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Spinach lovers rejoice! This healthy and flavorful Florentine Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts smothered in a rich and creamy spinach florentine sauce. Easy to make in 30 minutes or less and perfect for weeknight dinners, it’s creamy-dreamy comfort food without all the guilt!
Featured comment: This dish is really splendid! Both me and my hubby really enjoyed it and it wasn’t too terribly difficult to make, either. There will be a repeat performance, thanks.” – Lucinda
This recipe was originally published in April 2022. I made updates to the post below to include more information about making florentine chicken with spinach at home.
Hi friends! I hope your hungry, because today I’m sharing a dish so easy, yet so yummy you will feel like an accomplished chef! I kid you not, this savory, ultra-chicken breast entree with creamy spinach florentine sauce will have you sopping up every morsel and wanting to invite guests over for dinner!
If you’re looking for more quick and easy chicken breast dinners, try these fan-favorites next: Honey Mustard Chicken and Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Breasts.
Table of Contents
- About this chicken florentine recipe
- What is Florentine chicken?
- Ingredients for chicken florentine
- How to make florentine chicken recipe?
- FAQs: frequently asked questions
- Serving recipes for chicken florentine
- How to store spinach florentine chicken?
- More one pan chicken breast dinners!
- Chicken Florentine Recipe
About this chicken florentine recipe
Say bye-bye to boring and bland chicken dinners, because this ultra-creamy chicken is a guaranteed winner! This recipe features tender, juicy pan-seared chicken breasts and baby spinach in a Florentine-style white sauce flavored with two kinds of cheeses, white wine and half and half, along with aromatic seasonings and fragrant fresh garlic. This Florentine chicken sauce is abundantly creamy, unapologetically rich and absolutely delicious! It’s the perfect cream sauce to smother chicken and spinach!
If the fancy french term ‘Florentine’ has you intimidated, don’t be!! This Chicken Florentine recipe is a simplified homemade version that is incredibly easy to make, yet will rival any chicken you’ve had in restaurants! You cook both the chicken and Florentine Sauce in the same pan in under 30 minutes! You are going to love this simple, yet delicious creamy chicken dinner!!!
Why this chicken florentine with spinach works!
- 8 ingredients! You only need 8 simple, easy-to find ingredients, along with a couple pantry staples to prepare this spinach florentine chicken!
- 10 minutes of preparation! This recipe for chicken florentine only requires 10 minutes of hands-on preparation! You can have everything – both the chicken and creamy sauce – ready and on the table in 30 minutes (or less!)
- One pan! This creamy Florentine chicken comes together in just one skillet!
- Ultra-creamy! If you love restaurant-quality chicken entrees, such as chicken in wine, then you will love this incredibly simple, yet utterly delicious chicken with spinach Florentine!
- Anytime meal! This creamy Italian meets French chicken is easy enough for weeknight dinners with the family AND delicious enough for entertaining or date nights at home!
- Totally customizable! Florentine-style chicken is totally customizable and just waiting for you to add your personal touch! Make this recipe as directed, or customize it to suit your needs! Try adding diced tomatoes and capers for a more dynamic flavor! Or toss in crispy bacon, cooked sausage or even leftover ham for the meat lovers in your life! The sky is the limit!
What is Florentine chicken?
Classic Florentine, or “à la Florentine”, is an umbrella term for any French dish made up of the following components: cooked spinach, any type of protein, and bechamel sauce. Bechamel is a thick and creamy French Mother Sauce made of roux and milk. Roux is made by stirring flour with fat and is used to make sauces thicker.
You might be wondering why a traditional French dish includes Italian flavors. It’s said that this dish came about when Catherine de Mecidi of Florence, Italy came to Paris in the 1500’s to marry Henry II of France. She brought with her a bunch of royal Italian cooks who then created this Chicken Florentine dish using their local flavors. Since she is known to love spinach, it is, of course, a prominent ingredient in making any Florentine-style recipes.
Ingredients for chicken florentine
You’ll need eight simple ingredients, plus a few pantry staples to make Chicken alla Fiorentina!!
- Chicken: This recipe uses boneless skinless chicken breasts; although you can substitute chicken thighs if you prefer (increase the cook time). You can use 4 small chicken breasts and pound them out to form chicken cutlets, or 2 large chicken breasts and butterfly them to make 4 chicken cutlets.
