These Tuscan Chicken Thighs are a total winner. Ready in less than 30 minutes and packed full of delicious flavours, be prepared to be impressed.
Once you've made this meal the first time, I guarantee you'll be adding it to your favourites. My recipe for Tuscan Chicken Thighs is a one-pot wonder that ticks all the boxes in terms of flavour and ease. This recipe would also be delicious served on top of pasta, mashed potato or steamed rice.
Made using my Ironclad Co Legacy Pan, this dish not only tastes amazing, but presents really well on the table too. Chicken thighs are great in a meal like this, their rich flavour goes so well with the creamy sauce. For another amazing chicken thigh recipe, be sure to check out my Honey Soy Chicken Thighs, served with fresh veggies and rice.
I made a quick focaccia in the 20cm Lil' Legacy pan to soak up that creamy sauce. I used my Pizza Dough recipe and stretched it out thinly across the pan. Then I coated it in olive oil, sea salt and rosemary before baking it in the oven for 25 minutes until golden. I also have a great standalone recipe for a loaf Focaccia.
How to make Tuscan Chicken:
To begin, add olive oil to a large cast iron skillet pan and brown the chicken on a medium heat for a few minutes each side. Make a gap in the centre of the pan and add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs. Pour in chicken stock and deglaze the pan.
Add spinach, stir everything together then simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Once chicken is cooked through, pour in cream and sprinkle over parmesan then simmer for a few more minutes until sauce starts to thicken.
Coat each piece in the creamy sauce and serve immediately. I like to serve my Tuscan Chicken with a fresh side salad and homemade focaccia.
This is one of the most popular recipes in CookPlan, the meal planning app I founded. In the app you can create personal meal plans in minutes that will generate an automatic shopping list. You will also get access to new and exclusive recipes every month. If you want to streamline your meal planning, check out a free trial of CookPlan today.
Recipe FAQS:
Absolutely. I prefer thighs in this type of meal as they have a richer flavour. However, chicken breasts would be great too.
Depending on whether you use bone-in or boneless, the cooking time will vary. I usually cut into the thickest part of the thigh to check before serving.
Yes, Tuscan chicken is naturally gluten free. However, be sure to check the labels on any processed food to ensure it meets your dietary requirements. Substitute regular focaccia for a gluten free alternative.
★★★★★
"I have made this dish on two occasions now and it has been a hit both times. I served it on a bed of rice but the focaccia and salad is a good option. Thanks for the recipe."
Hugo - VJ Cooks reader
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*DISCLAIMER*
If you are coeliac, or cooking for someone who is, please ensure you make the necessary substitutions to ensure this recipe meets your dietary requirements. Be sure to check the labels on all your processed food, including sauce bottles, to make sure they are gluten free.
Tuscan Chicken
Succulent chicken thighs cooked in a creamy sauce with Italian herbs and sun dried tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 600g chicken thighs
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, finely sliced
- 1 Tbsp Italian herbs
- 1 cup chicken stock*
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ½ cup cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated (70g)
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet add olive oil and brown the chicken on medium heat for a few minutes on each side.
- Make a gap in the centre of the pan and add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and Italian herbs. Pour in chicken stock and deglaze the pan.
- Add spinach and stir everything together, simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through.
- Pour in cream and sprinkle over parmesan, simmer stirring for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Coat each piece of chicken in the creamy sauce and serve immediately.
Notes
* If you are coeliac or cooking for someone who is, please ensure you make the necessary substitutions to ensure these recipes meet your dietary requirements. As always, be sure to check the labels on all your processed food including sauce bottles to make sure they are gluten free.
- I like to serve my tuscan chicken with fresh focaccia bread and a green side salad.
- Cooking times will differ depending on whether you use boneless or bone in chicken thighs in this recipe, either works fine just make sure they are cooked through before serving. I like to cut through the thickest piece to check.
- Chicken breast would work well in this recipe too.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 562Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 242mgSodium: 681mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 43g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Morag Puddick says
I have decided to start meal planning and this was one of the recipes we had and we all throughly enjoyed it, we had it with Vegetables but this would also be nice with pasta the sauce was very tasty.
