If juicy meat in a creamy sauce is your dinner love language, this Chicken Florentine recipe is here to win your heart. Tender pan-fried chicken breasts are smothered in spinach and a swoon-worthy garlic wine cream sauce for the perfect date-night-in.
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Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chicken Florentine Recipe
- It’s All About That Sauce. The chicken is fab, the spinach is delish, but it’s the sauce that brings it all together. It’s rich and creamy without being heavy, flavored with garlic and caramelized shallot for a hint of sweetness, and it’s infused with Parmesan cheese. You better not skip the bread because you WILL want to soak! this! up!
- Well Plated Twists Take It Over the Top. Some chicken Florentine recipes are a bit one-note and I wanted to add some more depth. The aforementioned shallot does a good job at this, as do the sun-dried tomatoes, which aren’t traditional but punch up the flavor a great deal. Finishing this dish in the oven thickens the sauce and adds some browning, and in cooking, browning = flavor.
- A Cinch to Make. Like Lemon Chicken Piccata and Chicken Saltimbocca, this chicken Florentine recipe has restaurant vibes, but it’s a dish that comes together with minimal effort. Once you pop it in the oven, you’ve got 10 to 15 minutes to make a quick side dish (maybe heat up those Homemade Dinner Rolls that you have stashed in your freezer?) and dinner’s done.
How to Make Chicken Florentine
The Ingredients
- Reduced Fat Cream Cheese. AKA Neufchatel. This adds richness to the sauce without requiring the use of heavy cream.
- Half-and-Half. The other component of our cream sauce.
- Chicken Breasts. Use boneless skinless chicken breasts; they should be small so they all fit comfortably into your pan.
- All-Purpose Flour. When pan-fried, this gives the chicken a golden brown exterior.
- Shallot. You can substitute half of a small yellow onion if your grocery store doesn’t have shallots.
- Garlic. If your cloves are extra large or on the smaller side, I recommend mincing and then measuring to make sure you have the right amount. You’ll need about 4 teaspoons.
- Dry White Wine. Like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. You can make this chicken Florentine recipe without wine by using chicken broth instead.
- Baby Spinach. Food cooked Florentine-style literally means with spinach and cream sauce, so the spinach is pretty essential!
- Grated Parmesan Cheese. Grate it yourself from a block.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes. While these are optional, I highly recommend them. They add a pop of color and flavor and really make this chicken Florentine extra delish.
- Red Pepper Flakes. Also optional, if you want a bit of a kick.
The Directions
- Pound Out the Chicken. You want them evenly thick from end to end. Season with salt and pepper.
- Dredge. Use tongs to coat the chicken breasts with flour.
- Pan-Fry. Brown the chicken breasts in oil and butter. Transfer to a plate and cover.
- Cook the Shallot. Sauté until it’s lightly caramelized.
- Deglaze. Add the garlic, pour in the wine, and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the Spinach. Toss it in the pan a few handfuls at a time. It will cook down significantly.
- Make It Creamy. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cream cheese and half-and-half. Once the cream sauce is smooth, stir in the Parm and sun-dried tomatoes. Season to taste.
- Bake. Nestle the chicken in the spinach and sauce, then bake at 375 degrees F until it reaches 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Plate the chicken Florentine with the sauce and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Chicken Florentine
- Bread. Soak up the sauce with crusty Rosemary Olive Oil Bread or my No Knead Focaccia.
- Rice and Grains. Serve chicken Florentine over brown rice or hearty farro.
- Salad. For a lighter side, try this Arugula Salad.
- Crepes. For chicken Florentine crepes, make the crepes from this Savory Crepes recipe, cut the chicken into cubes, and fold it into the crepes with the spinach. Spoon extra sauce on top.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Use GOOD Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated is so important and it’s not a food snob thing, it’s about getting your recipes to come together properly. Shelf-stable grated Parm—the kind in the infamous green containers—doesn’t melt smoothly into a sauce. It will make it grainy instead of smooth. Even refrigerated Parmesan shreds don’t melt very smoothly.
- Let the Cream Cheese and Half-and-Half Come to Room Temperature. This will help them incorporate into the sauce more easily and smoothly, without little unmelted bits of cream cheese throughout.
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken. Chicken breasts are notoriously easy to overcook, and then they get dry and rubbery. An instant-read thermometer is the best way to monitor the temperature to make sure it doesn’t exceed 165 degrees F.
Chicken Florentine
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Tender chicken breasts cooked in a garlicky spinach cream sauce, this chicken Florentine recipe is an Italian classic that's easy to make at home!
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Ingredients
- 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese Neufchatel
- ¾ cup half-and-half
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (½ to 2 pounds)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt plus a few pinches
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus a few pinches
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional as needed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced, about 4 teaspoons
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 10 to 12 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes optional
- Pinch red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Dice the cream cheese into a few pieces and measure out the half-and-half. Let sit at room temperature while you start the recipe.
- Place each chicken breast on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap to keep things tidy. With a meat mallet, rolling pin, or the base of a skillet, lightly pound to an even thickness (they don't need to be paper thin, you just don't want the middle thicker than the ends so that they cook evenly). Season all over with the ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl (a pie plate works well). With tongs, lightly dredge each piece of chicken on both sides with flour, then transfer to a plate.
- In a large, sturdy overproof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Once the butter has melted, carefully lower 2 of the chicken breasts into the skillet (angle the chicken away from you to guard against spatters), ensuring they do not touch. Cook on both sides until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. The chicken will not be cooked through. Repeat with remaining chicken.
- Reduce the pan heat to medium-low. Add the shallot to the now-empty pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is lightly caramelized, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and wine. Cook and simmer, scraping along the bottom of the pan, until the wine reduces by approximately half, about 1 minute.
- Add the spinach by large handfuls, stirring so it wilts. Cook and stir until the spinach completely cooks down, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Add the diced cream cheese and half-and-half, stirring so that everything melts together smoothly. Stir in the Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir in a pinch each of salt and black pepper, and the red pepper flakes (if using)
- Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce. Transfer to the oven and bake until the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant read thermometer (I remove mine a few degrees early as the temperature will rise as it rests), about 10 to 15 minutes depending upon the size of your chicken breasts. If some finish earlier than others, transfer them to a plate and keep warm while you finish baking the rest. Serve the chicken hot with sauce spooned over the top.
Notes
- TO STORE: Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Chicken Florentine can be frozen with the sauce for up to 3 months in a freezer bag or airtight container. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 4)Calories: 494kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 45gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 153mgPotassium: 1.419mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 7.227IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 224mgIron: 4mg
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I was looking for a quick weeknight dinner, and this Chicken Florentine did not disappoint! It came together in under 30 minutes, and the creamy sauce was so satisfying. I paired it with some crusty bread, and it made for the perfect cozy meal after a long day.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Bella! Thank you!
I served this Chicken Florentine at a dinner party, and everyone raved about it! The flavors were rich but not overwhelming. I love that it can impress guests while being simple enough for a weeknight meal. I even made extra sauce because it was so good! Thank you so much, Erin!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Caroline!
As someone who loves chicken and spinach, this Chicken Florentine was a dream come true! The sautéed spinach blended with the creaminess made for a luscious sauce that I couldn’t stop eating. I can see this becoming a go-to recipe in my kitchen for years to come!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Joyce!