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    Creamy Spinach Chicken

    By Julia | Updated: Nov 05, 2021 | Published: Oct 31, 2021 | 43 Comments

    6.3K shares
    • Facebook1.7K
    Jump to Recipe Print SaveSaved!
    This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.

    Creamy Spinach Chicken is delicious comfort food that comes together in just 30 minutes.  It's a perfect recipe for a family weeknight dinner! Very creamy, lots of spinach, moist and tender chicken with a golden-brown crust. What's not to love?

    creamy spinach chicken breasts in a cast-iron pan

     

    Creamy spinach chicken

    The chicken smothered in creamy spinach is so moist and tender, it melts in your mouth.  If you want comfort food + some veggies, go for this recipe - you will not be disappointed!

    • First, the chicken is seared in a cast-iron skillet to perfection.
    • Then, the simple cream sauce is made with heavy cream, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and spinach.
    • Next, the chicken is added back to the skillet and smothered in all this creamy cheesy goodness.  Sprinkle some fresh herbs (thyme) on top and you have comfort food.

    If you love creamy chicken, I also highly recommend these two recipes: Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Creamy Tuscan Chicken.

    30-minute one-pot recipe

    Creamy spinach chicken is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.  It's made with basic ingredients, and the whole recipe takes only 30 minutes. Because everything is cooked in one pan, the cleanup is minimal.  What's not to like?  It's a logical choice for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight.  It also looks beautiful and presentable - a great dish to serve a company.

    creamy spinach chicken breasts in a cast-iron pan

    What kind of chicken to use?

    • Skinless, boneless chicken breast.  This is what I used in this recipe.  Make sure to slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, especially if you bought large chicken breasts, to make them thinner.  This will help the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.
    • Skinless, boneless chicken thighs.   The dark meat of chicken thighs will go really well with creamy spinach.
    • Chicken Tenderloins or Tenders.  Chicken tenders are tender, small, and will cook similarly to thinly sliced chicken breasts.

    What kind of spinach to use?

    • Fresh spinach.  This is what I used in this recipe - just add it to the sauce and let it wilt.
    • Cooked spinach.  Make sure cooked spinach is drained of any liquid before adding it to the sauce.
    • Frozen spinach.  If using frozen spinach, make sure it's thawed and drained of all water. Then, add it to the sauce just as you would fresh spinach.

    Substitutes for the cream

    • Heavy cream works the best in this recipe.  It has enough fat content to form a thick enough sauce to coat the spoon.
    • Half-and-half is the next best alternative to heavy cream.  It will work well in this recipe since you will be melting Parmesan cheese.
    • Milk can be used if mixed together with roux or cornstarch.
    • Coconut milk or coconut cream will be a good dairy-free substitute as it has a high enough fat content.

    creamy spinach chicken breasts in a cast-iron pan

    How to make creamy spinach chicken

    1) First, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour.

    2) Then, sear the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet (I used cast-iron) until the chicken acquires a beautiful golden-brown crust and is cooked through.  How do you know that the chicken is cooked through?  The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken.

    seared chicken in a cast-iron skillet

    3) Make the cream sauce by adding heavy cream, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese to the same skillet and cooking for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

    creamy sauce in a cast-iron skillet

    4) Add fresh spinach.

    fresh spinach and creamy sauce in a cast-iron skillet

    5) Stir until the spinach wilts.

    creamy spinach sauce in a cast-iron skillet

    6) Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and top with fresh herbs (thyme).

    chicken with creamy spinach sauce in a cast-iron skillet

    Cooking tips

    • Use thinly sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Thinly sliced chicken breasts cook faster and more evenly.  If you bought large chicken breasts, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
    • When is the chicken done? Use a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the juices run clear, and the meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken.
    • Use fresh herbs.  I've added fresh thyme at the end, and it really adds a nice touch.  You can also add fresh oregano or fresh sage.
    • Serve this with pasta.  Creamy spinach sauce will go well with any type of pasta, especially those flavored kinds that you can so often find in the store, such as lemon pasta, spinach pasta, or even truffle pasta.
    • Create a beautiful presentation.  Spoon small amounts of creamy spinach sauce over the cooked chicken, allowing the chicken to display golden-brown color.

    Storage tips

    • Fridge.  Store this in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish because that will destroy the texture of the sauce.
    • Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat it on low heat in the skillet on the stovetop to prevent the sauce from separating.  When reheating, add extra heavy cream or half-and-half to thin out the sauce.

    creamy spinach chicken breasts in a cast-iron pan

    What to serve with creamy spinach chicken

    • Vegetables.  This recipe will go well with roasted or steamed vegetables, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans.
    • Rice.  Serve this over a small portion of jasmine rice, basmati rice, or long-grain rice.
    • Wild rice is a great side to go with creamy spinach chicken.
    • Cauliflower rice is a lower-carb alternative to some other sides.
    • Mashed cauliflower will work as a lower-carb substitute for mashed potatoes.
    • Potatoes.  Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
    • Pasta.  Serve this dish over any type of pasta, such as angel hair pasta, bow-tie pasta, or other types of pasta.
    • Ravioli or tortellini (filled with cheese) will go really well with creamy spinach chicken.

