This Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe is a quick dinner your whole family will love. Pan-seared chicken is nestled in a creamy garlic white wine sauce with spinach and burst tomatoes, and it’s on the table in just 30 minutes!
How much do I love this Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe? So much that when I developed the recipe, I made it 3 days in a row. Not because it needed more work, but because it was so darn good, I couldn’t get enough! If you’ve made my Tuscan Salmon, then you’re going to LOVE this recipe too. It has the same flavor, just a different protein.
Why I Can’t Get Enough of This Easy Chicken Dinner
Once you give this recipe a try, you’ll be making it on frequent repeat too! Here’s what makes it so good.
- So easy. Tuscan style cooking doesn’t use complicated ingredients or elaborate cooking methods because honestly, they’re not needed. This chicken is a one pan meal done in 30 minutes!
- A healthy dinner. This creamy Tuscan chicken recipe is keto: it’s high in fat and protein and low in carbohydrates.
- Absolutely delicious. If you’ve seen marry me chicken recipes popping up all over the internet, this Tuscan chicken has the same vibe, with a creamy tomato-y sauce, tender chicken, and basil.
What You’ll Need
Each ingredient in this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe adds so much flavor to the dish. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Chicken breast – Boneless, skinless chicken breast makes it easy. If you prefer chicken thighs, you can use those, but stick with boneless and skinless.
- Salt & pepper – I like to use kosher salt or sea salt in my cooking.
- Avocado oil – Or another neutral oil you like to cook with.
- Unsalted butter – Or swap in ghee if you prefer.
- Garlic and sweet onion – These add flavor to the creamy sauce.
- Dry white wine – Like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.
- Red pepper flakes – Feel free to adjust the amount to change the heat level, or omit it altogether.
- Cherry tomatoes – Grape tomatoes work too!
- Baby spinach – Baby spinach wilts smoothly and quickly into the sauce.
- Coconut milk – Use full-fat coconut milk for the richest, creamiest sauce.
- Lemon juice – This perks up the overall flavor, making it pop. If you don’t have a lemon on hand, you can swap in white wine vinegar.
- Fresh basil – Slice this thinly (chiffonade).
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Here’s how easy it is to make this one-pan Tuscan chicken recipe!
- Brown the chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the avocado oil in a skillet set over medium-high, then add the chicken and sear both sides for 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Cook the aromatics. Melt the butter in the pan and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add the onions and cook for 2 minutes, or until softened.
- Deglaze. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add salt and red pepper flakes.
- Burst the tomatoes. Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until softened. Gently press on them to burst.
- Simmer. Stir in the spinach and once it wilts, add the coconut milk. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Bring it all together. Stir in the lemon juice and basil, then nestle the chicken into the skillet. Once the chicken is warmed through, remove from heat and serve.
Variation Ideas
Want to put your own spin on this recipe? You can! Here’s some inspiration.
- Try a different protein. You could use shrimp, bay scallops or pork if you wanted instead of chicken.
- Swap in another green. Add chard instead of spinach (cook the stems with the onions and add the greens when you’d add the spinach), or kale for a heartier option.
- Use regular cream. Use heavy cream instead of coconut cream in this Tuscan chicken recipe if you’d like.
- Make it without wine. For an alcohol-free version, swap in chicken broth for the wine.
What to Serve With Tuscan Chicken
I serve this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe with Roasted Asparagus or Roasted Green Beans and Mushrooms for my husband and me, and on a bed of spaghetti for the kids. It would also be excellent with Parmesan Herb Microwave Spaghetti Squash or cauliflower rice.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Transfer leftovers of this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing this dish; the texture of the spinach and tomatoes will become mushy.
- To reheat: Warm the chicken and sauce in a skillet set over medium-low heat, or gently reheat in the microwave.
More Reader Favorite Chicken Recipes
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This creamy Tuscan chicken features pan-seared chicken in a garlic white wine sauce with spinach and burst tomatoes. A quick one-pan recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 4 oz. boneless skinless chicken breast
- salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ( or ghee for dairy free)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chiffon
Instructions
- Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat.
- Add avocado oil to the pan and then chicken breast. Sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Then immediately add butter (or ghee) to the pan and let melt. Add in garlic and saute for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time.
