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
Made this for dinner tonight and it was outstanding. Did not use the sun dried tomatoes as we don’t like them but the result was still awesome. It chopped up the spinach and mushrooms real fine and fooled my husband who doesn’t like either.
That’s wonderful, Dianne! Thank you for sharing.
Omg !!!!!
I just made this for dinner ❤️❤️
Amazing flavor, it’s a keeper.
Thank you Natasha for another amazing recipe.
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Natasha I love this recipe. It is a quick dinner idea but it’s just simply delicious. Thank you for such delicious recipes.
You are so welcome, it is my pleasure!
I made this tonight for us and two of our friends. I would serve it again for sure. I served it with penne pasta, broccoli, and warm baguettes. It was delicious. Thanks Natasha for this great recipe.
You’re welcome! Great to hear that you all enjoyed this recipe!
This recipe looks delicious and I will try making it one of these days. Natasha, your recipes are all so great and your blog is now my “go to” for almost all my cooking. I love how you word your instructions and also love your videos. Thank you so much for all of them.
Thank you for your support and trust, Lucy! I appreciate your good comments and feedback.
I made this tonight for my mom and it was such a hit with the whole family! This was sooo delicious! It really felt like a special and high end meal even though it’s easy enough to make any night of the week. Thank you for all the hard work you put into your recipes, it is very appreciated!
Isn’t it the best when you can get restaurant-quality meals at home? I’m so glad you loved it, Allie!
I want to thank you,
First for your great vibes and Second for the way you make everything look so easy,
And third, for making me want to
cook (a big deal, believe me when I tell you).
With love,
Avital.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Avital!
Sharkie was hungry when you took the chicken out of the skillet. I love this recipe and so does everyone else. Thank you Natasha for this.
You’re welcome! I’m happy it’s enjoyed.
AMAZING flavors, we’ll be having this in regular rotation, so thank you for that!
I saw Sharkie biting on some of the chicken. He would have enjoyed it much more when it was all the way finished as per the recipe…
Sharks these days, so impatient.
You’re so welcome and great catch! Haha
Phenomenal! Made this tonight, my whole family commented that I need to make it more often. My husband said it was restaurant quality.
That’s great! So glad it was a hit! Thank you for the review, Kim!
Hey Natasha, I haven’t made this recipe but I’m sure its delicious. Question…My daughter is in college on the soccer team. We do tailgates for home games. If I make this recipe and keep it warm in a casserole dish will the sauce be absorbed if I do not add the rice pasta or potatoes? I would also be making quite a few batches an I will cut up the chicken. Do you suggest cutting up the chicken first before cooking or cook the chicken whole then cut before putting back in the pan like you do? Thank you so much.
Hi Ann. The sauce gets thicker as it cools but I don’t think it will be absorbed so much that it would be dry with transporting this dish. We’ve reheated this dish several times and it’s still good and juicy. You could make some additional sauce if you’d like, but keep in mind it will take a little longer to thicken up. Cooking the chicken breast whole helps to keep it moist, but you could cut it up if you’d like.
Absolutely fabulous! Followed exact directions except I used chicken tenderloins and I added about 1/2 tsp. Of red pepper flakes. I also had shaved parmesan for the top. I served this fantastic chicken over egg noodles and had fresh asparagus as well. Everyone loved it!
That’s great, Cathie! So glad it was a hit. Thank you for the review.
I made this and it’s absolutely delicious and didn’t take a long time at all. Natasha, all your recipes are hits with my family! Keep it up!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Irini! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Trying this for the first time with boneless thighs. Could I use frozen chopped spinach instead? I don’t have fresh on hand
Hi Lisa, we prefer fresh spinach, and although I haven’t tried it frozen spinach, I bet that could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I wish I could add more than 5 stars. Subbed asparagus for the mushrooms but other than that, followed the recipe. Served with your garlic mashed potatoes. Kids and husband LOVED it. So good!
Thank you for your awesome review!
Did you sauté the asparagus? I made it with sauté mushrooms but having friends over that don’t like mushrooms
I saw Sharky trying to bite the chicken as it was being removed from the pan after browning. I thought I also saw him earlier about the time Natasha was chopping green onions, but not sure.
Good eye, Sylvia! 🙂
So far, I’ve made this four times. It is soooo good, I could make it every night. Thank you very much, your recipes are great, but this is my favorite.
That’s wonderful Elaine! Thank you for the review.
Just made this and wow! Simple but incredibly delicious. Thank you Natasha!
Hi Abigail, you’re welcome and I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natashsa ,
Thanks for the great recipe !
Made it tonight for dinner with
Gluten free Barilla Fettuccine and steamed veggies definitely
A keeper !
I’m always cooking and baking so I appreciate some new recipes that have lots of flavor .
Keep up the great work !
Thank youm=, Marily. I’m glad you liked it!
Loved this recipe! My family asked when I’ll be making it again.
Hello Sandra, good to know that your family enjoyed this recipe!