Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes

Creamy Tuscan Chicken is a quick and easy one-pot meal that will become one of your favorite dinners!  The garlic cream sauce is made with spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers.

If you love Italian-style recipes, give a try to this pan-seared Tuscan chicken.  What makes it special and different from many other recipes is that the creamy garlic sauce uses a wide array of vegetables: spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes.  Capers add a little tang to the already flavorful sauce.

In this one-pan recipe, the boneless and skinless chicken breasts are coated with Italian seasoning and then quickly seared before being smothered in a silky garlic Tuscan cream sauce. The cooked chicken has a perfect texture: soft and juicy, without a hint of dryness.

The recipe takes only 30 minutes. It’s a great family-friendly weeknight dinner that incorporates many veggies and tastes like something from a high-end restaurant.  This is a low-carb and gluten-free recipe.

This recipe is similar to the Tuscan salmon recipe I posted a while back – it features a similar sauce with the same veggies.  If you love veggies, serve this creamy Tuscan chicken with sautéed spinach or Asiago roasted broccoli (you can also use Parmesan instead of Asiago).

Tips for searing chicken

• What type of chicken to use? Use thinly sliced skinless boneless chicken breasts.
• Pat dry chicken. Make sure the chicken breasts are completely thawed.  Pat dry the chicken with paper towels to get rid of extra moisture.
• What pan to use. Use a large skillet (stainless steel, cast iron, or non-stick).
• What temperature? Heat the pan on medium-high heat until hot, and then add olive oil.  Immediately add seasoned chicken breasts.
• How long to sear? Sear for about 4 minutes on one side on medium-high heat, then turn over to the other side and sear for another 4 minutes.  In this particular recipe, the chicken will continue cooking in the sauce until it’s completely cooked through.

Garlic cream sauce for chicken

The cream sauce is made with heavy cream, garlic, and veggies.  There is no flour or cheese used.   It’s a gluten-free, low-carb sauce.   Chicken breasts are generously coated with the sauce which helps to keep the chicken moist, tender, and flavorful.

How to make creamy Tuscan chicken

1. Season chicken on both sides with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and other spices.

2. Sear the chicken in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat, about 4 minutes on each side.

Sear the chicken in a large skillet

3. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

4. To the same, now empty, skillet, add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, capers. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute on medium heat.

Sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, capers in a skillet.

5. Add fresh spinach.

Spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, capers in a skillet

6. Cook until the spinach wilts, for a couple of minutes, on medium heat.

Wilted spinach with other veggies in a skillet

7.  To make the sauce, add 1 cup of heavy cream and paprika to the skillet with sautéed vegetables. Bring to simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute, stirring. Season with salt, if desired. Add more paprika, if you like.

The cream sauce in a skillet

8. Add cooked chicken to the skillet with the cream sauce.

9. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for about 2 minutes (or more), until the chicken is warmed up and completely cooked through. Season with salt, if needed.

Creamy Tuscan chicken

What to serve with creamy Tuscan chicken

• Green Veggies.  The garlic cream sauce will work great over roasted green veggies.  I recommend roasting or steaming broccoli, asparagus, or green beans.  You can also serve the chicken over sauteed spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.
• Pasta.  What can be more perfect than pairing some pasta or ravioli with the delicious Tuscan cream sauce and the chicken?  Use thin pasta, such as angel hair or spaghetti.  You can use many types of store-bought ravioli with this recipe.  You can also make your own homemade ravioli if you like.
• Spaghetti Squash.  For a healthier side dish, roast spaghetti squash in the oven and then scrape out the spaghetti squash strands with the fork.
• Zucchini Noodles.  Another healthy alternative is to use zucchini noodles.  You can buy those in the store or make them yourself!

Other creamy chicken recipes

Chicken is an excellent source of protein, and when prepared appropriately it makes a great addition to your diet.   Here are some ideas for your next weeknight dinner:

• Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce
• Chicken and Bacon with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
• Skillet Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce

Other Italian-inspired recipes

Italian recipes are always flavorful and often feature a cream sauce and/or lots of veggies.  That’s why they are a great choice for a delicious family dinner!  Below are my favorites:

• Creamy Tuscan Salmon
• Italian Ravioli with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Capers
• Linguine with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

5 from 15 votes

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Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach, Artichokes, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers.   The chicken is coated with Italian seasoning,  is quickly pan-seared and then covered in a delicious garlic cream sauce.  The chicken breasts are moist and tender.  This family weeknight dinner is ready in just 30 minutes!

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 people

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless (thin)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper coarse
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (dried herbs: thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Garlic Cream Sauce

• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 14 oz artichoke hearts drained and chopped (1 can or about 1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons capers drained
• 6 oz spinach fresh
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• salt to taste

Instructions

How to sear chicken

1. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, paprika, coarse black pepper, garlic flakes, Italian seasoning.  

2. Heat the large skillet on medium-high heat until hot.  Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

3. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Sear for about 4 minutes on medium-high heat.

4. Reduce heat to medium.  Flip the chicken to the other side. Sear for another 5 minutes on medium heat.

5. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

How to make garlic cream sauce

1. To the same, now empty, skillet, add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, capers. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute on medium heat.

2. Add fresh spinach.  Cook until the spinach wilts, for a couple of minutes, on medium heat.

3. To the skillet with sautéed vegetables, add 1 cup of heavy cream and paprika. Bring to simmer. Simmer for about 1 minute, stirring. Season with salt, if needed. Add more paprika, if you like.

Assembly

1. Add cooked chicken to the skillet with the cream sauce.

2. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for about 2 minutes (or more), until the chicken is warmed up and completely cooked through. 

3. Season with salt, if needed.