This creamy Tuscan Chicken pairs chicken breasts with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach, all in an irresistible cream sauce. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy it is.
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If you love one-pan chicken recipes like Chicken Madeira or Chicken Marsala, this Tuscan Chicken Recipe is sure to become a new favorite. We loved it so much that we now have a Tuscan Shrimp Recipe!
Tuscan Chicken Video Tutorial
Watch Natasha make Tuscan Chicken, then grab the ingredients below and give it a try for yourself. P.S. Here’s the Splatter Guard for sauteeing that I showed you in the video.
Easy Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Tuscan Chicken is a chicken dish that originated in the Tuscany region of Italy. It pairs a creamy Parmesan sauce with chicken breasts, spinach, mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s a restaurant-worthy dish you can make at home for a fraction of the cost. Here’s why you will love this recipe
- Simple – it’s an easy recipe for busy weeknights.
- Mouthwatering – The chicken is juicy and tender.
- Irresistible Sauce – It has a creamy, cheesy sauce that you’ll want to eat with a spoon.
- Versatile – You can pair it with so many different sides and salads.
We love easy chicken recipes from Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta to Chicken Lasagna. If you feel the same, then this Tuscan Chicken is a must-try.
Ingredients for Tuscan Chicken
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Chicken breasts – You’ll need two large boneless skinless chicken breasts; about 1 1/2 pounds total. Look for chicken breasts that are pale pink in color, with very little visible fat. To ensure they cook evenly, choose two chicken breasts that are similar in size.
- Garlic powder – dried garlic is perfect to season chicken so it doesn’t burn on the skillet
- Olive oil and Butter – this combination prevents the butter from burning
- Mushrooms – Use brown or white mushrooms. If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, you can substitute drained and quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated) or fresh asparagus. Sauteed red peppers are also delicious here.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – buy them packed in oil for more flavor
- Green onion – chop the light and dark green parts. You can also use chives
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic will give your sauce the best flavor
- Heavy cream – or sub with regular whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese – Freshly shredded off the block is best, as it will melt into the sauce more smoothly
- Baby spinach – Baby spinach is preferable to “regular” or mature spinach, as it wilts in the sauce quickly. It also has a milder flavor, making it perfect for picky kids. You can substitute baby arugula if you prefer.
Pro Tip:
When cooking with acidic ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes, it’s important to use a non-reactive skillet. Avoid cast iron, aluminum, or copper, which reacts with acidic ingredients and can curdle the sauce. A ceramic, enamel-coated, or stainless steel skillet is a good option for this recipe.
How to Make Tuscan Chicken
- Cook the Chicken – Melt a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a non-reactive skillet set over medium heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper; cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board.
- Cook the Vegetables – Return the pan to medium heat and add another tablespoon of oil, along with the mushrooms. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the mushrooms are golden and the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook for another minute or until fragrant.
- Make the Cream Sauce – Stir the cream into the mushroom mixture, then sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the top. Bring to a light boil, stirring frequently, then reduce to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Finish the Dish – Stir in the spinach until it wilts, then add the chicken back to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then remove the pan from the heat and garnish with chives, if desired.
Pro Tip:
Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it’s safe to eat, but not over-cooked either. It should reach 165ºF, but not go much higher than this. Chicken that is cooked too long will be tough.
Common Questions
If you’d like, you can bake the chicken breasts in the oven, but the sauce will still need to be made on the stovetop. Once the chicken is done baking, add it to the skillet with the sauce, then serve.
If you have a skillet large enough to fit 4 large chicken breasts, you can double this recipe. The sauce will take a bit longer to thicken, but other than that, the recipe will be the same.
Yes, chicken thighs work great, and dark-meat chicken has great flavor. Be sure to trim the chicken thighs of extra fat before sauteeing. Cook chicken thighs to an internal temperature of over 175˚F for best results.
If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add a splash of milk, or chicken broth to the sauce.
If you prefer to add a little spice, try crushed red pepper flakes and add them to taste.
What to Serve with Tuscan Chicken
We love to chop the cooked chicken before returning it to the skillet; this way, it will soak up the tomato Alfredo sauce. Serve this as a main dish paired with:
- Pasta – serve over fettuccini, spaghetti or your favorite noodles. Homemade Pasta is especially delicious. The sauce coats the noodles nicely just like with our Tuscan Shrimp Pasta Recipe.
- White rice or cauliflower rice
- Mashed potatoes (try it with our Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes)
- Quinoa is another great gluten-free option
Make-Ahead
While this recipe is best eaten the day it’s made, you’ll also be able to enjoy leftovers.
- To Refrigerate: Store Tuscan Chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Tuscan Chicken can be frozen in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: If you’ve frozen the chicken, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet set over medium heat, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF.
We’re always looking for winning Chicken Breast Recipes and easy dinner ideas, and this recipe for Tuscan Chicken is definitely one of those dishes you’ll find yourself making again and again.
More Chicken Dinner Recipes to Try
If you love this Tuscan Chicken, then you won’t want to miss these chicken recipes:
- Chicken Parmesan
- Pizza Chicken
- Easy Popcorn Chicken Recipe
- Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Creamy Chicken Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie Recipe
- Chicken Piccata Recipe
Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, halved (1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp light olive oil, divided
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion, green parts, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- In a large non-reactive skillet over medium heat and melt in 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season chicken all over with about 1/2 salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Add chicken to the hot skillet and sauté 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 165 ̊F on an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove chicken from the pan and transfer to a cutting board to cool then slice chicken if desired.
