Creamy chicken florentine is an impressive yet easy to make one-pot dish. Lightly breaded and perfectly seasoned chicken is cooked up tender and juicy and topped with a delectable creamy white wine sauce loaded with cheese and spinach. This chicken florentine recipe is your answer to weeknight dinner dilemmas.
Chicken is an affordable and versatile protein, so it’s a great choice for an easy dinner. And the good news is that easy to make does not equal boring or bland. And this easy Creamy Chicken Florentine recipe is definitely not boring.
With only a few minutes of prep and under 30 minutes of cooking time, you will serve up incredibly flavorful chicken topped with a creamy white wine sauce.
Like my Marry Me Chicken, Chicken florentine is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner but also impressive enough for date nights, entertaining guests, celebrations, and other special occasions. Light some candles, break out the cloth napkins and serve the leftover wine with dinner, and you’ll forget you’re at home and not in a 5-star restaurant.
What Is Chicken Florentine?
The term “Florentine” originates in Florence, Italy, and often refers to things in that region. In cooking, florentine generally means a dish that contains spinach. In Chicken Florentine, the spinach is cooked into a white wine cream sauce that is served with chicken. Some Florentine-style dishes are simply served over a bed of spinach.
Why Make This Recipe
- Fast – This dish cooks fast and only requires one pan, which means cleanup will be a breeze.
- Special – This is a great recipe for date night or a special occasion. Are you having dinner guests? They will love chicken florentine.
- Exciting – Even if you make this for a weeknight meal, it’s definitely not boring chicken.
- Budget-Friendly – Make a meal that’s decedent without breaking the bank.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken – We used chicken breasts for this chicken florentine recipe.
- All-purpose Flour – Flour helps give the chicken a nice coating and will also help to thicken the sauce.
- Dry Seasonings – We’ve used a combination of garlic powder, dried thyme, onion powder, dried rosemary, salt and ground black pepper to give the chicken a wonderful burst of flavor.
- Olive Oil – Or use any light, neutral-flavored oil.
- Butter – Adds creaminess and flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic – Use fresh minced garlic for tons of earthy flavor.
- White Wine – The wine doesn’t have to be expensive but select one you’d enjoy drinking.
- Half and Half – This will thicken the sauce and add creaminess.
- Cheese – Both cream cheese and freshly grated parmesan cheese are added to make this decadent sauce.
- Baby Spinach – Spinach is what makes this chicken florentine a florentine dish. Baby spinach is tender and mild, but you can use regular spinach if that is all you can find.
How To Make Chicken Florentine
Get full ingredients list and instructions from the recipe card below.
- Place the chicken breast one at a time into a large zip top bag or between two sheets of saran wrap and pound the thickest part until the chicken is an even thickness all over.
- Whisk together flour, garlic powder, dried thyme, onion powder, dried rosemary, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- Dredge the chicken one at a time into the flour mixture until coated on both sides
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden. You may need to work in batches.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Mel butter in the same pan then add garlic. Stir while cooking for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and let the alcohol cook out for about 3 minutes, then add half and half and let it come to a simmer.
- Stir in cream cheese and parmesan until fully melted, about 4 minutes, then add baby spinach and let it wilt fully about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan to warm through. Drizzle the sauce on top and serve with freshly minced parsley or basil for garnish.
Note: Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The internal temperature should be 165F / 74C when inserted into the thickest part of the chicken.
How To Pound Chicken Breasts
The number one cause of tough chicken is overcooking. Chicken pieces are often uneven in thickness, which can lead to uneven cooking, resulting in overcooked and tough portions.
To remedy this problem, here’s how to pound chicken evenly:
- Working with one chicken breast at a time, place it into a gallon-sized ziptop bag or between two pieces of plastic wrap.
- Using the flat side of a meat mallet, a rolling pin or even a can from the pantry, gently pound the chicken until it is even thickness.
- For the best results, pound the thickest part to the same thickness as the thinnest part.
- It may be helpful to butterfly the chicken or slice it lengthwise into two pieces for very large chicken breasts before pounding.
In addition to using this technique when making chicken florentine, it is most often called for when direct heat will be applied to the chicken. Anytime you pan-fry, pan-sear, or bake chicken breasts, you will want to pound the meat to an even thickness.
Tips For Success
- For even cooking and tender chicken, pound the chicken to an even thickness all over. See our guide above for tips.
- Allow the chicken to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This promotes even cooking and can cut down on shrinking.
- Avoid moving the chicken around a lot while it cooks. It will get crispy and golden and cook more evenly if you allow it to sit in the pan for the full 5 minutes before flipping it.
- If the pan gets too hot while cooking, lower the heat.
- Don’t use cooking wine. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but you should select a wine that you would enjoy drinking. Any leftovers will pair beautifully with the finished chicken florentine.