- Seasonings: A combination of Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper all add a ton of flavor!
- Flour: You will need approximately 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour for dredging the chicken breasts. The light flour coating will give you chicken breasts a delicious golden crust; however, you can skip it if you prefer.
- Butter and Oil: I like to use a combination of butter and olive oil for a richer flavor. The butter also helps prevent the oil from burning!
- Shallot: One large shallot adds a delicate touch of astringent onion flavor!
- Garlic: Three to four cloves of fresh garlic provide a distinctive, punchy taste. Make sure you use fresh garlic cloves, not the minced variety sold in a jar!
- Wine: Dry white wine is optional; however it does add a depth of flavor! You can use any dry wine you like, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. Or, you can substitute broth instead!
- Dairy: You’ll need half-and-half (whole milk or heavy cream) to thin the chicken florentine sauce!
- Cream Cheese: 2-ounces of cream cheese provides rich, tangy flavor and plenty of creamy texture! Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and taste!!
- Spinach: You will need 2 to 3 cups of spinach for the spinach florentine sauce. While frozen spinach is budget-friendly I recommend fresh spinach for this recipe!
- Parmesan: A generous dusting of parmesan cheese adds the perfect pop of salty, complex flavor! Please grate the parmesan yourself for the best flavor (none of that green can stuff)!
Substitutions and Additions
- Protein substitution: You can use other proteins to pair the Florentine sauce with spinach. You can try swapping the chicken breast with pork chops or mixed seafood cuts. One of the most popular ways of making Florentine with pork is by making a spinach-filled roulade drizzled with creamy white sauce.
- Seasonings: Instead of buying ready-mix Italian seasoning, you can make your own by following this homemade Italian Seasoning recipe that is free from any additives. I used a combination of basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, and marjoram. If you have these at hand, you can pick and choose any to use. I also included a list of optional spices that you can mix in to level it up!
- Add bulk: Aside from the chicken, you can make the dish even more substantial by adding crispy bacon, sausages, or meaty mushrooms.
- More veggies: Spinach is not the only veggie you can add to this dish. Go ahead and try adding others like cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, leeks, artichoke hearts, zucchini, cauliflower or broccoli florets, and capers. Yum!
- Give it some heat: If you like your dish to have a punch of heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder when you saute the garlic and shallots.
- Fresh herbs are totally optional; however they will add a ton of bright, fresh flavor which really brings this creamy chicken dish to life! I typically use fresh parsley or basil; but you can use chives, scallions, oregano or thyme if you like!
How to make florentine chicken recipe?
These creamy florentine chicken breasts is so easy to make! Everything comes together in one skillet with just a few simple ingredients and 10 minutes of prep!
Pounding out chicken breasts
Pounding your chicken breasts into thin, even pieces helps the chicken cook more evenly (and faster!)! When you are in a hurry to get dinner on the table, flattening chicken may seem tedious. However, below is a simple hack to save time when pounding out chicken breasts!
- Use a resealable bag! Instead of placing chicken on a clean work surface and covering with plastic wrap, place one breast in a heavy duty resealable bag, removing as much air as possible before sealing and pounding.
- Any heavy, flat object works great! If you can’t find your meat mallet, don’t worry! You can use almost any heavy object with a flat or round surface, such as small skillet, rolling pin or even an empty wine bottle!
Making spinach Floretine sauce
- Season chicken breasts (optional): Pat chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Dredge Chicken: In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with the Italian seasoning. Dredge both sides of the chicken through the flour mixture and tap-off any excess before setting aside.
- Brown chicken: In a large skillet, melt the butter with the oil. Add the chicken breasts and cover the pan. Cook for 3-4, or until the bottom side is golden. Remove the cover, flip the chicken, and add a tablespoon of butter. Continue to cook the chicken, basting the chicken with the butter, until the chicken breasts are golden brown. Remove chicken to a large plate and lightly tent with foil.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft.
- Deglaze: Add the white wine to deglaze the skillet. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
- Add cream cheese, then half-and-half: Whisk the cream cheese into the wine until a smooth sauce starts to form. While whisking, add the half-and-half to the pan. Gently simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add spinach + parmesan: Add the spinach and parmesan to the skillet. Stir until the spinach and parmesan are well combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add chicken: Return the chicken breasts to the pan, along with any drippings on the plate. Cover the skillet and let the chicken very gently simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees F.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle fresh herbs, more parmesan and red pepper flakes (if using) over the chicken and Florentine sauce. Serve with crusty bread and lemon wedges (optional)! Enjoy immediately!
