Chicken Florentine
Chicken Florentine is a classic dish that is easier than you think! You just need one pan, chicken, spinach, and a few other basic ingredients to make this delicious chicken dinner!
This is one of those recipes that is perfect for weeknights when you are running low on time and energy, yet equally perfect for guests because it is quite impressive! Chicken Florentine is a dish that features thin chicken breast, perfectly seasoned, in a rich white wine sauce! It is low in carbs, making it a great keto recipe! Below you will find a step by step guide that walks you through the entire process.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Chicken Florentine Ingredients
As always, this is a quick overview of the ingredients you will need to make this creamy, flavorful Chicken Florentine! To get the complete, printable recipe card just scroll to the recipe box.
- Chicken Breast: You will need fairly thin breasts for this recipe. That can often be difficult to find. So if you can only find large breasts simply cut through it, as if you are butterflying the chicken, but instead cut all the way through. This will take one large piece of chicken and turn it into two smaller, uniform pieces of chicken.
- Herb Rug: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter works, you can control the salt level by adjusting the salt in the recipe.
- White Wine: use a nice dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t want to use wine that is okay, just use a good quality chicken stock.
- Spinach: the signature ingredient! Use fresh spinach for the best taste and texture.
- Garlic: freshly minced garlic is best.
- Heavy Cream: this adds the perfect rich and creamy texture to the sauce.
- Parmesan: a great aged, grated parmesan works perfectly in this recipe.
How to Make Chicken Florentine
This recipe is comprised of three steps, pan-sear chicken, make the sauce, and simmer. Seriously, it is that easy! Below you will find every single step documented so you can follow along and make the perfect creamy chicken dish!
Season and Brown the Chicken
Depending on the size of your chicken breasts, you may need to slice them so they cook evenly. (See my note above in the ingredient section.) Once the chicken has been prepped combine the spices, salt, and pepper and sprinkle each side of the chicken well. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remember, the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce so it is okay if it does not reach 165 degrees F. Just try to get a nice golden brown crust on the chicken at this step.
Saute Garlic and Add Wine
Remove the chicken from the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low (you don’t want to burn the garlic in the next step) add the butter and minced garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add the wine and increase the heat to medium or medium-high if needed. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow the wine to reduce by half. This will take 5-6 minutes.
Stir in Heavy Cream
Now it is time for the good stuff! Once the wine has reduced pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture back to a simmer. Allow the heavy cream to gently simmer, stirring occasionally until it has begun to thicken. This will take 4-5 minutes. Don’t skip this step, you really want to give the sauce time to meld and create that perfect silky, creamy texture.
Fold in Spinach and Parmesan
You are almost done! Next, fold in the spinach and parmesan and stir until the spinach has wilted and the parmesan has melted.
Add Chicken to Pan
The final step is to add the chicken back to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Allow the sauce and chicken to cook for 5-7 minutes, then check the internal temperature. The dish is ready when the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Serve
Serve this immediately, as the sauce will thicken as it cools. You can enjoy this creamy chicken dish over your favorite buttered pasta, rice, or potato dish! You can find a few of my favorite side dishes below:
Our Favorite
Side Dish Recipes
Store and Reheat
Store any leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. You can also make this entire dish ahead of time and store it in a 9×13 casserole dish. When ready to serve heat the oven to 350 degrees F. and place the covered baking dish in the oven and heat for 20-25 minutes until heated through.
Recipe FAQ
You can use chicken broth in place of the wine if you prefer.
I have not found a dairy-free alternative that offers the same taste and texture for this recipe.
Yes. This recipe is gluten-free, low-carb and keto-friendly.
Tips & Tricks
- SEASON: Remember to season the chicken well before searing. You want to evenly season the dish so you get great flavor in every bite
- OVERCOOK: Be mindful not to overcook the chicken. Use a meat thermometer, the dish is done when the chicken reaches 165 degrees F.
- ADD-INS: You can add in additional ingredients such as mushrooms or swap the spinach for kale. Another option is to add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the sauce.
Chicken Skillet Recipes
- Lemon Parmesan Chicken: similar to this recipe, it is a one-pan chicken recipe in a creamy lemon sauce!
- Green Chili Chicken Skillet: everything you love about enchiladas but in a quick skillet recipe!
- Chicken Stir Fry: a healthy protein and veggie-packed dinner!
- Honey Garlic Chicken: a sweet and savory chicken recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes!
- Butter Chicken: so quick and easy, a reader favorite!
Chicken Florentine
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breast sliced to make 2 thinner breast (4 breast total)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder + salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups fresh spinach packed
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken lengthwise to create two thinner chicken breast (4 breast total) and sprinkle each side with the seasonings.
- Heat a skillet to medium heat and spray well with cooking spray or add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sear the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the butter and garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant. Add the wine and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Allow the wine to reduce by half. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream and allow the heavy cream to simmer, stirring occasionally until it has begun to thicken. This will take 4-5 minutes.
- Add the spinach and parmesan. You may want to add the spinach in batches as it wilts. Stir the mixture until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and reduce heat to low. Place a cover on the skillet and allow the chicken to cook through. The dish is ready to serve when the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
