Description
Homemade creamy chicken Florentine delivers Italian comfort on a plate, blending tender chicken with spinach and rich sauce. Simple ingredients create restaurant-quality magic that brings Mediterranean warmth right to your dining table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups (90 grams) fresh spinach
- 1 cup (240 ml/240 milliliters) heavy cream
- ½ cup (120 ml/120 milliliters) chicken broth
- ½ cup (50 grams) grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, for brightness)
Instructions
- Seasoning Blend: Create a robust flavor profile by thoroughly coating chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Searing Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high temperature, then cook chicken until golden-brown and internal temperature reaches 165F / 75C, ensuring a perfectly crisp exterior.
- Sauce Foundation: Reduce skillet heat, melt butter, and quickly sauté minced garlic to release its aromatic essence; deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping up flavorful browned bits.
- Sauce Development: Whisk in heavy cream, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, simmering gently to create a rich, velvety sauce that thickens and melds flavors.
- Spinach Integration: Fold fresh spinach into the creamy mixture, allowing it to wilt and incorporate seamlessly while brightening the sauce with a splash of lemon juice.
- Final Composition: Return chicken to the skillet, coating thoroughly with sauce, warming through for a final minute to ensure even heat distribution.
- Plating: Serve the creamy chicken Florentine over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or alongside crusty bread, presenting a luxurious and comforting meal.
Notes
- Maximize Chicken Flavor: Create a robust seasoning blend by generously coating chicken, ensuring spices penetrate deeply for maximum taste profile.
- Perfect Searing Technique: Use high heat and avoid overcrowding the skillet to achieve golden-brown exterior without steaming the chicken, which preserves moisture and develops rich caramelization.
- Sauce Consistency Control: Simmer sauce slowly and watch carefully, whisking continuously to prevent separation and achieve smooth, creamy texture without curdling or becoming grainy.
- Dietary Adaptation Options: Substitute heavy cream with Greek yogurt or coconut milk for lighter versions, use gluten-free flour if thickening is needed, and swap Parmesan with nutritional yeast for dairy-free alternative.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 185 mg