Chicken Florentine, made with tender chicken in a rich and creamy spinach cream sauce, is an impressive, yet easy chicken recipe.
The term Florentine refers to recipes that feature spinach and are prepared in the style of cooking often showcased in the Italian region of Florence. Chicken Florentine, just like my recipe for Florentine Pizza, is made with fresh spinach and a creamy, garlic sauce that is full of flavor!
While it feels fancy and is suitable for a date-night dinner at home, Chicken Florentine happens to be incredibly easy to make. Even easy enough for a busy weeknight.
Reasons to Love Chicken Florentine
- Easy Chicken Recipe. If you are like me, you are always looking for quick and easy chicken recipes. While I love a quick chicken stir fry or chicken and green bean skillet, when it comes to WOW factor, I love turning to this quick and easy chicken Florentine recipe.
- Impressive Flavor. Made with a ridiculously luxurious cream sauce that is studded with garlic and spinach and balanced out with dry white wine, Chicken Florentine is the ultimate swoon-worthy chicken dish.
- Restaurant-Quality Results in Less Than 30-Minutes. This Creamy Chicken Florentine, just like my recipes for Creamy Chicken Marsala and Marry Me Chicken, delivers restaurant-quality results with minimal effort in under 30 minutes.
Notes On Ingredients
- Chicken: You will need 4 thin chicken cutlets for this chicken Florentine recipe. While you can purchase thin chicken cutlets at any grocery store, it is more affordable to use boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets yourself, following the instructions I have provided.
- Olive Oil + Butter: Using butter will add a rich flavor to the spinach sauce while the olive oil will help prevent the butter from burning.
- Shallot: Instead of using an onion which can overwhelm the Florentine sauce.
- Spinach: It is best to use fresh baby spinach. It will wilt down easily into the sauce, without the need to chop or trim off the stems prior to cooking.
- White Wine: To add an acidic burst of flavor that helps to balance out the richness of the creamy Florentine sauce, I love using a dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Riesling. If you don't cook with alcohol, replace the wine with additional chicken stock.
- Chicken Stock: Use low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock. This will help you stay in control of the level of sodium in the dish.
- Heavy Cream: To make the creamy Florentine sauce, heavy cream is a must. I don't recommend any substitutions.
- Parmesan: For the best flavor, I recommend using freshly grated parmesan rather than parmesan cheese from a canister.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Adding a bit of crushed red pepper helps to wake the dish up with subtle spice. If you are sensitive to spice, you can omit it completely.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: The chicken cutlets are coated in flour before being pan-fried to create a nice crispy exterior on the chicken and to help thicken the pan sauce. If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, feel free to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Add Mushrooms: Add up to 1 cup of sliced button, Baby Bella, or shitake mushrooms, along with the shallots. The mushrooms will add a nice earthy flavor to the sauce and pair well with the spinach.
- Low-Carb: Omit the flour and reduce the chicken broth to ½ cup. You may need to simmer the Florentine sauce a bit longer to reduce the sauce, as there will be no flour coating on the chicken which helps thicken the sauce quickly.
How to Make Chicken Florentine
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Prepare the Chicken Cutlets. It is more economical to start this recipe using boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets yourself, rather than purchase prepared thinly sliced chicken cutlets. Simply cut the chicken breasts into halves lengthwise and then pound with a mallet so that each cutlet is even in size.
Step Two: Pan-Fry Chicken. To help thicken the creamy spinach sauce, it is best to coat each chicken cutlet in seasoned flour before searing it until golden.
Step Three: Make Florentine Sauce. The spinach cream sauce comes together quickly, but in several steps, which builds layers of intense flavor.
- In the same pan that the chicken was sauteed in, saute the shallots briefly just to toast.
- Deglaze the pan with wine and broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits which will add flavor to your Florentine sauce.
- Simmer until reduced and then whisk in cream and parmesan.
- Once the parmesan has melted into the sauce, stir in the spinach.
Step Four: Add the Chicken to the Florentine Sauce. Add the seared chicken back to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Simmer briefly just to warm the chicken through and finish cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Florentine is a filling, flavorful quick recipe. You can serve it with a Caesar Salad or Roasted Asparagus and be completely satisfied. Or you can opt to serve it with a side of rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, to soak up the delicious Florentine sauce.
Storage Instructions
- Store: Allow leftover Chicken Florentine to cool then transfer it to an airtight container. Store it for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the cream can separate when thawed.
- Reheat: Add the chicken and cream sauce to a dry skillet and heat over low heat until just warmed through.
More Quick and Easy Chicken Recipes
- Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet
- Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Chicken Piccata
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
- Easy Orange Chicken
- Chicken Katsu
If you tried this recipe for Chicken with Florentine Sauce, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Chicken Florentine
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts or 4 thin chicken cutlets
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 small shallot minced
- ½ cup dry white wine or additional broth
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- parsley for serving optional
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Place the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until the cutlets are even in thickness. Pay dry.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat until the butter is melted.
- While the skillet is heating, whisk flour, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess flour.
- Add the chicken to the pan, working in batches to prevent overcrowding your skillet. Cook the chicken cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side and nearly cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet to melt. Once melted, add in the shallot and saute, over medium heat for 30 seconds until just fragrant.
- Add in the wine and chicken broth and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Season the broth and wine mixture by adding in oregano, red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon each of pepper and kosher salt, and bring the mixture to a simmer, continuing to cook over medium heat. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture reduces by half.
- Add the cream, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often. Once the sauce is simmering, lower the heat to low and whisk in the parmesan until melted. Add in the spinach and cook on low, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, to let the spinach gently wilt into the sauce.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce, or spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for 3-4 minutes just to warm through the chicken and to ensure it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Serve warm with fresh minced parsley and additional parmesan cheese if desired.
Jennifer
This chicken florentine was soooo good! I love how easy it was to make and the sauce was outstanding.
Kristen Chidsey
I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the chicken, Jennifer!
Sharina
I love spinach and chicken, this chicken florentine is a new favorite! So creamy and addicting! I'm impressed!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful, Sharina! Thank you for sharing.
Fran V
This creamy sauce is everything! What a delicious dish, you'd think it was from a fancy restaurant!
Kristen Chidsey
I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed, Fran! I love when dishes taste so good, yet are SO easy to make!