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 and perfect for weeknight dinners, it's creamy-dreamy 30 minute comfort food without all the guilt!
OptionalGarnishesfresh 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 facts are provided as a curtesy. Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 4 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.