Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Juicy chicken breasts smothered in a creamy sauce and ready in under an hour, this Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe is a great dish to serve for busy weeknights.

Delicious chicken recipes seem to be a dime a dozen these days. I feel like I’ve tried them all, but most leave me feeling like a want something more. That certainly isn’t the case with this tender chicken with luscious creamy sauce.

I’m always looking for easy dinner ideas to put on the dinner table- whether for my family or dinner guests. And this recipe is the best way to do it.

It tastes like it came straight from an italian restaurant with it’s bold flavors and creamy parmesan sauce. But in reality, it couldn’t be easier to make.

What to Serve Creamy Tuscan Chicken With

Of course, the options are really endless, but I do have a few suggestions of things that pair really well with this chicken dish;

• White rice
• Polenta
• Mashed potatoes
• Egg noodles
• Green beans
• Cauliflower rice
• Angel hair pasta
• Rigatoni pasta
• Crusty bread

Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this great recipe. Most you might already have on hand. For the complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card.

• Chicken breasts – We are going to be cutting these in half making cutlets, so I like them to be bigger in size.
• Coarse kosher salt – Different salts measure differently, so make sure to use coarse kosher or change the measurements accordingly.
• Ground black pepper – I like to use freshly ground pepper when cooking, but you can also use the pepper out of your shaker.
• Butter – To control the amount of salt in a this marry me chicken, I like to use unsalted butter. If all you have is salted, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
• Garlic cloves – I always like using fresh garlic as opposed to garlic powder. The flavor is more pungent and it makes for a much more delicious chicken dinner.
• Flour – This acts as a thickening agent for the cream sauce. It helps to coat the chicken in that deliciously creamy sauce.
• Chicken broth – If you don’t have any on hand, it will turn out just as delicious with vegetable stock or chicken stock instead.
• Heavy cream – In order to make this light cream sauce, we whisk in a little bit of heavy cream.
• Parmesan cheese – I always choose to grate my own cheese. The pre-shredded cheese has an added element that doesn’t allow the cheese to melt smoothly.
• Sun-dried tomatoes – Find them in a jar in oil at your local grocery store.
• Bacon – This is optional, but I highly recommend for an added crunch and flavor to the marry me chicken sauce.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – Also optional, but if you’d like to add a bit of spice to this easy recipe, this is the way to do it.
• Fresh basil – This is used as a garnish, but the bright color and fragrant flavor add another element to this already delicious dish. You could also use fresh spinach.

How to Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken

1. Prepare chicken. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to make then thinner, leaving you with 4-6 chicken cutlets. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Cook chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Add chicken, turning to brown the exterior, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Chicken might not be fully cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside.
3. Melt butter. In the same skillet, with juices browned bits and oil, add the butter, allowing it to melt, then the garlic. Sauté until fragrant.
4. Whisk flour. Whisk in the flour, making a roux paste. Then slowly pour in the chicken broth, still whisking, until it forms a sauce.
5. Add cream. Whisk in the cream until fully blended and then the parmesan cheese, still whisking. When cheese has melted, add Italian seasoning and return the chicken back to the sauce, turning to coat.
6. Simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes, bacon and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Top with fresh basil.

Variations

• Chicken – Feel free to swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs. They tend to have more flavor, but make sure to adjust the cook time accordingly. I don’t recommend bone-in chicken thighs for this tuscan creamy chicken just for sake of time.
• Spice – Add a little kick to this creamy tuscan garlic chicken recipe by adding some chili flakes or up the amount of red pepper flakes in the sundried tomato cream sauce.
• Fresh tomatoes – Can’t find sundried tomatoes at your grocery store? Swap in some cherry tomatoes into the decadent sauce instead and it will taste just as good.
• Fresh herbs – Rather than use Italian seasoning, or in addition to, chop up some fresh herbs like basil and thyme and add it to the delicious sauce.

Storage, Reheating and Freezing

Storage: Store any leftover creamy tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Reheating: You can reheat in the microwave or in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat to enjoy it the next day.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing a cream sauce. They tend to turn a little grainy when reheated.

More Easy Chicken Dinners

• French Onion Baked Chicken
• Chicken Piccata
• One Pot Chicken and Rice
• Chicken Thighs in the Air Fryer

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Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Juicy chicken breasts in a creamy sauce and ready in under an hour, this Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe is the perfect weeknight meal!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 569 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2-3 large chicken breasts*
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large garlic cloves minced or grated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup parmesan cheese finely grated
• 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
• ½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil drained and chopped
• ¼ cup bacon cooked and crumbled, optional
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• 8-10 leaves fresh basil chiffonade cut

Instructions

 

• Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to make then thinner, leaving you with 4-6 chicken cutlets.
• Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add chicken, turning to brown the exterior, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Chicken might not be fully cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside. If you are using a smaller skillet and 6 pieces of chicken, you might need to work in batches for this step.
• In the same skillet, with juices browned bits and oil, add the butter, allowing it to melt, then the garlic. Sauté for 1 minutes until fragrant.
• Whisk in the flour, making a roux paste. Then slowly pour in the chicken broth, still whisking, until it forms a sauce. Whisk in the cream until fully blended and then the parmesan cheese, still whisking.
• When cheese has melted, add Italian seasoning and return the chicken back to the sauce, turning to coat. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the sun dried tomatoes, bacon and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Top with fresh basil.
• Serve over rice, creamy polenta, pasta or mashed potatoes.
• If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Nutrition

Calories: 569kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 34gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 156mgSodium: 1083mgPotassium: 805mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1286IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 215mgIron: 2mg

Keyword creamy tuscan chicken

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