We are bringing you the best Tuscan Chicken recipe for a delicious one skillet dinner that you need in your life! It is made up of simple ingredients, like juicy, tender chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, kale, and gnocchi all smothered in a creamy parmesan-based sauce!
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
On those busy weeknights, we love nothing more than a dinner than can be made entirely in one skillet. So simple and easy cleanup! This creamy tuscan chicken recipe is full of so many great flavors and is one of those delicious recipes that might even be better the next day. After perfecting our Baked Gnocchi, we knew we need more gnocchi in our lives and this one skillet meal does not disappoint! You definitely want to add this quick weeknight meal to your list of family favorites!
Looking for more one skillet dinners? We highly recommend trying our Parmesan Chicken Orzo – SO GOOD!
What You Will Need
- whole chicken breasts – this is what we used, but you could also use bone-in chicken thighs or boneless chicken thighs.
- kosher salt & ground black pepper – a simple seasoning combination that is always necessary when cooking meat.
- bacon – because everything is better with bacon!
- butter – just a little in the pan to help sauté the shallots and garlic. Option to use olive oil too, but we love the buttery flavor.
- shallots & fresh garlic – these are all about their great flavor!
- flour – we used this as the thickening agent to get a perfectly creamy texture to the sauce.
- non-dairy creamer – if you are looking to keep things dairy-free we recommend using Nutpods, but if that isn’t a concern you could also use half & half or heavy cream.
- chicken broth – just grab your favorite broth or chicken stock from your local grocery store or make a batch of homemade broth.
- sun-dried tomatoes – a traditional ingredient in any tuscan chicken dish.
- Italian seasoning – great for some added flavor and if you can make your own right at home!
- red pepper flakes – this is completely optional, but if you want a bit of a kick you can certainly sprinkle some in.
- lemon juice – a little bit of acidity to help bring out all the great flavors.
- kale – this is what we used in the recipe card, but fresh baby spinach would be good too!
- parmesan cheese – there is simply nothing better than freshly grated parmesan cheese for the ultimate creaminess.
- gnocchi – a potato-based dumpling that cooks quickly!
- garnish: fresh basil and/or freshly grated parmesan cheese – option to add some on top!
Why Is It Called Tuscan Chicken
This is a term used with a chicken dish originating from the Tuscan region of Italy. These dishes typically have chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a parmesan cream sauce. We used that as a starting point and then lightened things up with a dairy-free creamer. If you love these flavors try our Tuscan White Bean Soup!
How To Make Tuscan Chicken
For starters, you can bring a large skillet up to a medium high heat and cook your strips of bacon. Once they are cooked to your liking, you can set them aside on a plate with paper towel.
Keeping your skillet on medium heat, you can add the seasoned chicken cutlets and sear on each side for about 2-3 minutes.
Pro tip: we highly recommend butterflying your chicken breasts or turning them into chicken cutlets for faster cooking!
Set the chicken aside and add the butter to the skillet to melt. Then toss in the shallots and garlic in the melt butter to sauté for about a minute.
Next, mix in the flour to form a paste or a roux and gradually pour in your cream of choice while whisking continuously to make a creamy sauce.
Now you can mix in the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, lemon juice, kale, parmesan cheese, and gnocchi. Stir to combine and then nestle your cooked chicken breasts on top.
And don’t forget to chop you bacon into pieces and toss that into the skillet too!
Let it all simmer together on medium-low heat for about 10-15 minutes or until your chicken reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer to confirm).
How Should I Serve Tuscan Chicken
Honestly, this one skillet meal is delicious all on its own! But if you are looking to add a little something extra to this yummy comfort food, we would love enjoying it with some crusty bread, garlic bread, or grilled bread. Perfect for dipping in that dreamy sauce! Or you can add a side salad or serve some steamed broccoli on the side.
Recipe FAQ
- dairy-free: to keep this entire recipe dairy-free you can use a plant-based butter, an unsweetened dairy-free creamer, and then either omit the parmesan cheese or use a dairy-free substitute.
- chicken thighs: if you chose to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts it will affect your cook time so be sure to keep an eye on that internal temperature.
- vegetable options: we used kale and sun-dried tomatoes but you could also use mushrooms, asparagus, fresh cherry tomatoes, and/or spinach.
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Tuscan Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken + Gnocchi – a delicious one-pot weeknight dinner that is packed with flavor, cozy and so yummy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 3 strips thick cut bacon, chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter (regular or plant-based)
- 1 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour (all-purpose or gluten-free)
- 1 cup Nutpods unsweetened dairy-free creamer (or half and half)
- 1 cup chicken broth (plus more as needed to thin)
- 1/2 cup packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped if you prefer
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1–2 handfuls fresh kale, chopped (spinach works too)
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (omit if dairy-free)
- 16 oz gnocchi (regular or gluten-free)
- fresh basil and additional parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: prepare chicken breasts by cutting them in half lengthwise to create two chicken cutlets. Pat dry with clean paper towel and season lightly with kosher salt and ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook Bacon: Bring large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat and add bacon. Cook until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and place on a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside. Drain excess grease, ensuring you leave 1-2 tablespoons in the skillet.
- Sear Chicken: leaving skillet at medium-high heat, add chicken cutlets to the pan (do this in batches if you need to) and let sear 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet and place on a plate; set aside.
- Make Sauce: Add butter to skillet along with bacon grease and let melt. Add shallots and garlic. Move around pan until the shallots soften a bit and the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and use a whisk to combine – it should form a paste with the shallots and garlic (aka a roux). Ensure temperature is still set to medium-high, continue to whisk and then add in creamer 1/4 cup at a time – whisking as you do. Continue adding the cream and then the broth 1/4 cup at a time.
- Add Ingredients: Add sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using), lemon juice, kale, parmesan cheese and gnocchi. Stir to combine. At this point, if the sauce is thickening too much, add another 1/4-1/2 cup broth or so of broth to thin a bit. Taste sauce and add additional salt or pepper, as desired – there is naturally a fair amount of salt in the recipe from the bacon and parmesan so just add what you want per your tastes.
- Bacon + Chicken: Add bacon to the skillet. Nestle the chicken into the mixture and let simmer, covered, 10-15 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 165 degrees F).
- Garnish and Serve: Serve immediately with fresh basil, additional grated or shaved parmesan and some fresh cracked pepper.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: use a gluten-free gnocchi and gluten-free flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free: to make this recipe dairy-free ensure you use the Nutpods unflavored/unsweetened creamer, dairy-free butter and omit the parmesan cheese (or use a dairy-free substitute).
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 517
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 1027.6 mg
- Fat: 17.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 52.4 g
- Protein: 37.4 g
- Cholesterol: 119 mg
Chris Magera says
So easy and so delicious.
Erin says
This recipe is perfection! It was so delicious, kid friendly, and is perfect for a cold winter night! Also, your timing for how long the recipe takes including prep was spot on! Love that!
Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Erin says
Aw yay! I am so happy to hear that!