Creamy Tuscan Chicken
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken is bringing the delicious flavors of Italy right to your kitchen table! Seasoned seared chicken tenders swimming in a creamy Tuscan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. This easy 20-minute meal stands on its own or can be enjoyed with pasta or rice.
I always have a bag of frozen chicken in my freezer because it’s such an easy meat to work with. If you are looking for more delicious chicken dinner recipes, be sure to add my chicken dijon, Italian grilled chicken, Roman chicken, and curry chicken and rice recipes to your meal plan!
Why This Recipe Works
- Enhanced sun-dried tomato flavor. The chicken tenders are seared in the sun-dried tomato oil, which helps provide deeper Tuscan flavors than just using regular olive oil.
- 20-minute dinner. Thanks to using chicken tenders instead of chicken breasts, this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe cooks up easily and quickly since the chicken cooks quicker. It’s a great dinner recipe when you have hungry kiddos and need something that will cook quickly!
- Great stand alone dish or topping. Creamy Tuscan garlic chicken can be enjoyed on its own or can be used as a sauce or topping for rices, quinoa, pasta, and vegetables!
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken Tenders: These are skinnier strips of meat than regular chicken breast. If you don’t have chicken tenders, just cut your chicken breast into strips.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: This is an important ingredient to get that delicious Tuscan flavor. In addition to using the sun-dried tomatoes, the chicken and sauce is cooked in the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar!
- Italian Seasoning: This mixture of seasoning is made up of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram. It’s a perfect blend of spices that really brings out the Italian flavors in the dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the chicken seasoning. Combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken with the spice mixture on both sides.
- Sear the chicken. Add 2-3 tablespoons of sun-dried tomato oil to a large skillet on medium high heat. Sear the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through (you may need to do this in 2 batches). The internal temperature for the chicken should reach 160-165°F. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Make the creamy Tuscan sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and Dijon mustard. Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer then stir in the spinach, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning.
- Place the chicken in the pan, spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. Can serve plain or over pasta or rice.
Recipe Tips
This Tuscan chicken recipe is good as a standalone main dish or when served over rice, pasta, baked potatoes, orzo rice or cauliflower (for a low-carb option).
This recipe is a base for variations! Not a fan of chicken? Swap the seared chicken for seared shrimp! You can also add sliced sauteed mushrooms. Kick up the heat with a dash or two of red pepper flakes!
Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken is cooked fully. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F. Use room temperature, thawed chicken to ensure an even consistency when cooking.
For a creamier sauce consistency, use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Pre-grated cheeses have a preservative coating on them that can make them hard to melt.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
Store the creamy Tuscan garlic chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Since this recipe only keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days, you can make it ahead of time, so long as you enjoy it within that period. This is due to the heavy cream in the dish. Whatever the best by date is on your heavy cream, you’ll want to keep that in mind when storing the leftovers.
Due to the heavy cream in the recipe, I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish. That’s why I love how easy and quick this is to whip up!
To reheat, add the sauce and chicken to a skillet and warm on medium to low heat until the chicken is warmed through.
FAQs
Tuscan chicken has chicken, sundried tomatoes, spinach and spices!
Chicken tenders refer to the tenderloin. It’s a strip of meat connected to the breast. They are strips of meat that are skinnier than the chicken breast but taste and cook similarly to chicken breast.
Nope! Not spicy at all. However, if you did want it to be spicy, add a dash or two of red pepper flakes!
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless, chicken tenders
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 4 tablespoons reserved sun-dried tomato oil - divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic - minced, about 4-6 cloves
- 5 oz jar sundried tomatoes in oil - chopped and drained (reserve oil for cooking)
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cups spinach - roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, onion powder, and paprika. Season the chicken with the spice mixture.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Sear the chicken for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked throughout (you may need to do this in 2 batches). Internal temp should reach 160-165°F. Remove cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the sundried tomatoes and Dijon mustard. Cook, stirring often for 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a simmer. Once simmering stir in the spinach and parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Spinach should wilt and the cheese should melt. Place the chicken in the pan, spoon the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately. Can serve plain or over pasta or rice.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites.
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7 Comments on “Creamy Tuscan Chicken”
Hi. I can’t get powdered onion where I live. 😖. What can I use instead? Extra garlic powder?
Is there anybody from THE UK here? Can you get onion powder? I’ll be in Scotland in October?
You can use chopped fresh onion instead!
So so good! Restaurant quality! Big hit with the family.
I made this in my instant pot tonight and it worked great!! Love this recipe.
I’m so glad it worked in the instant pot! Thanks for taking the time to comment Karen, really appreciate it!
Really quick and delicious. Cooking the chicken in the oil from the sundried tomatoes is genius. The whole family enjoyed it. We will be making this again and again.
Simple, flavorful, quick, and delicious meal. I served it over fettuccine and everyone liked it! I really loved the creamy sauce with the sundried tomatoes! I will definitely be making it again.