This Italian chicken is a spectacular weeknight dinner that feels like it came straight from a cozy Italian trattoria but takes only 30 minutes to make!
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Creamy Italian Chicken for Dinner
I love a good creamy chicken breast recipe. The rich, creamy sauce prevents the chicken from drying out, resulting in tender breasts full of flavor.
From prep to table, this dish comes together in just half an hour using a single skillet for minimal cleanup. The comforting flavor profile pleases kids and adults alike making it a wonderful addition to your weekly dinner rotation.
Ingredients
Ingredient Substitutions
- The Chicken: You can substitute the boneless, skinless chicken breasts with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Just note that thighs may require an extra 2–3 minutes of searing per side to cook through completely.
- Heavy Cream: If you want a slightly lighter sauce, you can use half-and-half or whole milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Note that the sauce won't be quite as thick and rich as it is with heavy cream.
- Spinach: If you don't have fresh baby spinach, frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed) can be used.
Pro Tip
If your skillet isn't large enough to fit all six chicken breasts without overlapping, sear them in two batches. Overcrowding causes the chicken to steam instead of getting that beautiful sear.
Creamy Italian chicken
Ingredients
- 6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, 2 pounds
- 2 packets Italian dressing seasoning
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 6 garlic cloves minced 2 tbs
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Optional:
- 2 cups of baby spinach roughly chopped
Garnish:
- Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Cut slits across the chicken and season with Italian dressing.
- In a large non stick skillet add oil and melt in 1 tablespoon of butter on medium high heat.
- Add chicken and sear for 5 minutes on each side until golde brown.
- Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan and toss in cherry tomatoes.
- Cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes start to soften and get charred.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Pour chicken stock and heavy cream then mix in chopped baby spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Nestle the chicken breasts back into the skillet and spoon the sauce over.
- Serve garnished with parmesan cheese
How to Make Creamy Italian Chicken
1- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, cut shallow, diagonal slits across the top of each breast. Rub the dry Italian dressing seasoning packets evenly on both sides.
2- Heat the oil and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear for about 5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and form a nice crust. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
3- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the same skillet. Toss in the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften and begin to get a light char on the skin. Lower the heat and sauté garlic.
Pour the chicken broth and heavy cream into the skillet, stirring gently to scrape up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4- Stir in the chopped baby spinach (if using) and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the sauce begins to bubble. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet. Spoon the sauce generously over and simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is heated and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
FAQs
Yes, you can easily prep the individual components ahead of time. You can slice and season the chicken breasts the night before and keep them covered in the fridge. You can also mince the garlic and chop the spinach ahead of time to make dinner-night assembly even faster.
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat portions gently in a skillet over medium low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth or milk if the cream sauce has thickened too much in the fridge. Alternatively, microwave on medium power in 30-second intervals, stirring the sauce occasionally, until hot.
Freezing is not recommended for this recipe, as dairy-based cream sauces tend to separate and change texture when thawed and reheated.
Serve this creamy chicken with pasta, rice, or serve it alongside a warm, sliced baguette or garlic bread to dip directly into the skillet.
More Skillet Chicken Recipes
- Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Au Poivre
- Garlic Butter Chicken Thighs
- Creamy Dijon Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Orzo
- Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings
- Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and Shrimp
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