This creamy, Easy Chicken Florentine is so delicious, so quick, and so easy! Sautéed chicken breasts in a garlicky, parmesan cream sauce studded with baby spinach and mushrooms. Can be made with or without cream. A restaurant quality dish, on the table in under 30 minutes. This is one quick weeknight dinner that the whole family will love.
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Why you’ll LOVE this recipe
- Perfectly seared chicken breasts that are tender and juicy
- Creamy Florentine sauce – spinach and mushrooms in a garlicky Alfredo sauce
- Super quick and easy – ready in under 30 minutes
- Simple, yet elegant dish
- Keto Chicken Florentine – a delicious low carb dish
- Can be made with or without cream
- Perfect with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes
What is Chicken Florentine?
To serve something “Florentine style” (from Florence, Italy) usually indicates that a dish contains spinach. The term is said to have originated from Catherine de’ Medici, who was born in Florence and became the Queen of France. She brought her own cooks and spinach seeds from Florence. The resulting dishes became known as à la Florentine.
In this Chicken Alfredo Florentine – baby spinach and sautéed mushrooms are added to a creamy Alfredo sauce made with butter, cream, and parmesan,
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – You could also use boneless or bone in thighs
- Baby spinach
- Mushrooms – they pair well with the spinach, but can be left out
- Alfredo sauce – butter, cream, chicken broth, and parmesan. Or omit the cream and use a roux of flour with milk.
- Aromatics – finely diced onion and garlic
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
- Flour – optional for dusting the chicken before sautéing for a crispier coating. The chicken is just as delicious without it, and I actually prefer the chicken without it when it’s reheated.
How to make
Sear the chicken:
Flatten the chicken breasts with a kitchen mallet to an even thickness. (Slice them in half lengthwise first if they are thick.) Optional: dust them in flour for a crispier texture.
Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, but not smoking, add the chicken. Without disturbing the chicken breasts, allow to cook to a golden brown on the bottom. (A splatter guard minimizes the mess.) Flip the chicken and cook until done throughout.
To make the Florentine Sauce:
Remove the chicken from the pan. Add butter and sauté the onion for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft and any released liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the broth and cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until it has reduced slightly. Stir in the parmesan until melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. Return the chicken to the pan and serve.
How to make Chicken Florentine without cream
For a healthy, lower fat version, Chicken Florentine can be made without cream by making a roux with flour and using milk.
After sautéing the onion, mushroom, and garlic, stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and ½ cup chicken broth. Simmer until thickened, then proceed with the recipe.
Tips for success
- If your chicken breasts are thick, slice them in half lengthwise for quicker cooking.
- Flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet for even cooking.
- Dusting the chicken with flour gives a crispier coating, but it’s optional and can be omitted. If I make it in advance, I prefer it without the flour as it can become soggy.
- Brown the chicken in a hot pan and don’t flip it until the bottom is golden brown. You can peek underneath to check it, but don’t move it around too much and disturb the browning process. The chicken will release from the pan when it is done searing. Flipping it too soon can cause the crispy coating to tear off.
- Adding the spinach at the very end keeps it bright green. It will soften from the residual heat in the pan.
Variations:
Chicken Bacon Florentine - try stirring in crispy, crumbled bacon to the sauce with the spinach.
Lemon Chicken Florentine – Omit the mushrooms and whisk in the juice of 1 lemon, or to taste, to the cream sauce before adding the spinach.
Chicken Mushroom Florentine FAQs
How to store Chicken Florentine?
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for 3 months.
What to serve with Chicken Florentine?
Florentine Chicken can be served with pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
For a low carb meal, serve it with mashed cauliflower, cauliflower rice, or a simple green salad. Keto Chicken Florentine is one of my favorite keto chicken recipes!
More easy chicken recipes for you to love:
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Lemon Caper Chicken
- Creamy Artichoke Chicken
- Honey Sriracha Chicken Breasts
- Easy Baked Cajun Chicken Breasts
- Hunan Chicken
- Honey Sriracha Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
Recipe
Easy Chicken Florentine
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts 454g
- Flour for dredging optional
- Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- ½ small onion finely diced
- 6 oz sliced mushrooms 170g
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning or oregano
- ¾ cup chicken broth 6oz, 170g
- ¾ cup cream or half and half 6oz, 170g
- ½ cup parmesan cheese 1.5oz, 43g
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves loosely packed (1.5oz, 43g)
Instructions
- For quicker, more even cooking, slightly flatten breasts with a kitchen mallet. If they are very thick, slice them in half horizontally before flattening. Season with salt and pepper. Dust with the optional flour if using.
- Heat a skillet over high heat. When pan is hot, add oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
- When oil is hot, put chicken breasts in pan and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan.
- Add remaining tablespoon butter to pan. Add onions and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft and any released liquid has evaporated. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, cream, and Italian seasoning and bring to a simmer. Simmer on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until it has reduced slightly.
- Stir in the parmesan until melted. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. Return the chicken to the pan and serve.
Notes
- For a lower fat version, Chicken Florentine can be made without cream by making a roux with flour and using milk.
- After sautéing the onion, mushroom, and garlic, stir in 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and ½ cup chicken broth. Simmer until thickened, then proceed with the recipe.
- If your chicken breasts are thick, slice them in half lengthwise for quicker cooking. Flatten the chicken breasts with a mallet for even cooking.
- Dusting the chicken with flour gives a crispier coating, but it’s optional and can be omitted. If I make it in advance, I prefer it without the flour as it can become soggy.
- Brown the chicken in a hot pan and don’t flip it until the bottom is golden brown. You can peek underneath to check it, but don’t move it around too much and disturb the browning process. The chicken will release from the pan when it is done searing. Flipping it too soon can cause the crispy coating to tear off.
- Adding the spinach at the very end keeps it bright green. It will soften from the residual heat in the pan.
- The equipment section may contain affiliate links to products we know and love.
Nutrition
Nutrition details for Chicken Florentine without cream:
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Karen (Back Road Journal) says
My kind of dish...easy, pretty and most importantly delicious.
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Karen!
Andrea says
Dear Kelly, you really have a lot of amazing chicken recipes on your blog and this one for Chicken Florentine is another winner, perfectly seared, a rich, creamy sauce with mushrooms, finished with baby spinach - a wonderful comfort-style recipe that will be a hit with the entire family.
Hope you are all doing well and enjoying a wonderful summer!
Andrea
Kelly says
Andrea, with a big family, I love quick chicken recipes that please everyone at the table. Thanks so much!