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This pan seared chicken with a spinach florentine cream sauce is the easy chicken recipe that can turn any weeknight meal into something special in only 30 minutes.
Skip the restaurant and make this skillet chicken florentine at home instead. Cooking Italian food at home doesn't have to be complicated to be delicious, and this recipe proves that. This recipe combines simple pan-seared chicken breasts with a luscious spinach florentine cream sauce. Think a florentine cream sauce sounds complicated? It's not; all it means is that the dish contains spinach and is commonly referred to as how dishes are made in Florance, Italy. That doesn't make it complicated; let me show you.
This pan-seared chicken is delicious on its own, but pairing it with a creamy spinach sauce takes the flavors over the top, and lucky for us, it doesn't require any fancy ingredients to do that.
What ingredients do you need to make chicken florentine?
- Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts - You can use another cut if you prefer. If you are using one with skin still on, make sure the skin is crisp before moving on.
- Gluten-free Flour (for dredging) - I use King Author 1:1 in this recipe. If you want to keep this recipe completey grain-free instead of just gluten-free feel free to sub almond flour for the 1:1 flour.
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Shallot
- Spinach - I prefer this recipe with fresh spinach however frozen spinach will work. If you are using a frozen spinach be sure to defrost and drain the spianch so your cream sauce does not end up wattery.
- Chicken Broth
- White Wine - Feel free to make this chicken florentine without wine, just sub in equal parts chicken stock for the wine.
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Salt and Pepper
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How long does it take to make this skillet chicken dinner?
This recipe for chicken florentine dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes and only a few simple steps.
- Dredge and season the chicken.
- Sear the chicken.
- Saute the shallots and garlic.
- Deglaze the pan.
- Make the spinach cream sauce.
- Simmer the chicken and let the sauce thicken.
Tips and Tricks for the best pan-seared chicken.
This recipe lets the chicken shine, so it is essential to ensure you don't end up drying out the chicken. Here is how I do that.
Make sure that your chicken breasts are even sized and thick. I like to cut mine lengthwise or use a meat mallet to help make sure the thickness of the chicken is pretty even, so it cooks at the same rate.
Using a heavy-bottomed pan or skillet works best as it will retain heat better, helping to make sure the chicken cooks more evenly. Cast iron works well for searing chicken.
The best way to get the best color when you are searing chicken is to make sure that you heat the skillet first, Do NOT add chicken to a cold pan; warm it up first. Do NOT move the chicken around the pan. Once you place the chicken, let it cook. Do NOT overcrowd the skillet. When the chicken is close together, it will be more likely to steam as it cooks, preventing the chicken from getting the nice crust on the outside.
How to serve chicken florentine.
You can do something simple like rice over some gluten-free pasta, creamy mashed potatoes, and even some roasted vegetables.
Can you make this pan-seared chicken and spinach cream sauce ahead of time?
This is not a recipe that I would recommend making ahead of time. The cream-based sauce does not tend to reheat well, and the spinach tends to get watery in the sauce. Luckily this recipe comes together fast, so you can make it when you want it.
More weeknight dinners to love.
Sweet and Tangy Teriyaki Chicken
Louisiana Red Beans and Cauliflower Rice
If you love spinach as much as I do, you might even want to make some creamed spinach to enjoy.
Easy Pan Seared Chicken with Spinach Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- ¼ Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour or almond flour for grain-free.
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 4 Tablespoons Butter divided
- 1 Small Shallot thinly sliced
- ¼ Cup White Wine
- ¼ Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 3-4 Cups Fresh Spinach 2, 10-ounce packages drained if using frozen.
- ½ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 4 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken in the flour.4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, ¼ Cup 1:1 Gluten-free Flour, 1 ½ Teaspoons Salt, 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- Sear the chicken in the skillet for about 3-4 minutes per side. (The chicken might not be fully cooked at this point and that is okay.)4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt.4 Tablespoons Butter
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced shallot once the butter has melted and let it saute until it starts to soften about 4-5 minutes.1 Small Shallot
- Add the minced garlic to the shallot and let it cook until it is fragrant for about 1-2 more minutes.4 Cloves Garlic
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine (or stock if not using the wine). Make sure you scrape up all the little bits¼ Cup White Wine
- Pour the stock and heavy cream into the pan with the shallot and let it simmer.¼ Cup Chicken Stock, 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- To the sauce add the parmesan cheese and stir until melted.½ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Add the spinach to the sauce.3-4 Cups Fresh Spinach
- Place the chicken breasts back into the pan with the sauce. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce to let the chicken finish cooking, and the sauce thicken a bit.4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Serve the seared chicken with its creamy chicken florentine sauce while warm.
Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.