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Creamy Chicken Florentine

Creamy chicken florentine with tender cutlets in a garlicky cream sauce, finished with wilted baby spinach. Pan-seared chicken and a reduced white-wine cream base make an elegant Italian-style dinner that’s still weeknight-friendly.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 715
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 700 g boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 300 g fresh baby spinach
  • 4 cloves garlic cloves
  • 1 shallot
  • 240 ml heavy cream
  • 120 ml chicken broth
  • 60 ml dry white wine
  • 50 g Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 0.5 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 0.3 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 salt
  • 1 black pepper

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep the chicken
  1. Slice the boneless skinless chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets, then pound to about 1.5 cm thickness. Season generously with salt, black pepper, and dried Italian seasoning.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook the chicken for 4–5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then remove and set aside.
Build the sauce base
  1. Reduce heat to medium and sauté the shallot for 2 minutes in the same pan. Add the minced garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Deglaze & add cream
  1. Pour in the dry white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes, then add chicken broth and heavy cream and stir to combine.
Simmer & enrich
  1. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes until it thickens slightly. Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp unsalted butter and the Parmesan cheese, letting the cheese melt into the sauce.
Wilt the spinach
  1. Add the fresh baby spinach in handfuls and stir until fully wilted, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Finish & serve
  1. Return the seared chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over it. Let it warm through for 2 minutes before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: pound the chicken to an even thickness so it stays juicy during the 4–5 minute-per-side sear. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently until hot throughout. Freezing isn’t recommended because the cream sauce and spinach can change texture. If you want a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream for a similar flavor with less richness.