Creamy Tuscan Chicken
⏲ ~26 min total · prep 18 · cook 8 · 4 servings
Dinner⏱ 30 min total🔥 5.0g net carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb), halved horizontally into 4 cutlets
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Press the salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning onto both sides of the cutlets.
- Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high and sear the cutlets 4-5 minutes per side, without moving them, until deeply golden and 160°F inside; transfer to a plate — the carryover heat and a final sauce simmer take them to 165 without drying them out.
- Lower the heat to medium, add the butter and garlic, and stir 30 seconds until fragrant but not taking on color.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 minute so their edges frill in the butter.
- Pour in the cream, scraping the browned bits off the skillet bottom, add the Parmesan, and simmer 3-4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon in a slow, clinging layer.
- Add the spinach by the handful, folding each handful in until wilted before adding the next, about 1 minute total.
- Nestle the cutlets and any collected juices back into the sauce and simmer gently 2 minutes, spooning sauce over the top, then serve straight from the skillet.
Why this recipe works
- Cutlets sear fast Halving the breasts into four thin cutlets cuts the cook time, so the sear happens before the interior dries. Whole breasts fight you on both counts.
- The fond flavors the sauce The browned bits stuck to the cast iron dissolve into the cream when you scrape them loose. The sauce tastes like it simmered for an hour.
- Spinach in handfuls Folding each handful in until it wilts keeps the volume manageable and the color green. Everything dumped in at once drops the pan temperature and wilts unevenly.
Tips for making this recipe well
Pull the cutlets at 160°F
They finish on the plate from carryover heat, and a final 2 minutes in the simmering sauce brings them to 165°F. Searing straight through to well done dries them out.
Thirty seconds on the garlic
Butter and garlic need half a minute, with no color. Burnt garlic turns bitter and the cream will not hide it.
Simmer to a spoon coat
The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon in a slow, clinging layer, about 3 to 4 minutes. Thinner than that and it runs off the cutlets.
Frill the tomatoes
A minute in the butter curls the sun-dried tomato edges and concentrates them. They go in after the garlic so they never scorch.
Cast iron earns its keep
The skillet holds heat through four cutlets and builds the fond that seasons the sauce. A lighter pan works but browns less.
Serving suggestions
Bring the whole skillet to the table and serve from it. Spoon the extra sauce and softened tomatoes over each cutlet, and make sure every plate gets its share of the wilted spinach, which has been taking on the cream as it sits. At 5.0 net carbs a serving, the pan sauce is the point, so tilt your plate when you serve. Nothing else is required, though a sharp green salad suits anyone who wants contrast.
Storage and meal prep
Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Cream sauces thicken as they chill, so reheat gently over medium-low and loosen with a splash of cream or water until it flows again. Skillet reheating beats the microwave for keeping the cutlets tender. The spinach dulls a shade by day two but the flavor holds, and the sun-dried tomatoes only get more concentrated as they sit in the sauce.
Variations worth trying
- Thighs instead Boneless thighs swap in well. Sear them a couple of minutes longer per side and keep the same 165°F finish in the sauce.
- Extra tomatoes Double the sun-dried tomatoes if you like the pan sweet-tart. Add a pinch of salt to keep the balance.
- No heavy cream Half and half makes a thinner sauce, so simmer it a few minutes longer to reach the spoon-coat stage.
- Lemon finish A squeeze of lemon over the skillet at the end cuts the richness. The recipe keeps it rich on purpose, so treat this as a mood call.
Frequently asked questions
What temperature should the chicken reach?
Pull the cutlets off the heat at 160°F and let carryover work, then the 2-minute simmer in the sauce takes them to 165°F. That sequence keeps them juicy.
Why is my sauce thin?
It needs more time at a simmer. Cook until it coats the back of a spoon in a clinging layer; the Parmesan does part of the thickening, so make sure it has melted in completely.
Can I use sun-dried tomatoes packed in water?
The recipe calls for oil-packed and drained. Water-packed ones are chewier and bring less richness, though they work in a pinch.
How do I keep the garlic from burning?
Thirty seconds in the butter over medium heat, until fragrant, and nothing more. The tomatoes go in right after, which keeps the garlic off the hot pan.
Does this feed four as written?
Yes, the recipe makes four cutlets in one 12-inch skillet. Keep them in a single layer while searing, since crowding steams instead of browns.
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