- In the same pan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp oil and sliced mushrooms, and sauté 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly golden and excess liquid has evaporated. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, green onion, minced garlic 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Sauté another 1 minute or until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in cream and sprinkle 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top. Bring to a light boil, stirring frequently then reduce heat and simmer (2 minutes) until sauce is slightly thickened. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add spinach and stir just until wilted. Add chicken back to the pan, and spoon warm sauce over it then remove from heat. Garnish with chives if desired.
Notes
- If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, you can substitute drained and quartered artichoke hearts (not marinated) or fresh asparagus. Sauteed red peppers are also delicious here.
- If you like spicy chicken, add some crushed red pepper flakes – start with a pinch and add to taste.
- Chicken thighs work great here, but trim the extra fat before you sautee them. Chicken thighs are better when cooked to an internal temperature over 175˚F.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I absolutely love this recipe, made it when all the family were home and they all commented they wanted the recipes. I have tried a lot of your recipes and have never been disappointed. Thank you again😊
Hi Anita, great to hear that you’ve been loving the recipes that you tried. Thanks for the nice review!
This recipe is so delicious! I used arugula in stead of spinach. I also used half & half. Natasha is right. The sauce is amazing. Thank you Natasha for another yummy dish.
So glad you loved it, Debra. Thank you for.the review!
Hi Natasha,
what a Great dish, I made a few changes due to availability of ingredients. I used shitake and oyster mushrooms because they were on sale. I added a red wine while sautéing the garlic mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes. And I used boneless thighs. It was delicious, my wife loved it!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Robery! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
It’s so delicious. Is it possible to make ahead for a dinner party?
Hi Linda! Yes- see reheat instructions in the notes above.
Thank you for this recipe!! My family enjoyed it very much. There is always one or two that won’t eat all their food. NOT THIS TIME!! My question to you is how can I make it more liquidy without losing it’s flavor? I have a special needs child and eats softer, wetter foods. (He also enjoyed it)
That’s wonderful, Carlos. So glad your family loved this recipe. 🙂
Great recipe! I will definitely put this on the menu rotation. This is only my 3rd. recipe I’ve tried of yours and excited to try more, my family loved them all. Love the simplicity of your dishes. Followed recipe exactly, wouldn’t change a thing!!
That’s wonderful, Donna! Thank you for the review.
This is a regular dish in my house. My picky husband and daughter love it! I leave the sun dried tomatoes whole in the recipe so she can pick them out😊the flavor is amazing!
So great to hear, Misty! Thank you for the wonderful review.
Sharky, did you burn your mouth on the pan? When will you learn!? But I see why you did that, I wanted to eat some out of the pan to. Looked amazing 👏
I am not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes. Would drained canned or fresh diced tomatoes be an okay substitute? Saw the shark trying to grab the chicken after you took it out of the skillet.
Hi Kitty! This recipe gets a lot of its flavor from the sun-dried tomatoes. I have not tested an alternative. I assume it would work but could alter the taste and texture slightly. You’d have to experiment.
Looks delicious! I’ll have to make this tonight. I did see shark after you took the chicken out of the pan.
I hope you love this recipe, Heather!
This chicken is beyond amazing! The whole family loved it!! Thank you!
That is the best when the family loves what we moms make. That’s so great!
This looks divine! Do you know if it would work with dairy free Parm and a dairy free heavy cream? (My twins have a severe milk protein allergy)
Hi Janie. I have not tested this to advise how it would affect the texture. General, the dairy-free heavy cream works well as a substitute, not sure about the cheese.
Looks so yummy. I saw Sharky after you put the cooked chicken on the plate. Sharky looked hungry!!
Hi, Natasha,
Definitely going to try this – hubby loves spinach!
Sharky appeared trying to bite frying pan handle right before you added mushrooms.
Have a great weekend!
Thank you, Sally. You as well. I hope you love this recipe. 🙂
Sharkey was nibbling on the chicken. He snuck up alongside of the work surface and tried to take a bite. I never knew that sharks liked to eat chicken, but they probably eat anything that they can find.
I am going to try this. Looks so yummy but what do you think about using half and half instead of heavy cream? I have substituted it many time to cut down the calories.
Hi Rob! I think that would work just fine. The sauce may not thicken as much but I think it will still be great.
Absolutely delicious! This is one of my new favorite recipes. Made this for dinner 2 nights in a row because it was that good!
So wonderful to hear! I am happy you enjoy this recipe.
This creamy Tuscan chicken recipe is SO GOOD! The chicken is juicy and tender and the sauce is packed with flavors, so good!
Thank you. So glad you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
this recipe is fantastic and the best tuscan chicken I have tried! thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Kate!
We loved this recipe! I served it with pasta for my kids and cauliflower rice for me. Amazing!
Yum! Both sound so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Sheila!
Man! This looks phenomenal (as all your recipes are)
Sharkie was biting the chicken..haha:) have a great day 😀
Sharkie is becoming a star! Thank you so much for watching, Tammy!