Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet (Printable Version)

Tender chicken in creamy garlic sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, perfect for an easy evening meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and sliced
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
12 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
13 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

→ Garnish

14 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside on a clean plate.
03 - In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
05 - Add Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until cheese melts and sauce reaches desired thickness, approximately 2-3 minutes.
06 - Add fresh baby spinach to the skillet and cook until completely wilted, about 2 minutes.
07 - Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, spoon sauce over the top, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
08 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely impressive enough to serve guests, yet simple enough that you won't stress while making it.
  • One pan means minimal cleanup, which feels like a small miracle on busy nights.
  • The sauce is so creamy and tangy that even people who claim they don't like cream-based dishes end up asking for seconds.
02 -
  • If your sauce breaks or looks separated, whisk in a splash of cold water or broth and it usually comes back together—don't panic and throw it away.
  • Letting the chicken rest after searing lets the juices redistribute, so it stays tender instead of dry, which I learned the hard way the first time I rushed this.
03 -
  • Don't crowd the skillet when searing the chicken; if they're packed too close together they steam instead of brown, so work in batches if needed.
  • A squeeze of fresh lemon juice added right at the end wakes up all the flavors and keeps the dish from feeling too heavy, which is a trick I picked up from someone's cooking show and never looked back.
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