Description
A rich, creamy, and garlic-packed skillet chicken dinner featuring sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. This small-batch recipe feeds two people perfectly in just 30 minutes, eliminating waste and simplifying weeknight cooking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs / 680g total)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, divided
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth (low-sodium)
- ½ cup heavy cream (full-fat)
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (packed in oil, drained)
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil (reserved)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Pat chicken breasts dry and pound to an even ½-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian seasoning.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F). Remove to a plate and tent with foil.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add minced garlic and remaining Italian seasoning; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown.
- Pour in chicken broth and simmer for 1 minute, scraping up browned bits. Add heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes (with reserved oil). Simmer for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in fresh spinach and cook until wilted (about 30 seconds). Remove skillet from heat.
- Gradually stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.
- Return chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Let sit for 1 minute to absorb flavor. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan, black pepper, and optional fresh basil or olive oil drizzle.
Notes
Pound chicken evenly for consistent cooking. Use fresh Parmesan, not pre-grated, to prevent a grainy sauce. Remove pan from heat before adding cheese to avoid separation. Sun-dried tomato oil adds significant flavor. For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast wit
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 28
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 35
Keywords: Tuscan chicken, creamy garlic chicken, small batch dinner, 30 minute meals, chicken for two, sun-dried tomato chicken, skillet dinner, weeknight dinner