VJ cooks says
Thank you so much, Morag 🙂 It is a very tasty dish and you can absolutely serve it with your favourite veg. Happy meal planning!
Jo says
Hi VJ, will this freeze ok? A little nervous as it’s cream and I thought it might separate? If it can be frozen, now long would you recommend it can stay in the freezer for?
VJ cooks says
Hi Jo, I haven't frozen this recipe myself. However, as the liquid is 2 parts stock to 1 part cream, this should dilute the cream which helps to prevents it from separating. I would freeze a dish like this for up to 2 months. Thaw it out in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a saucepan or casserole dish until piping hot. I hope that helps.
H F says
I made this for dinner for a special Friday night dinner for my son. I had to substitute a few items: spinach (mine went too soft) I substituted chunky diced zucchini and for sun dried tomatoes I used Roma tomatoes peeled, diced and seeded and added 1/4c dry white wine to the broth. Served it over steamed parsley potatoes. It was wonderful! Thanks for a great recipe and I hope the tweaks are a good idea for others too.
Virginia Podolak says
Hi
Can Greek yogurt be used in place of cream?
VJ cooks says
Yes it can. It will have a slightly different taste but it will work in term of consistency.
Lori Schmitt says
Very good! We ate this over rice, but will do fettuccine noodles next time.
VJ cooks says
That's a great idea!
JJ says
Í just made it and had it for lunch! Was really good!! Unfortunately didn’t have the sun-dried tomatoes so I just used a tablespoon of crushed tomatoes because it’s what was in my pantry. .
Delicious! I think next time I might double or triple the sauce recipe, chop up the chicken and turn it into a soup recipe for a cold winter day!
Lynley says
Hi could you do this recipe in the oven
VJ cooks says
I recommend the stovetop as it gives the chicken a chance to brown nicely before the other components are added. You could always try it in the oven, but I don't think it would have the same depth of flavour.
Elizabeth says
I added 1 top turmeric and 1 top paprika and cracked black pepper. Delicious and pretty color
Anon says
Why don't you put a jump to recipe button on your site so we don't have to scroll through the crap to find it.
VJ cooks says
Hi Anon, The 'Jump to Recipe' button is located right under the title and publish date of every single recipe. If you're still having trouble finding it, I can email you a screen shot of its exact location. Hope this helps.
Jane says
Hope she thanked you…as the button is there!
Menahem Fuchs says
Just made it for dinner - delicious! Saved to my favourite recipes, and will definitely make it again. We didn't have sun-dried tomatoes unfortunately, so I made it with fresh tomatoes from our garden, and added some lemon juice too to give it a bit of acidity. We had it with basmati rice and green salad - a perfect pairing!
VJ cooks says
Sounds delicious!
Anon says
Maybe you should open your eye balls
Dave says
Pretty sure you mean open your eyes, opening your eyeballs would hurt.
A very rude person
Liz says
You’re rude.. learn some manners.
Mel says
How rude Anon, you sound like a miserable little soul. Just be grateful you are able to access these amazing recipes!
Heidy says
No wonder you made that comment anonymously... I was always taught that if you can't say anything nice then don't say anything! You should be just grateful to have a recipe for free. Just be grateful eh? 🙂
Yani says
Hi! This lovely is delicious and I’m definitely going to try! I was just wondering if there was a substitution for the sundried tomatoes or if you tried this recipe without them?
Thanks!!
VJ cooks says
One of our readers commented that they used fresh roma tomatoes 🙂
Petula Kempsford says
This was delicious thank you
Hugo says
I have made this dish on two occasions now and it has been a hit both times. I served it on a bed of rice but the focaccia and salad is a good option. Thanks for the recipe.
Lisa says
I made the chicken in sauce receipe and it was amazing. My new go to
Priscilla says
One of my faves so tasty!! Do you think this would reheat well - thinking if i made a big batch earlier in the day for entertaining, could reheat in s casserole dish in the oven? Wasn’t sure how the sauce would come out if did that?
Thanks
VJ cooks says
Yes I think that would be fine. If it dried out, you could always add a little more cream and water/stock to the dish.
Teresa says
Hi do you think this would work with fresh cherry tomatos and natural yoghurt instead of the cream?