- Add in onions and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, scrapping with a wooden spoon to get any brown bits from the bottom. Season with salt and 1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Add in cherry tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes. As the cherry tomatoes start to soften, press down on them with a spoon to make them burst.
- Next add in spinach and saute until wilted down, about 2 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk. Stir and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Then add lemon juice and fresh basil. Stir to combine.
- Place the chicken back in the pan and serve!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast + sauce
- Calories: 452
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 448 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 124 mg
64 comments on “Easy 30-Minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken”
If i were to substitute the chicken with fish what kind of fish would you recommend?
Salmon! I actually have a Tuscan Salmon recipe on my website!!
Love this recipe. Can this be made a day in advance for a large group?
Yes! It can be refrigerated for 3-4 days!
I’ve made this several times and it’s amazing!
Awesome! That’s so great to hear!
This recipe is so easy and perfect! I’ve made it twice now and both times were amazing. That’s like the second time my chicken was very undercooked and I realized it’s because my breasts were probably larger. (That sounds weird 🤣) are you cutting them in half? If they are larger, what method would you recommend for making they’re just right before putting back in pan. I was able to cook them into the sauce until cooked last time, but then ended up a bit dry.
haha.. that’s hilarious. Also, yes I buy the cutlets so the butcher slices them in half. But you don’t want to do that you can buy them regular, just sear them for 4-6 minutes per side and then add them back to the pan when you need to be. You could also cut them into cubes if that works better.
This was SO good! Will be making on repeat and can’t wait to try it with salmon.
Oh, you are going to love the salmon one too! 🙂
This was soooo delicious. It packed so much flavour and I really didn’t expect it to be so tasty as the ingredients are so simple!
I made it with mashed potato which worked really well but rice or pasta would go well too
Love!! Simple and easy yet delicious! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ugh! I forgot to buy basil. Should I just use more of the spinach?
You can use dried basil if you have it on hand. Just adjust your amount. The ratio is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
What can I sub for the white wine? And can I use lower fat coconut milk if I need less fat?
You can substitute white wine with chicken broth. Yes, you can use a lower fat coconut milk.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. The only thing I would do differently is add more spinach because we like spinach.
Love it! We love spinach too!
Question: do people use regular coconut milk or unsweetened? Thanks!
Hi Theresa! Use full-fat regular coconut milk (not light, not sweetened) — it gives you that rich, creamy sauce. The canned kind from the Asian foods aisle is what you want. Enjoy!
This recipe was yummy!! Everyone loved it! I made chicken thighs and sausage tortellini and left the sauce on the side so you had a choice what to eat it with. Will make it again to go with salmon. Thanks for the recipe!,
YUMMY! This sauce pairs so great with so many dishes!
Ghee is still dairy, it’s literally clarified butter.
It is still technically diary, however those that have dairy intolerance (like my husband) can use it. And it is permittable with both the paleo and whole30 diet.
Ahhh absolutely delicious. I used boneless chicken thighs and finished them off in the oven. Served with jasmine rice & baked broccoli – everyone loved it!
I am so glad you loved it! Perfect combo with the jasmine rice!
Super delicious…just not very ‘tuscany” to us. We loved this dish but I think it was the coconut milk that threw it off and made it almost taste indian-ish. It also was super acidic before putting the chicken back in so we added a good tbsp or more of butter and that helped. Would make it again, just probably will use heavy cream even though it would not be non-dairy. I needed it to be non-dairy this time around.
Thanks so much for the honest feedback, Kristi! Heavy cream is a great call if you want a more traditional Tuscan flavor — it’ll cut that coconut undertone completely. Glad it still came together for you! 🍗
Would using chicken broth in place of the white wine be a good substitute? Or would apple cider vinegar be better?
Hi Katie! Chicken broth is the better sub — it’ll keep that savory depth. Apple cider vinegar would make it too tangy. Add a small splash of lemon juice at the end if you want a little brightness. Enjoy!
I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now and it never disappoints!!! I have even altered it a bit by adding asparagus as well. It’s such a wonderful, easy, healthy meal! Thank you!
YES! This is one of my favorites! Always a hit! Thanks for the 5-Star review!
