Creamy Chicken Spinach Parmesan
This Easy Creamy Chicken Spinach Parmesan is the ultimate comfort food! Tender, pan-seared chicken breasts are smothered in a rich, velvety sauce loaded with fresh spinach and nutty Parmesan cheese. Ready in just 45 minutes, it's elegant enough for company yet simple enough for a weeknight. For another creamy chicken classic, try our Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 485kcal
Equipment
- Large Skillet or Dutch Oven Essential for searing and making the sauce.
- Meat Mallet or Rolling Pin For pounding chicken to even thickness.
- Wooden Spoon For deglazing the pan.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 0.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts to an even ¾-inch thickness. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to the skillet and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.
- Pour in chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Gradually whisk in heavy cream. Simmer for a few minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Add spinach and stir until wilted (2-3 minutes). Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is smooth.
- Return chicken to skillet, nestling into sauce. Cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes until chicken is cooked through (165°F). Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Pro Tips: For evenly cooked chicken, pound the breasts to an even ¾-inch thickness before searing. Don't skip searing – that golden-brown crust adds immense flavor to the dish. Be sure to scrape up the browned bits from the pan after adding the broth; they're packed with flavor. For the smoothest sauce, grate your own Parmesan cheese from a block. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of chicken broth to reach your desired consistency.