Description
A quick and comforting one-pan dinner featuring tender chicken breasts smothered in a creamy spinach and artichoke sauce, perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds / 680g)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 can (14 ounces / 400g) artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, full-fat
- ½ cup heavy cream (120ml)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (50g)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or equal parts dried basil, oregano, and thyme)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- Black pepper to taste
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth (120ml)
- Optional: red pepper flakes, lemon zest, mushrooms
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients: thaw and squeeze out spinach, chop artichokes if needed, mince garlic, and grate Parmesan.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown and nearly cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium. Sauté minced garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping up browned bits.
- Add cream cheese in dollops, stirring until melted into the broth. Stir in heavy cream, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in drained spinach and chopped artichokes. Cook for 2 minutes, then gradually add Parmesan while stirring constantly until sauce is rich and creamy. Add broth or cream if sauce is too thick.
- Return chicken breasts to skillet, nestle into sauce, cover with lid or foil, and simmer gently for 5 minutes to finish cooking and meld flavors.
- Serve hot with extra sauce spooned over the top. Pairs well with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.
Notes
[‘Squeeze out excess water from spinach to avoid watery sauce.’, ‘Use room temperature cream cheese for smooth melting; microwave 15 seconds if needed.’, ‘Keep heat moderate when adding cream and cheese to prevent sauce separation.’, ‘Pound chicken breasts to even thickness for even cooking.’, ‘Add a tablespoon of cold butter at the end for a glossy finish.’, ‘Reheat leftovers gently with a splash of cream or broth to restore sauce consistency.’, ‘Not recommended to freeze due to sauce separation.’]
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast wit
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 550
- Fat: 30
- Saturated Fat: 15
- Carbohydrates: 7
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 42
Keywords: creamy spinach artichoke chicken, quick dinner, one-pan meal, weeknight dinner, chicken recipe, creamy sauce, spinach, artichokes