Get the Recipe: Chicken Florentine
This easy, delicious and classic chicken Florentine is the chicken dinner that always feels special, without the extra work! Boneless chicken breast cutlets are coated in Parmesan and pan-seared, then combined with a cream, cream cheese and spinach sauce.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for serving
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, about 1 pound *see Note 1 below
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium shallot, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, or substitute more chicken broth
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- 2 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- 4 cups baby spinach, packed (about 6 oz)
Instructions
- Add the flour and Parmesan cheese to a large plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir together well. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan. Melt and stir together. Dredge each chicken breast cutlet in the flour and Parmesan mixture, evenly coating the chicken on both sides. Add the chicken to the hot skillet and cook until golden brown, then flip and brown the other side, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point).
- To the same skillet, add another 2 Tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt to the pan and cook, stirring until the shallot is softened and garlic is softened, about 2 minutes.
- Add the wine to the skillet and allow the wine to boil for 1 minute to cook off the alcohol. Add the chicken broth, basil and oregano and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the mixture to simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.
- Tip! It's important that the cream cheese not be cold when added to the skillet, as it may split in the sauce. I like to add the cream cheese to a small bowl and microwave it for 10-15 seconds before adding it to the skillet.
- Add the heavy cream and the cream cheese to the skillet and stir, allowing the cream cheese to soften and melt. Use a whisk if needed to smooth the sauce well. Add the baby spinach to the skillet and stir until it is coated by the cream sauce and the spinach is beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.
- Return the chicken breasts to the pan, together with any juices on the plate and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Season the skillet with a bit more salt and pepper. Remove from heat and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan on top.
Notes
Note 1: Chicken breast cutlets are boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been cut in half crosswise into two thin cutlets. Some grocery stores sell pre-sliced cutlets or you can buy the full chicken breasts and slice them yourself.
Tips!
If cutting the chicken into cutlets from a large chicken breast, you'll find that the top half is lovely and neat, while the bottom half not so much. I like to use just the neat top halves for this dish (so I start with 4 full chicken breasts), and I freeze the bottom parts for another dish. They are perfect for chicken tenders or to dice up for other recipes.
As written, the sauce leans a bit rich, though the plentiful spinach balances that nicely. That’s great if that’s what you’re after. If you’re looking for a lighter dish, though, you can swap the heavy cream with half-and-half cream and use light cream cheese, if you like.
If lightening up the dish with lighter cream and cream cheese, you may want to thicken the sauce at the end of cooking with a quick cornstarch slurry. Simply mix 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 Tablespoons of cold water. Drizzle into the simmering sauce a bit at a time, stirring, until the sauce thickens to your desired level.
This dish is best enjoyed freshly cooked, but if you need to make it ahead, refrigerate well-covered, then reheat over low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth to the skillet if the sauce needs to be loosened. Be careful not to overheat or heat too long to avoid over-cooking the chicken.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions, step-by-step photos and a recipe video that you might find helpful.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 509kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 155mg, Sodium: 409mg, Potassium: 736mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 3884IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 170mg, Iron: 2mg
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