Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet (Printable)

Tender chicken with creamy garlic sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a skillet.

# 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
15 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# How To Make:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides generously 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 the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir continuously, 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 completely and sauce thickens, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Add fresh baby spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until completely wilted, about 2 minutes.
07 - Return seared chicken breasts to the skillet. Spoon sauce generously over the top and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through completely.
08 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in one skillet, which means fewer dishes and more time actually enjoying your meal.
  • The sauce is so silky and rich that it tricks your taste buds into thinking you spent hours on it, even though you didn't.
  • Everything cooks in about 35 minutes, making it perfect for those nights when you're hungry now, not in two hours.
02 -
  • Don't skip the drying step with paper towels—wet chicken steams instead of searing, and you'll lose that beautiful golden crust that makes this dish special.
  • The chicken continues to cook a little after you remove it from the pan, so pull it at 165°F internal temperature rather than waiting for it to look completely cooked.
  • If your sauce seems thin after adding the Parmesan, let it simmer a bit longer—cream-based sauces thicken as they cook and cool slightly.
03 -
  • Keep the heat at medium once you add the cream—high heat can break the sauce and make it separate or become grainy.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust seasoning; sometimes the Parmesan provides enough salt, sometimes you need just a pinch more.
  • If you're serving this to guests, brown the chicken and make the sauce earlier in the day, then reheat gently and finish with spinach and chicken right before eating.
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