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Creamy Tuscan Chicken is easy enough for a weeknight, but impressive enough for company! It’s a one-pot recipe that is rich, flavorful, and takes only about 30 minutes to make.

Chicken thigh served with mashed potatoes on a white plate

Making the creamy sauce in the same pan that you cook the chicken thighs gives the best flavor, and not to mention reduces clean up. Talk about a win-win! Serve this creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or rice, and a copycat Olive Garden Salad for a complete meal.

What’s in Creamy Tuscan Chicken?

Grab some chicken thighs and a few other simple ingredients to make this easy chicken recipe.

  • Olive Oil and Butter – I use a combination of olive oil and butter to sear the chicken. Butter adds amazing flavor while the olive oil increases the smoke point. If you’d like, you could also use just olive oil.
  • Chicken Thighs – Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the best flavor.
  • Spices – Garlic Powder, Dried Oregano, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper
  • Onion – white or yellow onion works
  • Garlic – I prefer to mince fresh cloves, but you can also use the minced in a jar.
  • Roma Tomatoes – It’s best to remove the seeds before dicing.
  • Baby Spinach – fresh baby spinach is best! Frozen spinach has too much moisture.
  • Heavy Cream
  • Parmesan Cheese – freshly grated.
  • Fresh Parsley – optional, for garnish.
Ingredients for tuscan chicken

How to Make Tuscan Chicken

This Tuscan Chicken recipe is surprisingly simple to make! Just start by cooking the chicken then whip up the simple creamy sauce in the same pan.

Season the chicken. Start by patting dry the chicken thighs then seasoning with the spices. Be sure to get the spices on both sides of the chicken.

Before and after fried chicken thighs in cast iron pan

Sear the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter is melted, add the seasoned chicken thighs skin side down. Cook until the skin is golden, then flip and cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the Tuscan sauce ingredients. Add the onions and garlic to the same skillet and cook until softened. Next stir in the tomatoes and spinach, cooking until wilted. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Stir the sauce frequently until it thickens. Be sure to scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan.

Step by step instructions how to make tuscan chicken cream

Add the chicken back to the pan. Add the chicken thighs back into the skillet – nestling them into the sauce. I like to spoon some of the sauce over the tops of the chicken.

Serve and enjoy. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Creamy Tuscan chicken in cast iron pan

Serving Ideas

The creamy Tuscan Chicken is great served with something starchy to help soak up some of the sauce. I love pairing it with cooked rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, or even a loaf of crunchy bread. 

Storage and Reheating Tips

Storage – Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be aware that the chicken skin will lose some of its crispiness in the fridge.

Reheating – For best results, I recommend reheating leftovers in a skillet on the stove over medium-low until warmed through. You can microwave as well, but be aware that the cream-based sauce may ‘break’ and slightly separate. 

Expert Tips and FAQs

  • Try different add-ins. This is a perfect recipe to use up other veggies in your fridge. Some other great additions are asparagus or mushrooms.
  • Don’t wipe out the pan after cooking the chicken. After cooking and setting aside the chicken thighs, there will be some bits left in the pan. Leave that in! That will add the best flavor to the creamy sauce. If you need, you can use your spoon to scrape it off the bottom to mix into the sauce.
  • Swap in chicken broth for a lighter version. As written, this recipe is so decadent and rich. If you prefer a lighter dish, you can swap in some chicken broth (½ cup or 1 cup) for some of the heavy cream.
Can you use boneless chicken?

Yes, you can substitute boneless chicken thighs or breasts as well. Use the internal temperature as a guide to when the chicken is cooked as it will cook much faster than bone-in.

chicken thigh with sauce on top of mashed potatoes on a plate

More Ways to Cook Chicken Thighs Recipes

Recipe

Tuscan Chicken Skillet

5 from 2 votes
Creamy Tuscan Chicken is an easy one-pot dinner recipe that is rich, flavorful, and takes only about 30 minutes to make. Impressive and fast!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 3 cups packed baby spinach
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 to 1 cup Parmesan cheese use as much as you like
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus more for garnish
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Instructions
 

  • Heat a 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter and melt.
  • In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and oregano. Season chicken thighs with the spices and place them skin side down in the skillet. Cook for 10-13 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy. Flip the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. Transfer to a plate. (meat will continue to cook to 165 F; if more time is needed, finish in a 375 degree oven).
  • Add onions and garlic to the skillet and cook for several minutes until softened.
  • Stir in tomatoes and spinach and cook until wilted.
  • Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened. Nestle chicken into the sauce, spooning some of the sauce on top of the chicken. Garnish with more fresh parsley.
  • Serve immediately. Goes well with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Notes

Nutrition information is provided only as a guide and values are approximate. 
Storage – Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Be aware that the chicken skin will lose some of its crispiness in the fridge.
Reheating – For best results, I recommend reheating leftovers in a skillet on the stove over medium-low until warmed through. You can microwave as well, but be aware that the cream-based sauce may ‘break’ and slightly separate. 
Keyword tuscan chicken

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 38gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 231mgSodium: 350mgPotassium: 825mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2933IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

Kristin Maxwell

Kristin Maxwell is the creator and main recipe developer, writer, and photographer of Yellow Bliss Road. A self-taught cook and self-appointed foodie, she specializes in easy, flavorful and approachable recipes for any home cook.

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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Alexandra Kiehn says:

    Hi! I want to make this but I am confused by the Parmesan in the recipe. Is it 1.5 cups or 1/2 cups? Thank you!

    1. Kristin Maxwell says:

      Sorry for the confusion. It should say 1/2-1 cup of Parmesan so you can add as much or as little as you like.