Creamy Chicken Florentine

Tender chicken breast in a creamy spinach sauce.

Course Main Course

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 590kcal

Begin by pounding the chicken to an even thickness. Place one chicken breast into a large zip lock bag or between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the thickest part until the chicken is an even thickness all over. Repeat with each chicken breast.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
One at a time, dredge the chicken into the seasoned flour mixture until it's well coated.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and fry the chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until golden in color. 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.
In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the garlic and stir, cooking for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Stir in the wine, cook for about 3 minutes, then pour in the half and half, and bring to a simmer.
Add in the cream cheese and parmesan cheese, stirring for about 4 minutes or until fully melted.
Stir in the baby spinach and let it wilt fully for about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken back to the pan to warm through. Spoon the sauce on top and serve with freshly minced parsley or basil for garnish.

Bring the chicken to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking. This helps to promote even cooking and can limit the amount of shrinking.
Pounding the chicken breasts will provide the evenest cooking and tender chicken; see our guide above for tips.
Leave the chicken alone 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 instead of moving it around.
Keep the heat even while cooking and turn it down if the chicken begins to brown too quickly.
Always check for doneness with a meat thermometer. The temperature should be 165F / 74C when inserted into the thickest part of chicken breasts.
Don’t use cooking wine. Cooking wine is loaded with salt, and we recommend that you select a wine that you would enjoy drinking. It doesn’t need to be expensive, and any leftover wine can be paired with the finished chicken florentine.
Use fresh spinach rather than frozen for this recipe. Wash and dry thoroughly before adding it to the sauce.
Spinach can react with metal pans and leave an off-taste, so use a stainless steel pan for this chicken florentine recipe rather than cast-iron or aluminum.
If you’re not a fan of spinach, you can use kale.
Use fresh, finely grated parmesan. Don’t use the powdery stuff that comes in a can.
Storage - keep leftovers in an airtight container inside the fridge for 3 days.