Oh my gosh, this is AWESOME!! I did not add lemon juice or basil. Served this with garlic and olive oil angel hair pasta.
My son and his girlfriend (both foodies) loved this. Not kids both in their 50’s and she is Italian. Definitely making again.
What a huge compliment! I am so happy it was a hit! And thank you for the 5-Star review!
This is a delicious recipe! It’s bursting with tomato tang, deep spinach umami, and bright lemon flavor. The coconut milk gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture without a strong coconut flavor. It was a cinch to prepare, too! I served it over white rice and got rave compliments.
That said, I’d like to suggest a few modifications to the recipe as written. After searing the chicken at medium-high, the pan is very hot and likely to burn the garlic. I suggest lowering the heat to medium and sauteing the onions first. Once they are nearly done and the pan has cooled a bit, then add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
The 2 tbs of butter/ghee, plus the 1 tbs of avocado oil was just too much oil for my taste. Personally, I would use maybe half as much butter next time. I also happened to have coconut cream on hand, rather than coconut milk, and it worked out wonderfully and produced a silky-smooth sauce. I think I will continue to use that, though I’m sure it increases the fat content.
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe! It is always on of my go-to for dinner parties!
Holy smokes this was amazing! I substituted the coconut milk for heavy cream since I’m not a coconut fan but wow this was so good! This is that recipe that I will pull out whenever I want to 1) impress guests or 2) spoil myself 😅
The perfect dish for entertaining! I hope you give the Tuscan Shrimp and Salmon a try!
This recipe sound like a great dish, but butter is definitely dairy. If you are advertising it as dairy free you should not include butter in the recipe.
Hey Syd, true. You can sub with ghee for dairy free. Everything else should be good. I updated the recipe.
Ghee is dairy. It’s just butter with the milk solids removed. If you want to make this dairy free, you could use vegetable shortening or a bit more avocado oil. I found 2 tbsp of ghee to be way too much anyway, and ended up pouring most of it back out.
Ghee is the main butter substitute that paleo and whole30 diets recommend because the lactose is removed. However, if you’re looking for something other than ghee or butter I’d recommend avocado oil.
Like actual wine or cooking wine? I don’t drink dry wine so wouldn’t want to buy it for one thing. Can it be substituted.
Yes it absolutely can be substituted. You could use cooking wine or chicken broth if you wanted.
Having the lactose removed does NOT make it dairy free. Even if it’s approved for Paleo and Whole 30 doesn’t make it dairy free and should not be advertised as such.
Hey Jen, if you’re referring to the ghee, while it is still concerned dairy, it is safe for those with a dairy intolerance because it has extremely low levels of lactose and milk caseins. However, if you really just want to omit it you can totally take it out of the recipe all together if you’re nervous about it.
She said or ghee. Think the butter was just an option for those who don’t mind dairy. 🙂
Is the fat & sat fat really that high ??
coconut milk does contain alot of fat, you could use heavy cream if you’re ok with the dairy but that will have fat too. Not all fat is bad fat. 🙂
Can I use almond milk?
You could, it just won’t be as creamy.
Your photos show chicken breasts but your directions say thinly sliced. I’m confused because the photo does not look like thinly sliced. I am a rookie so please help. Want to try it but also want to have it come out great. Thanks, Jim
Hey Jim, they are thinly sliced chicken breasts. If you are looking at the grocery store they are usually thin sliced chicken cutlets
Absolutely delicious! All three kids loved it too, which rarely happens. This is entering our regular relation.
Can this be made ahead and put in the freezer?
I wouldn’t recommend doing that because of the coconut milk, spinach and tomato. The texture is going to change and the milk might curdle.
This looks fantastic. I am adding it to the grocery list for this week. I have fresh basil growing in the window, this will be great way to use it.
Yes! I hope you enjoy it!
Can this be done as a braise with bone in chicken thighs? If so how should the amounts be adjusted?
I have never tried it as a braise. But you could definitely use bone in thighs, you’d just need to increase the cooking time.
Absolutely delicious!
I’ve made this recipe for family and for parties. It’s simple, can be made ahead of time and reheated in a casserole dish. Definitely double the sauce! I serve it over wild rice and always get rave reviews!!
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that everyone loves it! And served over rice would be great, especially jasmine rice. YUM!