This Chicken Florentine is a lighter twist on the classic dish. Pan-seared chicken, tomatoes, and baby spinach are cooked in a lighter cream sauce.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
You'll love this easy and delicious Creamy Chicken Florentine. It's ready in just 30 minutes and is light enough for a weeknight dinner. The flavors are so incredible that it also works for a date night or special dinner.
Florentine is a dish with spinach and protein, often in a creamy sauce. Because I love to lighten up my meals, I've made this one lighter without sacrificing flavor. Instead of butter and heavy cream, the sauce uses ⅓ less fat cream cheese and low sodium chicken broth.
And, of course, I've loaded it up with fresh produce. Not only is there spinach in here, but also perfectly ripe cherry tomatoes.
This one has made its way into my dinner rotation, and I can't stop making it! It's absolutely delicious, and I think you'll love it too!
Want more creamy recipes? Try this popular Creamy Orzo Chicken Soup or this Creamy Vegetable Pasta.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise. You could use chicken cutlets or chicken tenderloins if you prefer.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and sea salt for seasoning the chicken.
- Flour: You'll use all-purpose flour to dredge the chicken in before cooking to give it a nice golden color. You'll also use some to make an easy roux to thicken the creamy sauce.
- Orzo: Uncooked orzo or whatever type of pasta you like.
- Shallot and Garlic: Diced shallot and minced garlic for flavor. You could use 2 tablespoons of diced yellow onion instead of the shallot.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth is the base for the sauce.
- Cream Cheese: ⅓ less fat cream cheese to make the sauce extra creamy and tangy. This lower-fat cream cheese is also known as neufchâtel cheese. Read more about the difference between cream cheese and neufchâtel cheese.
- Cherry Tomatoes: Quartered cherry tomatoes for some added color and flavor. You can use grape tomatoes or diced Roma tomatoes.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped.
- Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving. (optional)
- Salt and Pepper: Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to round out the flavors.
*The full ingredient list with amounts is in the recipe card below.
How to Make Creamy Chicken Florentine
- Beat the chicken cutlets with a meat tenderizer so they're all even thickness, about ½-inch thick. Season them with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and fine sea salt on both sides. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour over the chicken, rubbing into both sides. Gently shake off any excess.
- Cook the orzo according to the package directions. After draining, you can drizzle it with a bit of olive to prevent it from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is translucent and garlic is fragrant. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour over them and stir until combined. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in the cream cheese until combined. Add in the cherry tomatoes and spinach. Simmer until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Add the cooked chicken to the pan, spooning some of the sauce over the tops. Serve over the cooked orzo with grated parmesan cheese (if desired), and enjoy!
Expert Tip: Slowly whisk or stir in the chicken broth to be sure the flour is fully incorporated. This will create a nice thick sauce without any clumps.
Variations
- Use different seasonings. Instead of Italian seasoning, you can use your favorite dried herbs to season the chicken, like herbs de provence, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and thyme.
- Swap out the pasta. Not a fan of orzo? Use a different pasta shape. You could also serve it with roasted or mashed potatoes, quinoa, or rice instead of pasta.
- Add artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes. Add in jarred artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes (in place of the cherry tomatoes). Be sure to drain them before adding them to the sauce.
- Try it with another protein. Salmon or thin pork chops would be a great option. Adjust cook time accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy chicken with orzo is easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner but also fancy enough for a date night. You could even make it to meal prep for the week since it reheats well.
Serve it alone or with a simple side salad, garlic toast, or dinner rolls.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead: Chicken Florentine is excellent reheated, so you could make it ahead of time for meal prep.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the pasta separately so it doesn't absorb the liquid.
To Reheat: Add a splash or two of broth when reheating, as needed. I like to reheat it in a skillet over medium-low heat, covered, stirring occasionally. You could also reheat it in the microwave.
To Freeze: I don't recommend freezing this meal since the creamy sauce may separate.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Chicken Florentine is a dish that consists of pan-seared chicken and spinach in a thick, cream-based sauce.
Yes! You can substitute the chicken breast for chicken thighs. Just slice them lengthwise and beat them with a meat tenderizer so they're about ½" thick.
Yes! You can leave out the tomatoes if you don't have any on hand or don't like tomatoes.
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Florentine
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (8 ounces each), halved lengthwise
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup ⅓ less fat cream cheese (neufchâtel cheese)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces uncooked orzo
- freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Beat the chicken cutlets with a meat tenderizer so they're all even thickness, about ½-inch thick. Season them with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and fine sea salt on both sides. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour over the chicken, rubbing into both sides. Gently shake off any excess.
- Cook the orzo according to the package directions. After draining, you can drizzle it with a bit of olive to prevent it from sticking together.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chicken, and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is translucent and garlic is fragrant. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour over them and stir until combined. Slowly add the chicken broth, stirring until smooth.
- Stir in the cream cheese until combined. Add in the cherry tomatoes and spinach. Simmer until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.
- Add the cooked chicken to the pan, spooning some of the sauce over the tops. Serve over the cooked orzo with grated parmesan cheese (if desired), and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tip: Slowly whisk or stir in the chicken broth to be sure the flour is fully incorporated. This will create a nice thick sauce without any clumps.
Cook chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Read more from the USDA about food safety.
Not a fan of orzo? Use a different pasta shape. You could also serve it with roasted or mashed potatoes, quinoa, or rice instead of pasta.
To store, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the pasta separately so it doesn't absorb the liquid.
Nutritional Values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 511
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 388.8 mg
- Fat: 14.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 55.2 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 38.1 g
- Cholesterol: 93.2 mg
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