Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Easy One-Pan Dinner)
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken is a rich, velvety one-pan dinner made with tender golden chicken breasts simmered in a garlic parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Easy, comforting, and perfect for busy weeknights — yet elegant enough to serve for guests.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tuscan Chicken
This Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe exceeded our expectations and then some. The chicken turns out perfectly golden on the outside, stays unbelievably tender on the inside, and the sauce… it’s rich without being heavy, garlicky without being overpowering, and packed with those classic Tuscan flavors — sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, cream, and fresh spinach.
Everything comes together in one pan, and the result tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant. The best part? It’s made with simple, everyday ingredients like chicken breast, garlic, cream, butter, and pantry staples you probably already have on hand. We served this creamy Tuscan chicken over mashed potatoes, but it’s also incredible over pasta, rice, cauliflower rice, with crusty bread, or even with a simple green salad. It’s the kind of cozy, comforting weeknight dinner that feels special while still being easy enough to make on a busy night — the kind of recipe you’ll want to bookmark forever.
If you’re looking for a one-pan dinner that’s creamy, flavorful, and comes together fast, you’re going to love this. And if you enjoy cozy meals like this, try my One-Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta next – another quick and creamy weeknight favorite that readers love.
Ingredients at a Glance
Ingredients that you need
- Chicken breast (or boneless thighs)
- Heavy cream – gives that velvety Tuscan-style sauce
- Fresh spinach –
- Sun-dried tomatoes (Trader Joe’s has them finally back in stock!)
- Parmesan
- Olive oil + butter (for golden sear and flavor)
- Garlic
- Mushrooms (optional but delicious)
- Salt, pepper and onion powder
- Parsley (optional)
Ingredient Swaps
- Heavy cream – use half-and-half or dairy-free substitutions like coconut or cashew cream.
- Parmesan – Pecorino Romano, dairy-free alternative or nutritional yeast for a great flavor.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – cherry tomatoes sautéed in a little olive oil can be added instead.
How to Make the Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Step 1. Prep the chicken.
Pat dry the chicken breasts and cut them in half long side-wise. Season with salt, pepper, and the onion powder on both sides.
Step 2. Sear the chicken.
Heat oil in pan. Place chicken in hot pan in a single layer and sear until a golden brown color forms, for about 4-5 minutes, then flip over and sear for another 4 minutes. Remove from pan.
Step 3. Build the sauce.
Add mushrooms (if using), garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Sauté until fragrant.
Step 4. Add spinach.
Stir in the spinach until it wilts for about 30 seconds.
Step 5. Create the creamy base.
Pour in the heavy cream, add parmesan, and stir until smooth and silky. Let cook for about 3 minutes.
Step 6. Finish the chicken.
Place the chicken back into the pan, spoon sauce on top, simmer for a few minutes until fully cooked. Add chopped parsley if you prefer.
Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Easy One-Pan Dinner)
Equipment
- Grater
- Garlic press
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts (or 6 boneless thighs)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
Sauce
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup fresh spinach (or more if you like it more spinachy)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Pat dry chicken breast and cut long-side in half. Season with salt, black pepper, and onion powder on both sides.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté the next ingredients: To the same skillet mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes, then add garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add spinach: Stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt into the sauce.
- Build the sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the parmesan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring until the sauce becomes smooth and velvety.
- Finish the chicken: Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over the top, and simmer for a few minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and coated in the creamy Tuscan sauce. Add chopped parsley if desired.
- Serve: Enjoy hot over pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread.
Notes
- For extra richness, use a mix of olive oil + butter to brown the chicken.
- You can substitute half-and-half for the cream, but the sauce will be thinner.
- If reheating, add a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce.
- Cherry tomatoes can be used instead of sun-dried tomatoes.
- For more easy dinners check my other recipes like Chicken Sheet Pan Bake recipe and Bang Bang Chicken Skewers recipe.
Nutrition
Loved this recipe? Check the rest of my recipes in my Recipe Index for delicious and easy dinners, lunches, desserts and drinks.
