This Chicken Florentine Skillet is loaded with so much creaminess and delicious flavor. The chicken breasts are perfectly sautéed until golden brown, then nestled in the creamy cheesy wine sauce with fresh baby spinach folded in.
It’s a simple 30-minute skillet dinner that is low-carb, keto friendly, and gluten free!
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Who’s up for a thick and creamy chicken spinach recipe – in 30 minutes!?
Yesss – I see those hands up!
I mean, we could all use another chicken recipe to add into our weeknight dinner rotation – right? Some of my latest go-to’s include this Instant Pot Mexican Chicken, this lemon harissa chicken, or the ever popular Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole.
Well get excited people we’re making Chicken Florentine today! And it’s low-carb, keto friendly and gluten-free!!! Whaaaa!??? I know just when you think it couldn’t get any better – it does!!
What is Florentine?
In case you’re wondering, “Florentine” refers to a recipe that’s prepared in the style of the Italian region of Florence. The common ingredient in Florentine style food is spinach. And Chicken Florentine is typically served in a creamy spinach sauce with white wine and butter – mmm! Like this…
If you’re not a wine person you can swap out chicken stock in its place. It will taste slightly different but still creamy, cheesy and delicious.
Speaking of cheese, I added Parmesan cheese and cream cheese to this dish for some extra flavor and to thicken up the sauce a bit. Note: Traditionally this dish calls for heavy cream but I used half and half instead. I figured the trade-off of less calories and fat would allow for the use of the cream cheese.
Which brings me to the spinach… for this recipe I used fresh baby spinach. I like the texture much better than frozen spinach. But you can use frozen spinach – just be sure to defrost it completely and squeeze out as much water as possible.
Random food fact coming your way… since we’re on the topic, I thought I would point out that spinach is really good for you. It’s considered a superfood. Which means spinach is loaded with tons of nutrients and has very low-calories. It’s important for skin, hair, and bone health. And it provides protein, iron, vitamins, and minerals.
And finally the main ingredient… chicken breasts! I intentionally sought out chicken breast that were on the smaller side for this recipe. That way they don’t take forever to cook, and it helps with portion control.
Lean protein is good for us but not if we eat too much of it. After all, the recommended size for a single serving of chicken is 3-4 ounces, about the size of a deck of playing cards or the palm of your hand. If you can only find larger chicken breasts, you can cut them in half or butterfly them before cooking.
And speaking of cooking – let’s get to it!
How to make keto chicken Florentine
(For exact quantities and cook times please see the detailed recipe later in this post!)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Saute on both sides until brown and the internal temp reaches 165F. (Be sure to use your digital meat thermometer!
- Transfer the chicken from pan to a plate, tent with tin foil, and set aside.
- Add onion to the pan and cook, then add garlic.
- Add wine and chicken stock to the skillet (or all chicken stock if that’s what you’re using), and increase the heat to medium-high, bringing the mixture to a simmer.
- Next, add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and whisk together until thoroughly incorporated.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the parsley and half-and-half, then saute while stirring. It should thicken up as it cooks.
- Add the spinach and fold into the sauce. Then cook for just a minute, until wilted.
- Transfer the cooked chicken breasts back to the skillet and simmer until heated through. Flip the chicken in the sauce to coat. If the sauce gets too thick add the rest of the half and half, or more chicken stock if preferred.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
And just so you know the sauce will get thicker as it cools. To reheat the dish use some chicken stock to loosen it up: stir in a few splashes and add more if needed as it heats up.
Your family is gonna rave about this Chicken Florentine Skillet! It truly has it all… a ton of healthy fresh spinach, tender golden chicken breasts and a creamy cheesy wine sauce.
A delicious one-pan meal in 30 minutes!
More easy low carb chicken recipes:
- Salsa Verde Chicken Casserole
- French Onion Chicken Meatballs
- Keto chicken broccoli casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Burgers
- Grilled Greek Chicken Burgers With Feta
- Instant Pot Chicken Wings with Garlic & Parmesan
- … plus one of my favorite healthy chicken and mushroom recipes
Chicken Florentine Skillet (Low Carb)
A thick and creamy chicken skillet with spinach and white wine, ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup chopped white or yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup dry white wine (I prefer a chardonnay. You can use all chicken stock if preferred.)
- ½ cup chicken stock (more if needed to thin out sauce)
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (more for garnish)
- ¾ cup half and half
- 3-5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (more for garnish)
- Salt and pepper to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, and add to the pan. Sauté on both sides until brown, about 5-6 minutes per side, until the internal temp reaches 165F.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the onion to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the wine and chicken stock to the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high, bring it to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheese and whisk together until thoroughly incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add the parsley and half-and-half, sauté and stir for 3 minutes. It should thicken up as it cooks.
- Fold the spinach into the sauce. Then transfer the cooked chicken breasts to the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Flip the chicken in the sauce to coat. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash or two of chicken stock to thin it out.
- Season to taste with salt & pepper if needed, then garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan, and enjoy!
Notes
The sauce will thicken as it cools. When reheating just use some chicken stock to
loosen it up: stir in a few splashes and add more if needed as it heats up.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 Chicken Breast w/sauceAmount Per Serving Calories 571Total Fat 34gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 170mgSodium 549mgCarbohydrates 9gNet Carbohydrates 7gFiber 2gSugar 7gProtein 46g
This nutrition card uses an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. This estimate is not a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice!
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