Description
This creamy chicken with spinach dinner is a rich and flavorful one-pan meal featuring tender chicken breasts or thighs simmered in a luscious garlic Parmesan cream sauce with fresh baby spinach. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner, it’s easy to prepare and pairs wonderfully with rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Cooking Fats
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Vegetables
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
Garnish
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Season and Sear Chicken: Season the chicken breasts or thighs with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Cook Garlic and Deglaze: Reduce the heat to medium and add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping any browned bits off the pan bottom.
- Make Cream Sauce: Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Continue to simmer the sauce for 2 to 3 more minutes until it thickens slightly.
- Add Spinach: Incorporate the fresh baby spinach into the sauce and stir until the leaves have wilted completely.
- Reheat Chicken: Return the cooked chicken pieces to the skillet, spoon the sauce generously over the top, and simmer for an additional 2 minutes to warm through and blend the flavors.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot alongside your choice of rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Notes
- You can substitute kale or Swiss chard for spinach for a different leafy green flavor and texture.
- For a dairy-free version, replace heavy cream with coconut cream and use dairy-free Parmesan cheese alternatives.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 460mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 135mg
