Discover the Ultimate Best Chicken Florentine Recipe

Are you looking for a meal that exudes elegance but is astonishingly simple to prepare? Something that offers a comforting embrace of rich, savoury flavours? If that sounds like what you’re after, then you are in the right place. We are delighted to share what we believe is the best Chicken Florentine recipe, a cherished classic that brings the spirit of Italian-American cuisine to your dining table. This dish features succulent, golden-seared chicken breasts smothered in a luxurious, velvety sauce, beautifully complemented by fresh spinach and savoury Parmesan cheese. There’s no need to reserve this for a special event; this recipe is so straightforward and gratifying that it’s set to become a firm weeknight favourite.

We’re here to guide you through each stage, sharing our key insights to ensure your chicken is perfectly tender and the sauce is so delectable you’ll want to savour every single drop. Let’s begin crafting a meal that your entire family will treasure.

Why You’ll Adore This Recipe

• Restaurant-Standard Flavour at Home: We’ll guide you in building complex layers of flavour, from achieving the perfect sear on the chicken to crafting a balanced, opulent sauce that tastes as if it were prepared by a professional chef.
• Ready in Under 30 Minutes: As a one-pan wonder, this dish is surprisingly swift to make, presenting the ideal solution for hectic evenings when you’re craving something a little special.
• Simple, Accessible Ingredients: There’s no need to search for speciality items. This recipe utilises common pantry and refrigerator staples to produce a truly remarkable meal.
• A Wonderfully Balanced Dish: With lean protein from the chicken and a wealth of vitamins from the spinach, this is a wholesome and fulfilling chicken with spinach meal you can feel great about enjoying.

Ingredients

For this recipe, we rely on fresh, high-quality ingredients to allow the simple, beautiful flavours to take centre stage. Here is what you will need to have on hand:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 150-170g each), pounded to an even thickness
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour (for dredging)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 80ml dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
• 250ml chicken stock
• 200ml double cream
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 150g fresh baby spinach
• (Optional) 50g sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

Crafting The Best Chicken Florentine Recipe: A Step-by-Step Guide

The success of this dish lies in the technique. By following these steps with care, you will develop a pan sauce with an incredible depth of flavour and ensure your chicken remains tender and moist. Let’s get started.

1. Prepare the Chicken

   To begin, let’s get the chicken ready for cooking. Pat the chicken breasts thoroughly dry using a paper towel; this is a vital step for achieving a perfect golden-brown crust. Season both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Spread the plain flour on a plate and lightly coat each chicken breast, making sure to tap off any excess. This light dusting not only creates a wonderful texture but also helps to naturally thicken the sauce later on.

2. Sear for Flavour

   In a large, heavy-based frying pan, heat the olive oil and one tablespoon of butter over a medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted and begins to foam, gently place the floured chicken in the pan. Be sure not to overcrowd it; cook in batches if you need to. Sauté for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side, until the chicken is a deep golden brown and cooked all the way through. The internal temperature should read 74°C (165°F). Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set it aside for later.

3. Build the Aromatic Base

   Do not wipe out the pan! The browned remnants left behind, known as the ‘fond’, are a treasure trove of flavour. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining tablespoon of butter, and sauté the finely chopped shallot for 2-3 minutes until it has softened. Next, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until it becomes wonderfully fragrant, taking care to ensure it doesn’t catch and burn.

4. Deglaze and Create the Sauce

   This is where the sauce truly comes to life. Pour the white wine into the hot pan. As it sizzles, use a wooden spoon to gently scrape up all those flavourful browned bits from the bottom. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce by about half, which cooks off the alcohol while concentrating its taste. Following this, add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it bubble for around 5 minutes to reduce slightly, then stir in the double cream. This forms the heart of our sublime white wine chicken sauce.

5. Bring It All Together

   Reduce the heat to low and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and a hint of nutmeg. Continue to stir gently until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is perfectly smooth. Now it’s time to add the greens. Add the fresh spinach to the pan a handful at a time, allowing each addition to wilt down into the creamy sauce. If you are including them, now is the time to stir in the optional sun-dried tomatoes. Have a taste of the sauce and adjust the seasoning with a little more salt and pepper if you feel it needs it.