Tips for making the best chicken breast florentine
- If you want to stretch your budget, you can use 2 large chicken breasts, and cut them in half lengthwise (butterfly and cut in half). Skip step 1 of the recipe, and go directly to step 2, dredging the chicken in flour.
- Room temperature chicken breasts are best for pan-searing! I like to grab my chicken breasts first thing and let them sit on the counter at room temperature while I grab and prep the other ingredients. This makes the meat easier to pound and flatten.
- Pound the chicken to level thickness to make sure that it cooks evenly. Gently pounding it with a meat mallet or rolling pin will make your chicken juicer.
- The secret to perfectly golden chicken crust is to let them cook undisturbed for three to four minutes, or until the bottom turns golden.
- Add chicken drippings to the sauce! I place the chicken on a plate while the spinach Florentine sauce is cooking. Let the juices collect and add them to the creamy sauce for more flavor!
- Deglaze and scrape! Once you have added the white wine, scrape the surface of the pan using a wooden spatula to dislodge those caramelized brown bits. These tidbits will add tons of flavor to your creamy sauce!
- To thin sauce: The white wine spinach cream sauce will continue to thicken upon standing. I like to have some half-and-half or broth (if I’m trying to watch the nutrition) on hand to thin the sauce.
FAQs: frequently asked questions
What type of dry white wine should I use?
As a general rule of thumb when cooking with wine, use the type that you enjoy drinking. You can even enjoy a glass while making this! I typically use a dry Chardonnay to make this Florentine sauce for chicken.
What is a half and half?
If this is the first time you have encountered this ingredient, it is made of fifty percent milk and fifty percent cream. The cream used in this blend has about 10% to 18% fat.
Can I omit the wine in the florentine sauce?
If you want to make this creamy florentine chicken alcohol-free, yes you can! You can use chicken broth instead. However, please note that the wine lends complexity and acidity to the dish. If skipping the wine, I recommend squeezing fresh lemon juice over your Florence chicken just before serving!
Can I use onions instead of shallots?
I like the subtle taste and hint of sweetness that shallots bring to any dish. However, feel free to use onion as a substitute if that is what you have.
Serving recipes for chicken florentine
How to serve this creamy chicken florentine?
This easy chicken florentine recipe is best when enjoyed warm and ultra-creamy, straight from the skillet! To serve, place the cooked chicken cultet on individual serving plates and spoon the creamy spinach sauce over the top! Finally, garnish the dish with plenty of freshly-grated parmesan cheese, along with fresh herbs and crushed red pepper flakes to taste!
What to serve with it?
This florentine dish pairs well with a wide variety side dishes! You can simply serve it with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the spinach florentine sauce, or try any of these:
- Bread: You’ll obviously want some sort of bread for sopping up all that rich cream of spinach florentine sauce. My recommendation is the most amazing double garlic bread or simple homemade dinner rolls – ready in 1 hour!
- Salads: I love serving this richer dish with something light and bright. My personal favorites here include juicy cherry tomatoes in balsamic marinade, shaved asparagus salad with lemon vinaigrette dressing, or a chopped Italian salad.
- Potatoes: Of course, you can never go wrong with potato side dishes! You can enjoy it with my roasted mini potatoes or whipped sweet potatoes.
- Pasta: Make Florentine chicken pasta by spooning the creamy sauce and chicken over al dente noodles!
- Grains: You can also serve it with freshly steamed rice, zucchini rice, or lemon rice for a heartier lunch or dinner meal for the whole family.
- Or opt for cauliflower rice or broccoli rice for a boost of fiber and Vitamin C!
How to store spinach florentine chicken?
If you have leftovers, allow the chicken and Florentine sauce to cool down completely before transferring them into an airtight container. You can store leftovers in the fridge, and it should stay good for up to three days.
When you are ready to eat, you can simply reheat individual portions in the microwave or bigger batches on the stovetop! If the creamy spinach Florentine sauce is too thick, you can add a splash of broth, milk, or cream to make it creamy again. I do not recommend freezing, as the creamy white sauce can become grainy upon thawing.
There you have it! Another great chicken dish to add to your repertoire of quick and easy recipes that taste like a million bucks!
