Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe

This tasty Tuscan chicken recipe is pan-roasted and served with a creamy spinach, mushroom, and tomato sauce that’s finished with Parmigiana Reggiano. You will love how simple this dish is to prepare and how quickly it comes together.

Making the same chicken recipes over and over can be really boring for you and your family. Get out of your routine by making my delicious Arroz con Pollo or Butter Chicken.

Tuscan Chicken

Tuscan chicken is an Italian-inspired American dish consisting of pan-seared chicken breasts that are served with a cream-based sauce with spinach and tomatoes. There are a few variations with the cream sauce where the addition of mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes are used. This is the version I used in this recipe.

I do not believe this dish is from Tuscany since Tuscany is based in central Italy, where cream is rarely used. However, it is used in northern Italy. I think this is more of an American-Italian dish with the ingredients of cream and spinach. Florence is the capital of Tuscany, and when something is Florentine style or a la Florentine, it usually refers to eggs or fish that are served with spinach and Mornay sauce. While there are some differences, there are also some similarities.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken – I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this.
• Tomatoes – A combination of cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes is needed. If you do not have access to fresh cherry tomatoes, then Roma tomatoes are a great option. If canned is available, use one 15-ounce drained can of diced tomatoes.
• Onions – I use some shallots and garlic to enhance the sauce’s flavor further. If you cannot access shallots, a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion will work in its place.
• Spinach – Baby spinach is the best to use. However, you can use regular spinach.
• Cream – You will need heavy whipping cream for this Tuscan chicken.
• Herbs – I finished the dish with fresh chopped basil. You can substitute the fresh for dry basil if that’s all that is available. In addition, you can also use rosemary, oregano, or thyme.
• Cheese – Parmigiano Reggiano will make the sauce incredibly creamy and rich.
• Mushrooms – I used a combination of button and baby bella mushrooms. The most common mushrooms in Italy are button, portabella, chantarelle, and porcinis. However, you can use whatever mushrooms you have access to.
• Wine – Any dry white wine such as chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, or pinot grigio will work.
• Oil – Olive or avocado oil are the best oils to use.

How to Make Tuscan Chicken

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.

Prepare the shallots, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese.

Next, add the oil to a large 12” cast iron, non-stick, or stainless-steel pan over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.

Add the seasoned chicken breasts, turn the heat to medium-high, and sear for 4-5 minutes or until very well browned.

Flip the chicken breasts over, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is just finished and is 160° F internally. Set the chicken breasts to the side.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan over medium heat and sprinkle them with ¼ teaspoons of coarse salt.

Sauté the mushrooms for 4 to 6 minutes or until they are lightly browned and tender.

Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and quickly stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Then mix everything together.

Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec, or almost gone, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the cream and parmigiano Reggiano and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes thick, like an Alfredo sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon.

Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes and mix over low heat until the spinach is wilted.

Adjust the seasonings with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Add the chicken breasts back into the sauce and heat over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the chicken is warmed.

Garnish with optional freshly grated parmigiana Reggiano and minced fresh basil.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: This Tuscan chicken is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for one day before reheating and serving. Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium-sized pan and heat over low heat until warmed. Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream or chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up.

Chef Notes + Tips

• You can also use chicken thighs or drums in this recipe.
• Feel free to use assorted wild mushrooms.
• Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan after pan-frying the chicken before adding the mushrooms if the chicken has soaked it all up.
• If you do not drink wine, replace it with chicken stock.
• When a sauce can coat the back of a spoon, the consistency of the sauce is known as nappe.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Biryani
• Smoked Chicken
• Chicken Scallopini
• Fried Chicken
• Beer Can Chicken

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Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe

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5 from 33 votes

This tasty Tuscan chicken recipe is pan roasted and served with a creamy spinach, mushroom, and tomato sauce with Parmigiana Reggiano.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1 ½ cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1 peeled small diced shallot
• 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup grated parmigiano Reggiano
• 4 cups packed baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup julienne sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

• Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper and briefly set them to the side.
• In the meantime, prepare the shallots, garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, and cheese.
• Next, add the oil to a large 12” cast iron, non-stick, or stainless-steel pan over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly.
• Add in the seasoned chicken breasts, turn the heat down to medium-high, and sear for 4-5 minutes or until very well browned.
• Flip the chicken breasts over, turn the heat to medium, and cook for 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is just finished and is 160° F internally. Set the chicken breasts to the side.
• Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan over medium heat and sprinkle them with ¼ teaspoons of coarse salt.
• Sauté the mushrooms for 4 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
• Scrape the mushrooms to one side of the pan, and on the other side of the pan, add in the shallots, garlic, and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and quickly stir and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Then mix everything together.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook over high heat until au sec, or almost gone, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add in the cream and parmigiano Reggiano and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until it becomes thick, like an Alfredo sauce. It should coat the back of a spoon.
• Stir in the spinach, tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes and mix over low heat just until the spinach is wilted.
• Adjust the seasonings with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper.
• Add the chicken breasts back into the sauce and heat over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until the chicken is warmed.
• Garnish with optional freshly grated parmigiana Reggiano and minced fresh basil.

Notes

Make-Ahead: This Tuscan chicken is meant to be served right away, but you could leave the cooked chicken breasts in the sauce covered in a pan and over very low heat for up to 20 minutes ahead of time.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving. Feel free to store the sauce separately from the cooked chicken breast.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of chicken and sauce to a medium-sized pan and heat over low heat until warmed. Feel free to add ¼ cup to 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream or chicken stock to the sauce to help loosen it up.

You can also use chicken thighs or drums in this recipe.

Feel free to use assorted wild mushrooms.

Add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the pan after pan-frying the chicken before adding the mushrooms if the chicken has soaked it all up.

If you do not drink wine, replace it with chicken stock.

When a sauce can coat the back of a spoon, the consistency of the sauce is known as nappe.

Nutrition

Calories: 790kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 36gFat: 64gSaturated Fat: 32gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 407mgPotassium: 1395mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 5009IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 293mgIron: 3mg

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Author: Chef Billy Parisi