Description
This Chicken Florentine recipe is a quick and delicious one-pan dinner combining tender pan-seared chicken breasts with a creamy mushroom, spinach, and Parmesan sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes, it offers a flavorful and comforting meal perfect for weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 (8-oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more if needed)
Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (~2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 cups fresh spinach, packed
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides evenly with sea salt and black pepper to enhance the flavor before cooking.
- Brown Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Cook Mushrooms: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sliced cremini mushrooms. Sauté until the mushrooms are browned and their liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
- Make Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and stir in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter. Pour in the chicken broth and white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze and incorporate all the flavorful browned bits. Let the mixture simmer until the liquid reduces by half.
- Add Cream and Cheese: Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and continue to simmer until the sauce slightly thickens. Lower the heat to low and mix in ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese until melted and creamy.
- Wilt Spinach: Add the packed fresh spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring gently, until the spinach is wilted and tender, integrating it fully into the sauce.
- Return Chicken and Finish: Nestle the browned chicken breasts back into the creamy sauce. Cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C). Serve hot.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet when browning the chicken for even cooking and a nice crust.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer it a bit longer before adding spinach.
- Dry white wine is used to add depth to the sauce; you can substitute with additional chicken broth if avoiding alcohol.
- Use fresh spinach for best texture and flavor; frozen spinach will release excess moisture affecting the sauce consistency.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half, though the sauce will be less rich.