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More one pan chicken breast dinners!
If you love this one pan Florentine chicken, try one of these easy chicken recipes next!
- Chicken Breasts with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (30 minute recipe)
- Chicken Pasta and Tomatoes (ultra creamy pasta)
- Crispy Parmesan Chicken (30 minutes, pantry staples)
- Baked Prosciutto Chicken Breasts (sheet pan meal)
The best chicken Florentine with spinach recipe!👇
Chicken Florentine Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large skillet (for cooking chicken breasts and spinach florentine sauce)
- Kitchen Utility Spoon (for stirring)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 whole Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (SEE NOTES)
- To Taste Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour (for dredging chicken)
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning (SEE NOTES)
- 3 TBS Unsalted Butter - DIVIDED
- 2 TBS Good-Quality Olive Oil
Florentine Sauce
- 2 medium Shallots – finely chopped
- 3-4 large cloves Garlic – thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Dry White Wine
- 1 ¾ Cups Half-and-Half - or more as needed
- 2 ounces Cream Cheese – cut into cubes
- 2-3 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach - packed (about 4-5 ounces)
- ¼ Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – plus more for garnish
- Optional Garnishes fresh parsley or basil, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon wedges
Instructions
- Pound Chicken Breasts: Place chicken breasts on a clean work surface. Working with one chicken breast at a time, cover the chicken breast with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken breast out to an even thickness, about 1-inch thick. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts. (SEE NOTES)Pat the chicken dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- Dredge Chicken: In a shallow bowl (large enough to hold a chicken breast), combine the flour with the Italian seasoning. Dredge both sides of the chicken through the flour mixture, tap off any excess. Set aside.
- Brown chicken: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with all of the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the chicken breasts. Cover the pan and cook for 3-4, or until the bottom side is golden. Remove the cover, flip the chicken, and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Continue to cook the chicken (uncovered), basting the chicken with the butter in the pan, for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken breasts are golden brown. Take the skillet off the heat and remove chicken to a large plate and lightly tent with foil to keep warm. DO NOT WIPE OUT THE PAN.
- Sauté aromatics: Decrease the heat to medium and add the shallots and garlic. Season with a ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 2-3 minutes
- Deglaze: Add the white wine to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to medium-high and rapidly simmer until the wine is reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add cream cheese, then half-and-half: Reduce heat to low and add the cubes of cream cheese to the pan. Whisk the cream cheese into the wine until a smooth sauce starts to form. While whisking, add the half-and-half to the pan. Increase the heat to medium and bring the sauce to a simmer. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened.
- Add spinach + parmesan: Add the spinach and parmesan to the skillet. Stir until the spinach and parmesan are well combined, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add chicken: Return the chicken breasts to the pan, along with any drippings on the plate. Cover the skillet and let the chicken very gently simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165-degrees F and the spinach is wilted to your liking.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle fresh herbs, more parmesan and red pepper flakes (if using) over the chicken and Florentine sauce. Serve with crusty bread and lemon wedges (optional)! Enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Chicken: If you want to stretch your budget, you can use 2 large chicken breasts, and cut them in half lengthwise (butterfly and cut in half). Skip step 1 of the recipe, and go directly to step 2, dredging the chicken in flour.
- Pounding Chicken: To save cleanup time, place an individual chicken breast in a resealable bag, remove excess air and seal. Use a meat mallet, rolling pin or empty wine bottle to gently pound the chicken to an even thickness. Pounding ensures even cooking and juicier chicken breasts!
- Room Temp Chicken Breasts: Remove chicken breasts from fridge 30 minutes before cooking! I like to grab my chicken breasts first thing and let them sit on the counter at room temperature while I grab and prep the other ingredients.
- Cooking Chicken: Don’t fuss with chicken: Don’t move the chicken breasts while they are cooking. Let them cook UNDISTURBED to ensure a golden crust!
- Butter + Oil: The combination of butter and oil lends richer flavor! Plus, the butter helps neutralize the oils high smoke point!
- Tasty Additions! Mushrooms, Cherry tomatoes, Sun-dried tomatoes, Leeks, Capers, Bacon & MORE (See Post for more ideas!)
- Storage: Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
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Lucinda
This dish is really splendid! Both me and my hubby really enjoyed it and it wasn’t too terribly difficult to make, either. There will be a repeat performance, thanks.