Description
This 25-Minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken is a dairy-free, flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs or breasts simmered in a rich, coconut milk-based sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh spinach, and herbs. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, it delivers creamy comfort without the dairy and pairs well with rice, vegetables, or cauliflower rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 chicken thighs (or chicken breasts, see notes)
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp ghee (can substitute avocado oil for dairy-free)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- Chopped parsley (optional topping)
Sauce Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 1.5 cups coconut milk
Instructions
- Prepare aromatics and seasoning mix: Dice the shallot and mince the garlic. In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, sea salt, and pepper to create the seasoning mix.
- Prep the chicken: If using chicken breasts, place them between two sheets of parchment paper and pound to an even thickness. This ensures even cooking. Skip this step if using chicken thighs.
- Brown the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the ghee. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the seasoning mix. Add chicken to the hot skillet (cook in batches if necessary). Cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes until a golden crust forms, then flip and cook another 4-5 minutes until mostly cooked through.
- Mix arrowroot slurry: While chicken cooks, whisk together chicken broth and arrowroot starch in a small bowl until smooth.
- Sauté shallot and garlic: Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Add more ghee if needed. Add garlic and shallot to the pan and sauté, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and softened.
- Add sauce ingredients: Pour in the coconut milk, sun-dried tomatoes, and chopped basil. Whisk the arrowroot starch mixture again and add it to the pan. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet to enhance flavor.
- Simmer chicken in sauce: Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce. Cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through.
- Wilt the spinach: Add the spinach in batches, stirring to wilt it completely into the sauce.
- Serve: Plate the creamy Tuscan chicken with your choice of sides such as vegetables, potatoes, rice, or cauliflower rice. Spoon extra sauce over the dish and garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- This recipe is dairy-free by using ghee or avocado oil and coconut milk instead of cream.
- Either chicken thighs or breasts can be used; breasts require pounding for even cooking.
- Arrowroot starch helps thicken the sauce without adding dairy.
- Serve with rice, noodles, vegetables, or cauliflower rice for a complete meal.
- Cooking times may vary slightly depending on chicken thickness and stove heat settings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
