet off the heat. Sprinkle the parmesan in a little at a time, stirring after each addition, until it melts into a smooth, glossy sauce. Off the heat is the trick here. It keeps the cheese from turning grainy.
  7. Add the spinach a handful at a time, stirring gently and letting each handful wilt before you add the next. The whole batch takes about 1 minute. Stir in the red pepper flakes if you are using them.
  8. Taste the sauce and add a pinch more salt or pepper if it needs it. Serve the chicken hot with plenty of sauce spooned over the top, over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice, with extra parmesan at the table.