Creamy Chicken with Spinach
This recipe delivers a rich, comforting dinner featuring tender chicken coated in a velvety cream sauce with fresh spinach wilted in. It feels indulgent but remains balanced for a satisfying meal.
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Tongs
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 5 oz fresh spinach
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Do not let it burn.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until it melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Add the fresh spinach to the sauce. Stir until the spinach wilts down completely, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Toss everything together to coat the chicken evenly in the creamy spinach sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes
This dish pairs well with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce. For ingredient substitutions, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a lighter sauce, though it will be less rich. If you do not have chicken broth, vegetable broth works as a substitute.
By Clara Bennett, Lead Plate Designer at Recipes by Betty.