Florentine Chicken
Chicken Florentine is a combination of perfectly seared chicken, creamy sauce, and lots of nutrient-packed spinach. This recipe adds sun-dried tomatoes for an umami boost!
What is Chicken Florentine?
Chicken Florentine is a dish featuring tender chicken, a creamy sauce, and cooked spinach. The root ideas for this dish originated in Florence, Italy.
The dish gained popularity in the United States in the 1930’s, but the quality wasn’t always great (home cooks sometimes made it with canned cream of mushroom soup).
Today, we’ll be restoring this elegant dish to something you’ll be proud to serve to guests.
Why you’ll love Florentine Chicken
- The creamy goodness of this dish makes it the best kind of comfort food.
- It’s versatile enough to enjoy for a cozy Sunday dinner at home, or to host a dinner party with.
- It’s packed with a ton of nutrient-rich spinach, so you’ll get your vitamins and minerals!
Creamy Chicken Florentine ingredients
For the Chicken:
- chicken breasts – we are going to be cutting two large chicken breasts into four thinner cutlets.
- salt and pepper – seasoning the chicken very well is key to the flavor of this dish.
- garlic powder – adds a mild garlic flavor that adheres right to the chicken.
- flour – coats the chicken, giving it a golden exterior when cooked.
- vegetable oil and butter – used for cooking the chicken.
For the Florentine Sauce:
- garlic – infuses the sauce with a robust flavor.
- shallot – provides a subtle onion flavor to the sauce.
- chicken broth – the savory base of the sauce. I like to use a low-sodium variety so that I can control the salt level.
- white wine – introduces acidity and brightness to this chicken with spinach cream sauce.
- Italian seasoning – this blend of dried herbs, that includes oregano and basil, complements the chicken and cream sauce.
- heavy cream – creates a luscious and rich texture.
- baby spinach – a nutrient-rich vegetable that adds vibrant green color and earthy flavor.
- sun-dried tomatoes – these are not traditional in chicken Florentine, but I like to add them because they provide a burst of concentrated, sweet umami flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – adds saltiness to the sauce, as well as a nutty flavor.
How to make this Chicken Florentine Recipe
1. HALVE. Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally so you have 4 thinner pieces.
2. SEASON. Sprinkle chicken with salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
3. DREDGE. Place flour in shallow bowl and dredge chicken in flour.
4. SAUTE. Heat oil and butter in large skillet, then add chicken and cook until rich golden brown on both sides. Transfer chicken to plate.
5. AROMATICS. Add remaining butter to skillet and saute garlic and shallot for 30 seconds.
6. LIQUID. Stir in the broth, wine, Italian seasoning and remaining salt and pepper. Increase the heat and cook until the mixture is reduced by half.
7. CREAM. Add the cream and cook 2 minutes.
8. WILT. Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until spinach is just wilted.
9. ADD CHICKEN BACK. Add the chicken back to the pan and turn to coat in sauce. Cook 3 to 4 minutes longer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
10. GARNISH. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Home Chef Tips for Chicken Breast Florentine
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will elevate this chicken with spinach cream sauce’s taste compared to pre-packaged grated cheese.
- For an extra earthy layer of flavor, mushrooms make a fantastic addition to this dish. Saute them in a few tablespoons of butter between Steps 4 and 5, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
How to serve Chicken with Spinach Cream Sauce
Serve this chicken Florentine recipe garnished with grated Parmesan cheese. You can serve it over pasta or with side dishes.
What to serve with Chicken Florentine
I like to serve this chicken Florentine recipe with my homemade mashed potatoes recipe and some steamed green beans or even balsamic green beans.
The sauce is so delicious that you might want to have some crusty bread on hand for mopping up every last drop.
Chicken Breast Florentine storage
To store leftover chicken Florentine, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Florentine Sauce storage and reheating
You can store any extra Florentine sauce with the chicken, or separately. But to reheat Floretine sauce, you need to be careful. If it’s heated too quickly or at too high of a temperature, the sauce will break.
I recommend reheating the Florentine chicken, covered in the sauce, in a baking dish in a 300 degree oven until it is warmed through.
You can also microwave the chicken Florentine leftovers to reheat them, but you need to use 50% power on your microwave so that the sauce does not break.
Chicken Breast Florentine
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot minced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 box fresh baby spinach 5 ounces
- ½ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally, so that instead of having 2 thick chicken breasts, you have 4 thinner pieces.
- Sprinkle chicken all over with 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
- Place flour in shallow bowl and add chicken pieces, one at a time, turning until they are completely coated in flour, shaking excess flour off before placing on a large plate.
- In large skillet, heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 6 to 7 minutes or until rich golden brown on both sides, turning once halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to clean plate.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic, shallot and remaining 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in broth, wine, Italian seasoning, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in spinach and sun-dried tomatoes and stir until spinach is just wilted.
- Add chicken back to pan and turn to coat in sauce. Cook over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165 degrees F, and sauce is thickened a little bit, turning chicken occasionally.
- Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Notes
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will elevate this chicken with spinach cream sauce’s taste compared to pre-packaged grated cheese.
- For an extra earthy layer of flavor, mushrooms make a fantastic addition to this dish. Saute them in a few tablespoons of butter between Steps 4 and 5, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
