Boneless chicken breast cutlets in a creamy, sun-dried tomato, Parmesan cheese and spinach sauce. A one-pan dinner that cooks entirely on the stovetop.
At a glance …
What is it? Boneless chicken breast cutlets with a creamy sun-dried tomato, Parmesan and spinach sauce.
Why you’ll love it! This recipe uses just one pan and cooks entirely on the stovetop. The thin chicken cooks up quickly, then the flavourful sauce is made in the same pan. The sun-dried tomatoes bring a ton of flavour, while the spinach adds some greens to the mix as well.
How to make it! Quickly cook the chicken breast cutlets in a skillet on the stovetop, then remove them to a plate. In the same skillet, add the sauce ingredients and cook until thickened. Finish with a few handfuls of spinach, then return the chicken to the skillet to rewarm before serving.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – I like to start with whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts that I cut in half myself into thin cutlets. The whole chicken breasts are usually more economical that buying the cutlets already cut.
Tip! If starting from frozen whole boneless chicken breasts, cut them in half while they are still partially frozen for a nice, neat slice.
Sun-dried tomatoes – Jarred sun-dried tomatoes in oil are recommended for the nicest flavour and texture. If only dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes are available, be sure to fully rehydrate them in hot water before using.
White wine – Any white wine will work here. One that you enjoy drinking is always a good choice. If you’d prefer not to use wine, simply use an equal amount of additional chicken broth. You could add a teaspoon of white wine vinegar for the acidity, if you like.
Cream – Heavy whipping cream (35% b.f.) will produce the creamiest sauce, though a lighter cream such as 10% half-and-half cream can be used if a lower-fat option is desired. You may need to add a bit more thickener at the end of cooking.
Spinach – Spinach is perfect for this dish, as it wilts quickly in the pan. While another green could be used, it may require more cooking in the sauce to become tender. You can omit the spinach if you don’t have any on hand.
How to make creamy sun-dried tomato chicken: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
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How to make creamy sun-dried tomato chicken: video
Recipe tips!
- The crushed red pepper flakes are optional. If you’d prefer no heat, simply omit them. That said, I do love a pinch or so myself, for a nice, warming backnote.
- Don’t forget some salt! While there will be a little salt in the chicken broth, there is not much more, so be sure to taste the sauce at the end of cooking and add additional salt as needed. If the sauce tastes a bit flat, it almost surely needs a bit more salt.
What to serve with creamy sun-dried tomato chicken
This sun-dried tomato chicken is one of those dishes that can go any number of ways when it comes to side dishes. It seems natural to serve it over a little bit of pasta, but keep in mind that the sauce is not super plentiful, so if you’re thinking about pasta, consider doubling up the sauce (or just cook a small portion of pasta).
I actually love this sun-dried tomato chicken with mashed potatoes. Garlic mashed potatoes are especially nice. Rice or cauliflower rice would also work just fine with this dish.
Although there is spinach in the sauce, you could add another green vegetable or maybe a simple green salad.
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Get the Recipe: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally to produce 6 thin cutlets
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tablespoons cooking oil, Or you could use some oil from the sun-dried tomatoes if you like.
For the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce:
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (jarred, packed in oil), thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup shallot, or onion, finely chopped
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional, adjust to taste or omit for no heat
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, *see Note 1 below
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f. *see Note 2 below
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 Tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced, or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
For thickening:
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
Instructions
- Cut the 3 boneless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally to produce 6 thin cutlets) in half horizontally into thin cutlets, making 6 thin cutlets. Season the cutlets with some salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Heat 2 Tablespoons cooking oil (Or you could use some oil from the sun-dried tomatoes if you like.) in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the chicken cutlets and cook until golden underneath, about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook the other side. Cook until the chicken registers 165F when tested in the thickest part of the chicken. Transfer the chicken cutlets to a plate.
- Add the 1/4 cup shallot (or onion, finely chopped) and 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (jarred, packed in oil) (thinly sliced) to the same skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for about 1-2 minutes, or until the shallots have softened. Add the 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, adjust to taste or omit for no heat), if using and cook briefly. Add the 1/2 cup dry white wine (*see Note 1 below) to the skillet. Stir to loosen any browned bits in the pan, then allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Add the 1/2 cup chicken broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring as needed, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium, then add the 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (35% b.f. *see Note 2 below), 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated), 3 Tablespoons fresh basil (thinly sliced, or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves)1/4 teaspoon salt and some freshly ground pepper. Taste the sauce and add additional salt, if needed.
- Return the chicken to the skillet together with any juices on the plate. Cook the chicken in the sauce, turning once or twice to rewarm and coat in the sauce.
- Scatter the 2 cups baby spinach (roughly chopped) over the chicken and gently stir it into the sauce. Cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Mix 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle into the skillet, then gently stir and simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Garnish with additional freshly grated Parmesan and freshly ground pepper to serve.
Notes
Watch how to make it
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