Vanya Insull says
I'm sure it would be fine with the fresh cherry tomatoes, but I'm not sure about the natural yoghurt. You're welcome to give it a try!
Susan says
I use coconut milk for dairy free.
Menahem Fuchs says
I used fresh Roma tomatoes and added some lemon juice to give it some zing. It was delicious! I did use normal pouring cream though.
Tina says
I have made this for many years. I sometimes use both fresh cherry tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes.
Sometimes I even use cherry tomatoes from my freezer.. Delicious however you make it
Janine says
Hi there,
Do you think I could make this in my slowcooker? (I use it heaps when working)
Maybe add the cream near the end?
Thanks.
VJ cooks says
I wouldn't recommend it. This is a 30 minute recipe. By the time the chicken has browned (which is a key part of the recipe) there's only 15 minutes of simmering after that.
Relic says
Vj,
I appreciate the recipe very much and I can't wait to try it. I may have to forgo the spinach, which will be a shame (I am an ostomate and currently am not allowed any vegetables, fruit, etc so I am always on the prowl for the rare recipes I can find for this), but it still sounds worth it.
I did have a small issues, however. I was wondering if one does not have cast iron cookware, if it can still be recommended to be cooked? I hope this is a recipe that's forgiving to that because I would really like to try this.
VJ cooks says
Hi there, thanks for your query. First of all, you can absolutely leave the spinach out! I generally add it to make myself feel better about the cream and cheese... but you can absolutely omit it and the dish will still taste amazing. Secondly, you can make this in any dish. I like the heaviness of my cast iron pan but I have made this many times in a non-stick frying pan as well.
Julia says
I have seen your recipes on Facebook then saw your book, so brought it to support you. Thanks for being so generous with sharing recipes.
The first recipe that I have made of yours and 100% will be added to favourites. Even my fussy eater loved it.
VJ cooks says
Thank you for your support, it means so much! Happy cooking and baking 🙂
Sue says
I just made this recipe and it’s sogood, but why is the an * beside the chicken stock? Only complaint is the sauce never really thickened - quite runny… what have I done wrong?
VJ cooks says
In the notes it just says to ensure you are using gluten free stock if you are making this recipe gluten free. It's so hard for me to know what happened but my first guess would be that you didn't simmer it for long enough.
mark says
hi sue use a little less stock at the start u can add more if u need it like any dish i have a cup of water on hand just in case
Debra says
Absolutely delicious, my husband thought it was fantastic too.
VJ cooks says
Thanks Debra, this is one of my favourites too!
Chrissie says
I'm wondering if I can cook this in advance up to adding the cream? Then reheat gently and add the cream?
I'm having guests for dinner and I like to have the cooking done before hand.
VJ cooks says
I guess so? I like to cook my chicken just before serving to avoid any risk of bacteria. If you're confident you can store it safely between cooking and serving I think it will be fine to add the cream later. Let me know how you get on.
Elyse says
What can I use instead of cream. Cream upsets my stomach?
VJ cooks says
Other people have used coconut cream and dairy free cream alternatives. These will alter the flavour of the dish though.
Lg says
May I use another pan or does it have to be a cast iron? We have cast irons but they are too small.
VJ cooks says
No, you can use any frying pan! I've used stainless steel and non-stick in the past. The trick is to make sure the chicken gets nicely browned before you add the other bits.
Jenny says
Delish recipe. Made it with kale instead of spinach as that was what I had in the garden. Thanks for sharing. I won one of your books at Takapuna Mall and gave it to my daughter who is loving your recipes!
VJ cooks says
Hi Jenny, oh amazing! I'm glad your family are enjoying my recipes. Yes, kale is a great substitute! I'm a big fan of using what you have to hand.
Su says
Hi,
This was a really delicious dish even without the parmesan. How would you recommend you cook this for a lot of people? Many thanks.
VJ cooks says
Oh that's good to know. I would cook it in two frying pans if I was doubling it. This recipe isn't suited to cooking in the oven.
Marian says
How do you think coconut cream would go in this recipe? My daughter seems to be getting eczema from too much dairy so swapping where I can. Thanks!
