Creamy Chicken Florentine

Classic Comfort Food

As impressive as this creamy chicken florentine is like my fettuccini alfredo with chicken or tuscan chicken pasta it’s easy to make! Simple, flavorful ingredients, come together in one skillet for an elegant dinner that is a family favorite.

The chicken cutlets are pan-fried until golden, then smothered in a rich and flavorful creamy garlic sauce with juicy tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan cheese. It’s a delicious upgrade from classic yet easy chicken breast recipes like chicken tenders or lemon chicken.

Why I Love This Recipe

If you have ever wondered ‘what is chicken florentine?’, it’s simple any dish cooked in the “florentine” style, which means served over spinach. It also resembles many recipes and how they are prepared in Florence, Italy.

I love how easy this creamy spinach chicken recipe is while also looking somewhat fancy! It’s the perfect way to liven up any weekly dinner routine, can be customized and pairs well so much. This chicken florentine is a keeper!

• Chicken: You’ll start with two boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you’ll slice each one in half horizontally, giving you 4 cutlets. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs which will cook faster so use a thermometer to tell when they’re done at 165°F. 
• Chicken stock or broth: Traditionally you’d find white wine used in a chicken florentine recipe, but I prefer to just use more stock or broth. 
• Heavy cream: This is what delivers the rich and creamy consistency of the sauce. You can also use evaporated milk, but make sure it’s unsweetened!
• Italian seasoning: I like to keep a jar of my homemade Italian seasoning blend at all times just because I use it a lot. It’s a combination of oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, sage, and parsley. If you would rather use a store-bought mix you can, or use any of the herbs you’ve got on hand.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated from the block is the way to go! It tastes better and it will melt much easier into the sauce. 
• Spinach: I prefer to use fresh spinach in the creamy spinach sauce, but you can use frozen like I do in creamed spinach. Thaw it first, then squeeze out any water.

• Slice into cutlets. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally. You may find this easier to do when the meat is still slightly frozen. Cover the breasts with plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. If you don’t have a mallet, use a rolling pin. 
• Dredge in flour. Pat the pieces dry and dredge them in the seasoned flour. The flour coating will help give them a nice golden brown sear. 
• Brown the chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the butter and chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. Using both oil and butter will help to keep the oil from burning therefore helping to keep the outside of the chicken from browning too quickly before the insides catch up. Also, the added buttery flavor is just yummy!
• Flip and continue cooking. Once the chicken hits the pan, don’t move it. You want to allow it to sear and if you move it too quickly, you could tear it. Then, once it’s ready, flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side until cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the chicken to a plate. Do not wipe the skillet clean. That’s where all the flavor is!
• Make the sauce. Add more butter to the skillet if needed and add the tomatoes, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to sauté for a couple of minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the broth and cornstarch along with the heavy cream. Season it, bring it to a simmer while deglazing the bottom, and simmer until thickened. 
• Add back the chicken. Once it has thickened, stir in Parmesan until melted, then add the spinach to wilt. Season with salt and pepper then return the chicken to the skillet to warm through. Enjoy chicken florentine immediately!

Tips and Variations

• Cutting the chicken in half. This makes it so that they cook faster while remaining juicy. If you prefer to leave them whole you can, it’ll just take a lot longer.
• Bring meat to room temperature. You never want to add cold meat to a hot pan. It sticks and doesn’t cook evenly.
• You can also use sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh cherry tomatoes like I do in marry me chicken and my Tuscan chicken recipe.
• Other veggies you can throw in would be capers, artichoke hearts, sliced onions, green beans, and broccoli.
• Finish off the dish with a squirt of lemon juice. The citrus juices cut through the heavy cream and brighten up the dish.
• Finally, you can add a sprinkle of extra cheesiness. Cream cheese, fontina cheese, or mozzarella are all great additions and favorites in my baked chicken alfredo!