    More chicken recipes you might like

    • Creamy Mushroom Chicken
    • Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce
    • Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes
    • Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce
    creamy spinach chicken breasts in a cast-iron pan
    4.89 from 129 votes

    Creamy Spinach Chicken

    Creamy Spinach Chicken is delicious comfort food that comes together in just 30 minutes. The perfect recipe for a family weeknight dinner! Very creamy, lots of spinach, moist and tender chicken with a golden-brown crust. What's not to love?
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 20 minutes mins
    Total Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4 people
    Calories per serving 573 kcal
    Author: Julia

    Ingredients

    Seared chicken

    • 1 lb chicken breasts skinless boneless (2 chicken breasts, sliced horizontally)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • black pepper freshly coarsely ground
    • 1 tablespoon flour
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    Creamy spinach sauce

    • 1.5 cups heavy cream
    • 5 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly shredded
    • 4 cups fresh spinach

    Garnish

    • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions 

    Sear the chicken

    • This recipe uses 1 lb of chicken breasts which usually means 2 large chicken breasts. Make sure to use thinly sliced chicken breasts. Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
    • Season the chicken with salt and pepper in a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of flour and dredge both sides of each chicken breast in the flour.
    • Heat an empty large, high-sided skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. This allows the skillet to heat through. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add chicken breasts. Cook the chicken on one side on medium heat for 5 minutes, without moving it. This allows the chicken to sear.
    • Flip the chicken over, reduce heat to low-medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes. The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken. Remove from heat. Remove chicken to a plate.

    Make creamy spinach sauce

    • To the same (now empty) skillet, add heavy cream and minced garlic. Bring to boil, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to get the bits from searing the chicken into the sauce. When the sauce is boiling, add shredded Parmesan cheese. Reduce to low-medium heat and keep stirring until the cheese melts, for about 2 or 4 minutes.
    • Add fresh spinach, stir in the sauce just until the spinach starts to wilt and sinks into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

    Assembly

    • Add back the cooked chicken breasts. Spoon the sauce over the center part of each chicken breast leaving other parts of the chicken to show a beautiful golden-brown crust (for presentation purposes).
    • Sprinkle with fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper (freshly ground coarse black pepper).

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Information
    Creamy Spinach Chicken
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    573
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    46
    g
    71
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    24
    g
    150
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    16
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    203
    mg
    68
    %
    Sodium
     
    536
    mg
    23
    %
    Potassium
     
    715
    mg
    20
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    8
    g
    3
    %
    Fiber
     
    2
    g
    8
    %
    Sugar
     
    1
    g
    1
    %
    Protein
     
    32
    g
    64
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    4506
    IU
    90
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    20
    mg
    24
    %
    Calcium
     
    270
    mg
    27
    %
    Iron
     
    2
    mg
    11
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Nutrition Disclaimer:

    The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

    Keyword creamy spinach chicken
    Tried this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment and provide a Star Rating below - I love your feedback and try to respond to every comment!
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      Recipe Rating




    1. Michelle

      April 15, 2025 at 8:57 pm

      Made this tonight, and my picky eater cleaned her plate. My son said he would eat it again. 8 out of 10. His recommendation was to add more heat.

      Reply
      • Julia

        May 08, 2025 at 7:36 pm

        Yay! I’m so glad your picky eater loved it and your son would eat it again! 🙂 I love reading such great feedback! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cortney

      January 01, 2025 at 11:57 pm

      Added sundried tomatoes and hot crushed pepper & it was so delicious! Appreciated the quickness and made for an easy weeknight meal

      Reply
    3. KD

      October 13, 2024 at 10:25 pm

      i follow things from top to bottom. i dont skip around. sooo you should go back to step fuckin 3 and make it remove chicken. because you said ADD heavy cream etc. its not until later you find out you have to remove the chicken. kind of an oversight. soooo annoying

      Reply
      • Alyssa

        January 11, 2025 at 2:44 pm

        Read every recipe all the way through before making them and you wouldn’t encounter that problem

        Reply
      • Your Daddy

        February 20, 2025 at 5:46 pm

        Maybe go back to school, learn not to be retarded, and then this problem would be solved

        Reply
    4. Dennis

      September 17, 2024 at 6:40 pm

      Easy to make and very delicious!

      Reply
      • Julia

        September 17, 2024 at 9:59 pm

        Thank you, Dennis, for your review! ❤️

        Reply
    5. Will Rogers

      January 27, 2024 at 12:09 am

      Luv it and I haven't even made it yet,,, Tomorrow

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 28, 2024 at 12:31 am

        Awesome, Will! I hope you love it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Lucyna Steinmetz

      January 26, 2024 at 3:52 pm

      Bravo Julia you have made me look like a gourmet cook. My friends call me to see what I’m cooking and invite themselves to dinner. You have shown me that preboxed or prepared ingredients is not the only option. This dish is fabulous, as a matter of fact the over two dozen recipes that I have tried has never disappointed me. Thanks for teaching me how to cook.

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 28, 2024 at 12:37 am

        Lucyna, this is one of the sweetest comments I'v ever received on my blog. ❤️ I am so happy my recipes inspire you to cook! ❤️ Thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful comment - it means so much to me. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Sharon R

      January 23, 2023 at 7:02 pm

      I made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic. I followed the recipe as written and added all the leftover cooked veggies I had in the fridge. The cream sauce was so velvety! I definitely make this again!

      Reply
      • Julia

        January 30, 2023 at 3:54 pm

        Sharon, thank you for taking the time to share such a positive comment and the 5-star review! 🙂 So glad the recipe turned out well and was enjoyed! 🙂

        Reply
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    Julia is the author of JuliasAlbum.com (a food blog focused on easy dinner recipes, pasta dishes, salads made with seasonal ingredients). In this photo, Julia is pictured wearing a yellow sweater against an Autumn background.

    Hi, I'm Julia!

    I am a full-time food blogger living in beautiful Colorado. I focus primarily on savory recipes (protein-based & fiber-rich main dishes, pasta, salads) using fresh & seasonal ingredients. A food blogger since 2012, I help home cooks create well-balanced and visually appealing dinners (many of which are 30-minute ONE-PAN meals). Find out more about me and my cooking philosophy. 

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