One-Pan Creamy Tuscan Chicken
One skillet, cozy sauce, and dinner on the table in under 45 minutes.
When you’re tired and still need a real dinner, this is the kind of recipe that makes sense: one pan, familiar flavors, and no fussy steps. It’s a classic creamy Tuscan chicken skillet adapted to be weeknight-friendly, with enough sauce to feel comforting but not so much that you’re trapped at the stove. You’ll get browned chicken, garlic, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes in a silky Parmesan cream sauce, ready to spoon over pasta, rice, or bread. Expect a dinner that tastes like more effort than it takes, with only a few minutes of hands-on work and minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts — Cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 unit garlic cloves — Minced
- 1 cup chicken broth — Low-sodium if possible
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes — Drained if packed in oil
- 3 cup baby spinach
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes — Optional
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Method
- 1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the chicken until browned and just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- 2 Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Stir in the garlic for about 30 seconds, then pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the pan.
- 3 Add the heavy cream, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes if using. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- 4 Stir in the spinach until wilted, then return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Add the lemon juice, toss to coat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes more. Serve hot.
- 5 Taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. Spoon over pasta, rice, or with bread for an easy finish.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Replace the chicken with 2 cans drained cannellini beans and add them after the sauce thickens; simmer just until warmed through.
- Faster swap — Use thin-sliced chicken cutlets or pre-cut chicken breast pieces so the chicken cooks in about half the time.
- Ingredient substitutions — Swap spinach for kale, use half-and-half instead of cream for a lighter sauce, or replace sun-dried tomatoes with halved cherry tomatoes.
Notes
For the easiest dinner, serve this as-is with bread or over microwave rice. If the sauce gets too thick, splash in a little more broth. Leftovers reheat best gently on the stove with a tablespoon of water or broth.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — A wide pan gives the chicken room to brown and leaves enough surface area for the sauce to reduce quickly.
- Tongs or a spatula — These make it easy to turn the chicken and move it back into the sauce without breaking it apart.
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