This Creamy Chicken Florentine is made with baby spinach in a light and creamy white sauce. It’s undeniably delicious!
Chicken Florentine
Chicken breast can be so boring, so when I make it for dinner, I need to find ways to make me fall in love. This simple Chicken Florentine recipe made with a creamy spinach sauce, most certainly did! This chicken recipe is a variation of the popular Fish Florentine and Marry Me Chicken, so good over pasta, with roasted potatoes or any grain you like. It’s so easy to make, and my picky husband loved it!
What is chicken Florentine made of?
Here’s the ingredients:
- Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into chicken cutlets, but chicken thighs would also work.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, black pepper and garlic powder. You can add dried herbs like oregano or thyme.
- Flour: If you’re gluten-free, use a gluten-free flour mixture instead of all- purpose to dredge the chicken. You can omit this to keep it low carb.
- Shallots and Garlic give the sauce great flavor.
- Vegetables: Red bell pepper and baby spinach. You can sub tomatoes for the pepper, if you wish.
- Cream: I use small amounts of reduced-fat cream cheese and half-and- half for a healthy chicken Florentine that’s still creamy.
- Broth: You’ll need three-quarters of a cup of chicken broth. You can also use half broth, and half dry white wine like a sauvignon blanc or Pinot grigio.
- Parmesan Cheese: Add Parmesan to the Florentine sauce and save some for topping your chicken.
How to Make Chicken Florentine
- Prep Chicken: Pound the thicker end of the chicken breasts until they’re a half-inch thick so they’ll cook evenly. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, garlic powder, and black pepper, and dredge each piece in flour.
- Cook the chicken in a deep, large skillet on medium heat for three to four minutes on each side. Remove it from the pan, set aside, and wipe the pan clean.
- Vegetables: Sauté the shallots and garlic for a few minutes. Add the bell pepper and spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cover, cooking for five minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Chicken Florentine Sauce: Reduce the heat to low, and add the cream cheese, broth, half-and-half, salt, and parmesan. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well combined.
- Simmer: Return the chicken and its juices to the skillet and let it simmer for a few minutes until heated through.
What to Serve with Chicken Florentine
- Chicken Florentine Pasta: Serve it over your favorite pasta, like spaghetti or fusilli.
- Grains: If you don’t want pasta, try this easy chicken Florentine over quinoa, brown rice, or white rice.
- More Veggies: Pair this meal with a side salad, roasted green beans, or cauliflower mash.
Storage
Refrigerate the leftovers for up to four days and microwave until warm to reheat. The chicken Florentine will also freeze well for up to three months in freezer-safe containers and can be thawed overnight in the fridge.
Chicken Florentine FAQ
Contrary to popular belief, the origin of chicken Florentine is not from Florentine, Italy, but France. Florentine dishes originated in France after Catherine de ’Medici moved from Florence to Paris to marry King Henry II in the 1500s. When she moved, Catherine brought her Florentine cooks, and the “à la Florentine” style was created.
Florentine consists of a creamy sauce, spinach, and a protein. Chicken Florentine is one of the more popular versions, but there are also Florentine recipes with fish and eggs. The Florentine sauce typically gets its creamy consistency from some combination of heavy cream, butter, and parmesan, but many variations exist.
Catherine de ’Medici loved spinach, so spinach is always included in Florentine dishes.
More Chicken Breast Recipes You’ll Love
I have a ton of chicken breast recipes, here’s some of my most popular:
- Penne alla Vodka with Chicken
- Chicken Breast with Hot Cherry Peppers
- Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Baked Pesto Chicken Breast
Chicken Florentine Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, 8 ounces each, halved lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt , plus 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix
- 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped shallots
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
- 9 ounces fresh baby spinach, from two bags
- 2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, I like Philadelphia
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons half & half cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Gently pound the thicker end of the breast to 1/2-inch thickness so the chicken cooks evenly. Season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder and black pepper, to taste.
- Dredge each chicken piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and has a golden-brown crust. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside and wipe the skillet.
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium-low and add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced shallot and garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes until they become fragrant and translucent.
- Add the bell pepper and spinach, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cover, cook until the spinach wilts down stirring 2 to 3 times, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, and then add the cream cheese, chicken broth, half-and- half, 1/4 teaspoon salt and parmesan cheese and mix well until cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well combined.
- Return the chicken and any of its juices to the skillet with the spinach and let it simmer in the sauce for a few minutes until heated through.
