The first time I made this creamy Tuscan chicken, my husband stopped mid-bite and quietly asked if I could just "make this one again next week." That was two years ago. We still eat it almost every Sunday.
It looks fancy — golden pan-seared chicken breasts swimming in a garlicky, sun-drenched cream sauce with wilted spinach and jammy sun-dried tomatoes — but the truth is embarrassingly simple: everything happens in one skillet, in under thirty minutes, using ingredients you probably already have.
This is the recipe I hand to friends who tell me they "can't cook." Nine times out of ten, they text me a picture of their plate the next day.
Why home cooks love this recipe
- One pan, one cutting board — the whole cleanup takes four minutes.
- No cream in the fridge? Use half-and-half or evaporated milk. It still works.
- Feels like a restaurant dish but costs about the same as ordering pizza.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or 6 thighs)
- Salt, black pepper, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp butter
- 4 fat garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 3 big handfuls baby spinach
- A squeeze of lemon at the end
Method
- Pat the chicken very dry — this is the difference between golden and grey. Season both sides with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high. When it shimmers, lay the chicken down and don't touch it for 5–6 minutes. Flip, cook another 4 minutes until deeply golden and just cooked through. Move to a plate.
- Turn heat down to medium. Add garlic to the same pan, stir 30 seconds until fragrant. Add sun-dried tomatoes, cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the stock, scrape up all the golden bits — that's flavour. Add cream, simmer 2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Stir in parmesan until melted. Fold in spinach, one handful at a time, until just wilted.
- Return chicken to the pan, spoon sauce over the top, cover for 2 minutes to warm through. Finish with a squeeze of lemon. Serve over pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread for dipping.
Chef's tip
Don't skip the lemon at the end. A cream sauce without acid always tastes flat — that tiny squeeze is what makes people ask, "what did you put in this?"
If you make this recipe, we'd love to see it — tag @saveur or drop a photo in our reader gallery. Happy cooking.