6. Finish and Serve

   To finish, return the seared chicken breasts to the pan, along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Generously spoon the glorious creamy sauce over the chicken and allow it to simmer gently for a minute or two, just to warm everything through. Serve the dish immediately, garnished with an extra sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.

Tips for a Perfect Chicken Florentine Every Time

Although this recipe is quite simple, a few expert tips will help elevate your creation from merely great to truly unforgettable.

• Pound the Chicken Evenly: Taking a moment to pound the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness (around 1.5cm or ½ inch) is essential. This guarantees that the chicken cooks at the same rate, preventing you from ending up with dry edges while the centre is still undercooked.
• Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: For that beautifully crisp, golden crust, the chicken pieces need their own space in the pan. If you fit too many in at once, they will steam rather than sear. If your pan is on the smaller side, simply cook the chicken in two separate batches.
• Use Freshly Grated Parmesan: Packaged pre-shredded cheese is often coated with anti-caking agents, which can stop it from melting seamlessly. Grating your own from a block of Parmesan will make a significant difference to the silky texture of your creamy spinach chicken sauce.
• Choose the Right Wine: A crisp, dry white wine such as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or an unoaked Chardonnay is ideal. Steer clear of sweeter varieties. If you’d rather not use alcohol, you can substitute it with an equal amount of chicken stock and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end to add a similar acidic brightness. For another dish with perfectly balanced, bright flavours, you may also love our Lemon Garlic Chicken.

What to Serve with Your Italian Chicken Florentine

This magnificent Italian chicken Florentine is undoubtedly the main event, but it pairs wonderfully with a variety of accompaniments. That luscious, creamy sauce is simply calling out to be soaked up by something delicious. Here are a few of our top recommendations:

• Pasta: Serve it over a nest of tagliatelle, linguine, or pappardelle. The wider noodles are ideal for clinging to every drop of the sauce. For fellow pasta enthusiasts, our Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta Recipe is another fantastic choice.
• Crusty Bread: A simple loaf of fresh, crusty sourdough or a classic French baguette is perfect for mopping the plate clean.
• Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes, golden roasted new potatoes, or even soft gnocchi provide a wonderful, hearty base for the chicken and its sauce.
• Steamed Vegetables: For a lighter accompaniment, serve it alongside some simply steamed asparagus, tenderstem broccoli, or green beans.

FAQ

A New Weeknight Favourite

And that is our complete guide to creating what we are confident is the best Chicken Florentine recipe you will ever have the pleasure of making. It’s a wonderful example of how you don’t need a lengthy, complicated list of ingredients or hours of effort to produce a meal that is both deeply comforting and bursting with sophisticated flavours. This one-pan dish is ideal for impressing dinner guests, treating your family, or simply enjoying a touch of culinary luxury on any night of the week.

We are so thrilled for you to give this recipe a go. It’s a firm favourite in our own homes, and we sincerely hope it will become one in yours as well. Are you ready to start cooking? Let’s head to the kitchen and create this incredible meal together! We would be delighted to see how yours turns out, so please feel free to leave a comment or tag us on social media to share your experience.

Recipe Card

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
• 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 80ml dry white wine
• 250ml chicken stock
• 200ml double cream
• 50g grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 150g fresh baby spinach
• Optional: 50g sun-dried tomatoes

Instructions

1. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, and lightly dredge in flour.
2. Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. In the same pan, melt the remaining butter and sauté the shallot until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
4. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce the wine by half. Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer, and reduce for 5 minutes. Stir in the double cream.
5. Lower the heat and stir in Parmesan and nutmeg until the sauce is smooth. Add the spinach in handfuls, allowing it to wilt completely. If using, stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
6. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and simmer for 1-2 minutes to warm through before serving.

Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 730, Carbs: 13 g, Protein: 57 g, Fat: 48 g