- Only use fresh spinach leaves or this recipe, and make sure it is dry before adding it to the sauce.
- Don’t use cast iron or an aluminum pan. The spinach can react with the metal and leave an odd taste. Stick with stainless steel for this chicken florentine recipe.
- Use fresh, finely grated parmesan for the best flavor.
Variations
- Use A Seasoning Blend – Don’t have all of the spices listed in the recipe? No problem! Use a seasoning blend like Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence.
- Add More Veggies – Mushrooms and cherry tomatoes make a wonderful addition to this dish, but you can get creative and add your favorites.
- Leave Out The Wine – White wine gives chicken florentine and incredible flavor but cooking with wine is not for everyone. Substitute the wine with an equal amount of chicken broth and add a half teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
- Swap The Protein – Try the sauce with chicken thighs, shrimp, salmon or pork chops. The creamy florentine sauce is quite versatile.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Buy Chicken In Bulk – Purchase chicken in bulk packages or on sale and freeze for later use.
- Use A Seasoning Blend – Keeping many spices on hand can be expensive and take up a lot of space. Substitute the individual spices with Italian seasoning or herbs de Provence.
- Buy Inexpensive Wine – Many great wines don’t cost a fortune.
- Plan For Leftovers – Make extra so you can enjoy the leftovers for lunch later in the week.
- Make It Spicy – If you love a little heat in your cooking, add a bit of red pepper flake to the sauce.
Prep Ahead And Storage
- Prep Ahead – The chicken can be made in advance and reheated in the pan once the sauce is made.
- Store – Leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and consumed within 3 days.
- Freeze – Freezing this dish is not recommended as the cream sauce may break or curdle.
Meal Prep
- This recipe will keep for 3 days, which means that you can eat it the first day and enjoy the leftovers for up to three days.
FAQs
Chicken is a fairly healthy protein option, but adding oil, butter, cream, and cheese to make this creamy chicken florentine recipe may concern you. The combination of oil and butter is necessary to brown the chicken and add flavor and creaminess to the sauce. We’re not using large amounts of either, so I wouldn’t recommend eliminating either of those.
You can lower the overall calories and fat content by using whole milk and low-fat cream cheese instead of half and half and regular cream cheese. Additionally, you can skip the cream cheese altogether. The final florentine sauce will not be as thick and creamy, but it will still be delicious.
If you are out of wine or just prefer not to use it, here is an easy substitution that you have in your pantry. Replace the wine with an equal amount of chicken broth and for flavor, add about a half teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
Did your sauce get too thick? Whisk in a bit of chicken stock to thin it out a bit before adding the chicken back to the pan.
Serving Suggestions
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Get The Creamy Chicken Florentine Recipe:
Chicken Florentine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- ¾ cup (95g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ cup (118ml) white wine
- 1 cup (237ml) half and half cream
- 2 ounces (60g) cream cheese
- 1 cup (90g) parmesan cheese freshly grated and divided
- 2 ½ cups (75g) baby spinach
Instructions
- Place the chicken breast one at a time into a large zip lock bag or between two sheets of saran wrap and pound the thickest part until the chicken is an even thickness all over.
- Whisk the flour, garlic powder, dried thyme, onion powder, dried rosemary, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- Dredge the chicken one at a time into the spiced flour mixture until it’s fully coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and fry the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden. You may need to work in batches to avoid crowding the pan.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- Melt the butter in the same pan before adding the garlic and stirring, and cook for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Stir in the wine and let the alcohol cook out for about 3 minutes, then pour in the half and half and let it come to a simmer.
- Stir in the cream cheese and parmesan cheese until fully melted, about 4 minutes, then stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt fully about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan to warm through. Drizzle the sauce on top and serve with freshly minced parsley or basil for garnish.
Video
Notes
- For even cooking and tender chicken, pound the chicken to an even thickness all over.
- Allow the chicken to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This promotes even cooking and can cut down on shrinking.
- Avoid moving the chicken around a lot while it cooks. It will get crispy and golden and cook more evenly if you allow it to sit in the pan for the full 5 minutes before flipping it.
- If the pan gets too hot while cooking, lower the heat.
- Don’t use cooking wine. It doesn’t need to be expensive, but you should select a wine that you would enjoy drinking. Any leftovers will pair beautifully with the finished chicken florentine.
- Only use fresh spinach for this recipe, and make sure it is dry before adding it to the sauce.
- Don’t use cast iron or an aluminum pan. The spinach can react with the metal and leave an odd taste. Stick with stainless steel for this chicken florentine recipe.
- Use fresh, finely grated parmesan for the best flavor.
- Storage – keep in an airtight container inside the fridge for 3 days.
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