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Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Creamy Tuscan chicken with golden seared chicken breasts and a silky sun-dried tomato and spinach cream sauce. The sauce simmers to a glossy thickness that coats the back of a spoon, with baby spinach wilted and fresh basil on top.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Slice not required; keep whole breasts.
salt
  • 1 Salt To taste.
black pepper
  • 1 pepper To taste.
garlic powder
  • 1 garlic powder To taste.
Italian seasoning
  • 1 Italian seasoning Use for both seasoning the chicken and finishing the sauce.
smoked paprika
  • 1 smoked paprika To taste.
olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced Drain and slice.
chicken broth
  • 1 cup chicken broth
heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
baby spinach
  • 2 cup fresh baby spinach
Italian seasoning (extra)
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning For the sauce (in addition to any chicken seasoning).
red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
fresh basil
  • 1 Fresh basil For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Generously season the boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear until deep golden, 5-6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove to a plate.
Build the Tuscan cream sauce
  1. Cook the minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds over medium heat until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer 4-5 minutes until noticeably thickened.
  3. Add the fresh baby spinach and stir until wilted and bright green. Keep the sauce warm and glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast so they’re coated. Simmer briefly only to re-warm, then garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Notes

For best sauce texture, simmer just until thickened (4-5 minutes) before adding spinach so the cream stays silky rather than curdled. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on low to avoid breaking the sauce. Freezing is not recommended for the dairy sauce. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, expecting a slightly thinner sauce.