Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet (Printable Version)

Tender chicken breasts with creamy garlic sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach in one pan.

# List of Ingredients:

→ 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
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides 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 to 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. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
05 - Add Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir until cheese melts and sauce thickens, about 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add spinach to the skillet and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
07 - Return chicken breasts to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the top and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through.
08 - Garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One skillet means you're done with dishes before dessert even arrives.
  • The whole thing comes together in under 40 minutes, making weeknight dinners feel less like a chore and more like a small victory.
  • It tastes like you spent all afternoon cooking, but nobody needs to know the secret.
02 -
  • The chicken must be completely cooked through before the sauce building begins, otherwise you'll either have undercooked chicken or a broken sauce, and I learned this the hard way on a dinner that required some creative storytelling.
  • Grating your own Parmesan instead of using the pre-shredded stuff is the one technique change that elevates this from good to genuinely creamy and silky, transforming the entire texture of the sauce.
03 -
  • Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness before cooking, which ensures they cook uniformly and no edge ends up dry while another stays pink, a lesson that changed my entire approach to chicken cookery.
  • Use tongs instead of a fork when flipping the chicken, as forks create little escape routes for all the precious juices that are keeping your meat tender and gorgeous.
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