VJ cooks says
Hi Marian, coconut cream has quite a distinct flavour so it will alter the taste of the recipe. But that might be something that you like. You could try other dairy free alternatives like cashew or soy cream if you prefer.
Teri Powell says
I used coconut cream because I can’t do dairy either and it was delicious!
VJ cooks says
Good to know! Thanks Teri
Maggie says
Made it once and it was delicious. Making it again tonight. I think this would be great with a meaty fish like grouper or cod. Thoughts!
VJ cooks says
Oh wow, would love to know how that goes!
Ann Cutts says
Thank you for sharing the recipes!
As I cannot stand the taste of semi dried tomatoes, how integral are they in the delicious looking Tuscan Chicken Thighs recipe?
Warmest regards,
Ann
VJ cooks says
They add a lovely saltiness to the recipe. But you can absolutely leave them out and season to taste.
Jojo says
We loved this recipe, even the kids did, who couldnt get enough of it! We had it with potatoes and veg but going to have it with pasta the next time.
VJ cooks says
Oh yum! Thanks for the feedback, Jojo.
Clio says
Such a great dish! Easy to make at the end of the day, and can even give it to the toddler for dinner the next day. Thanks for this recipe!
Laura De Rose says
Absolutely loved this!!! Am a new chef working on yachts and the guests loved it too!!
Curious to know if I could make ahead and freeze it, for a boat delivery passage?
VJ cooks says
Thanks for the feedback, Laura 🙂 I haven't tried freezing it myself, but I think it would be ok. You might need to add extra liquid to the dish when you reheat it on the stovetop. You could also wait to add the spinach until you reheat it.
irene says
Simple dinner for those busy nights that is a complete winner. So tasty.
dawn dragon says
I’m not sure why my recipe turned out so fatty. Perhaps we didn’t brown the chicken thighs enough? It was actually in edible. Do you scrape out the fat from the chicken before adding the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian herbs and chicken stock?
VJ cooks says
Did you use skinless chicken thighs? I've never had that issue with mine sorry.
Von says
I made this last night. I've never found a recipe that I didn't have to alter a bit due to the food being bland. This was perfect. I didn't have to change a thing. I ate it with pasta. I'm going to eat the leftovers with rice today at work. Thanks so much.
VJ cooks says
This is such a tasty recipe and one of the most popular on the website! Thanks for the feedback, Von.
Terri says
WOW "The best chicken dish ever"! I sprinkled the chicken with cayenne pepper and garlic salt before cooking. I also used the oil from the sun dried tomatoes to cook the skinless, boneless thighs. I used broccoli and artichoke hearts instead of spinach and served with jalapeno rice and a green salad. It was delicious and such a versatile dish. Thank you!!
VJ cooks says
Wow sounds delicious!
Jay says
I added a little bacon to it as well - was just delicious
VJ cooks says
Yum , that sounds delicious!
Adam Sampson says
So don't cover while simmering?
VJ cooks says
That's correct. In order for the sauce to thicken you need to leave the dish uncovered so that the steam can escape.
Susan says
Absolute winner of a recipe, thank you! I have made it a few times now … I stirred in two heaped teaspoons of cornflour into the cream before I added it and it just thickened the sauce beautifully
Judith Baxter says
I made this at home today and took it to a friend who is housebound, for lunch. I put it in to heat when I got there and then I stirred in the cream after I took it out of the oven. It was perfect and there was none left over. I served it with a medley of vegetables once again cooked before I left home and heated when I got there.I didn’t put cheese in the chicken dish but added a sprinkling of Woolworths grated three cheeses to the vegetables when they were heating up
Thanks again for an easy recipe that looks as if I had been toiling over a hot stove for hours when in fact it only takes a matter of minutes.
VJ cooks says
What a lovely thing to do for your friend. I'm sure they were so grateful for the effort you went to.
Judith Baxter says
I plan to make it again this weekend to take to my friend. She really enjoyed it the last time. This recipe is most certainly a keeper Thank you VJ for sharing.
Paula says
Can you tell me what type of cream to use please
VJ cooks says
Pouring cream.
Julia says
Are the chicken thighs bone in or bone out?
VJ cooks says
I use bone out. You can use bone in if you prefer, but it will take longer to cook.