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Chicken Florentine
Creamy Chicken Florentine made with tender chicken cutlets, spinach, and a garlic cream sauce. A quick one pan dinner ready in 30 minutes.
A FAST, FLAVOR PACKED DINNER
I love little dinners like this that look special and a little fancy but really are incredibly simple and fairly quick to make. This Chicken Florentine recipe is one of those dishes! Tender, seasoned chicken with spinach and garlic cream sauce, makes for the perfect dinner. The sauce is ridiculously good! It’s one of my favorites to make a double batch of the sauce when I want to serve with pasta!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Why is it called Chicken Florentine? I love a good food history lesson! It is named after Florence, Italy. Apparently an Italian noble woman from Florence (Catherine de Medici) popularized spinach dishes in the Italian court during her time there. So basically, “Florentine” is a dish that has spinach added. (mainly in chicken, fish or eggs.) What to serve with Chicken Florentine? This dish goes great with pasta, rice, Mashed Potatoes, or roasted vegetables. I served it with some steamed broccoli when I took these photos. Add a big green salad and some Dinner Rolls, Garlic Bread or Butter Dip Biscuits to finish it off. What else can I add to this? You can add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or peas. Is this chicken dish spicy? You can omit the red pepper flakes, but it only gives a little flavor of heat that is not overpowering or makes the dish hot. But if you are worried about spiciness, just leave them out. What’s the best way to store leftovers? You can keep this in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat this on the stovetop or in the microwave. Don’t overheat the chicken, as it will get very tough and the sauce will separate.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
all-purpose flour– You can use any flour of your choice, such as rice flour, gluten-free flour, or wheat flour. I haven’t personally tested these substitutions, so it may take some trial and error.
large chicken breasts– cut in half lengthwise to make chicken cutlets. You could even use boneless chicken thighs, but pound them thin first. Just make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Some grocery stores sell thin cut chicken breasts and you could use those instead (you’ll need 4).
garlic powder and onion powder – I keep the seasoning pretty simple here. Feel free to add any seasoning you prefer. I think lemon pepper would be nice.
oil– I suggest using avocado or vegetable or canola oil. Avocado oil can withstand very high heat without breaking down. List olive oil would even work.
butter– it won’t matter if you use salted or unsalted butter. Use whichever you prefer.
garlic – I find freshly minced garlic brings the most flavor (especially for a garlic lover like me, the jarred stuff doesn’t even come close to the same flavor) but you could use the jarred stuff in a pinch or if you prefer that taste.
dry white wine– you can just use more chicken broth if you’re concerned about using white wine but white wine is a traditional flavor in Chicken Florentine, most folks have no idea it is in there when they eat it because it does not taste like alcohol.
low-sodium chicken broth– if you have any concern of this being too salty or need to watch your sodium intake, I always suggest opting for a low sodium version, or using some Homemade Chicken Broth where you know all the quantities and ingredients already. Remember you can always add in salt later if needed.
heavy whipping cream– I use full-fat heavy cream because it makes the sauce extra creamy. I would not use regular milk as the sauce just won’t get as rich as it’s supposed to. It won’t have the right flavor. Some folks substitute evaporated milk for heavy cream in many recipes but I have not tried that.
freshly grated parmesan cheese– Parmesan cheese adds just a bit of flavor and saltiness to the chicken.
Italian seasoning– If you don’t have Italian seasoning, you can use a mix of thyme, oregano, basil, and rosemary. I have a Homemade Italian Seasoning recipe if you prefer.
red pepper flakes– an optional ingredient to bring a little heat. This is my favorite addition, but you can use cayenne pepper if you want more heat. You can also omit it altogether.
fresh baby spinach– You can swap the spinach for kale or arugula if you prefer. If you don’t like spinach, you can leave it out, but then it really wouldn’t be Chicken Florentine without it.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN FLORENTINE:
To a bowl, add the flour. Set aside. Season both sides of your chicken breasts with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Coat the chicken with the flour mixture. Set aside. To a skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon of oil and butter. Once butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add chicken.
Cook each side of the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until each side is golden brown. You can add the remainder of the oil if it is needed. Transfer the chicken to a plate. To the skillet, add the minced garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
To the skillet, add the white wine and broth. Stir for 3-5 minutes or until the liquid is slightly reduced. To the skillet, add the heavy whipping cream, 1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 3-5 minutes or until thicker.
Taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed. Add the spinach. Stir until the spinach is coated in the sauce.
Transfer the chicken back to the skillet. Stir the spinach around for 3-5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165F degrees.
Top with Parmesan cheese. I also like to top the dish with more black pepper and red pepper flakes.
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Print
Chicken Florentine
Tender, seasoned chicken cutlets smothered in a a creamy, garlic, spinach sauce.
Course Dinner, Main CourseCuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes minutesCook Time 20 minutes minutesTotal Time 35 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Calories 533kcal
Author Brandie Skibinski
Ingredients½ cup all-purpose flour2 large chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise (you'll end up with 4 thin chicken breasts)½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon kosher salt¼ teaspoon black pepper1-2 Tablespoons oil (avocado or light olive oil)1 Tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted)3 cloves garlic, minced minced½ cup dry white wine (can use chicken broth)¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth1 cup heavy whipping cream½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (divided use)¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)2 cups fresh baby spinach
InstructionsTo a bowl, add 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Set aside.In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Season both sides of the 4 thin cut chicken breasts with seasoning mixture.Then coat each chicken cutlet with the flour mixture. Set aside on a plate. To a skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Once butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add chicken. Cook each side of the chicken for 4-5 minutes or until each side is golden brown. You can add the remainder of the oil if it is needed.Transfer the chicken to a plate.To the skillet, add 3 cloves garlic, minced. Stir for 1 minute (or until fragrant.) To the skillet (over medium heat), add 1/2 cup dry white wine and 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth. Stir for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is slightly reduced. Add in 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if using). Stir for 3-5 minutes or until thicker Carefully taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed. Add in 2 cups fresh baby spinach. Stir until the spinach is coated in the sauce. Transfer the chicken back to the skillet. Stir the spinach around for 3-5 minutes or until the spinach is wilted and the chicken is fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165F degrees. Spoon the cream sauce over the chicken then serve!
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
You can double the cream sauce ingredients if you like a lot of sauce. Just make sure the skillet you are using is large enough to hold the extra sauce.
NutritionCalories: 533kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 35g | Sodium: 554mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
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