This easy chicken florentine recipe makes a simple yet elegant dish for everything from entertaining to weeknight dinners. Best of all, florentine chicken comes together with basic ingredients you might already have on hand! It has all the flavors of my creamy chicken florentine soup, but cooked quickly in a skillet, much like Tuscan salmon or creamy mushroom chicken. It’s one of my favorite one pan meals and a total crowd pleaser. (In fact, it’s my secret for getting my kids to eat Spinach. ;))
What Is Chicken Florentine?
Despite the name, chicken Florentine is actually a French dish — not from Florence, Italy. Chicken florentine recipes traditionally serve chicken cutlets in a creamy spinach sauce. Other variations include adding mushrooms or a squeeze of lemon juice for added bright flavor. It’s an effortlessly fancy dish you can serve any night of the week!
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chicken breast florentine, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
Chicken Breasts – While boneless skinless varieties are the most common choice for cooking them florentine style, you can also use boneless or bone-in chicken thighs and adjust cook time accordingly.Olive Oil – Extra virgin olive oil adds so much flavor to this recipe, but you can substitute your favorite cooking oil.Garlic – Use 4 cloves garlic. While fresh minced tastes the very best, you can use jarred minced garlic to save time.Cremini Mushrooms – Slice them yourself, or get them pre-sliced to save time. You can also use white mushrooms, or any smaller variety. Some chicken florentine recipes don’t use mushrooms, so feel free to omit them (or replace with onions) if you like.Butter – I used grass-fed butter, but any unsalted variety will do.Chicken Broth – I use a lower sodium variety. You can also use homemade bone broth for extra flavor.Dry White Wine – This helps delgaze the pan and adds depth. Pinot grigio, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc are great choices, or use any dry white wine. If you prefer to avoid the wine, you can substitute additional chicken broth instead.Heavy Cream – Makes the sauce thick and rich. I don’t recommend substituting other types of milk, as they won’t thicken as well. Coconut cream can work as a substitute, but the dish will still have dairy from the parmesan.Grated Parmesan Cheese – Use a grated instead of shredded variety for easier melting.Fresh Spinach – A classic ingredient in creamy chicken florentine, but other dark and leafy greens can work.Sea Salt & Black Pepper – Although some recipes dredge their chicken in flour, we’re skipping that step and simply seasoning with salt and pepper. The sauce still comes out thick without it!
How To Make Chicken Florentine
This section shows how to make chicken florentine healthy, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Storage Instructions
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Having a dry exterior helps the meat sear better. However, you can turn it down to medium heat if the mushrooms start to brown too much. To reheat, warm in a 350 degree F oven or microwave at low power, until heated through.
Can You Freeze Chicken Florentine?
Yes, it’s easy to freeze chicken spinach florentine! Cool, cover tightly, and store for 1-2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
What To Serve With Florentine Chicken
This recipe has lots of pairing options! Try these easy ideas.
Pasta – You can serve with regular noodles, but I prefer healthier veggie options: zucchini noodles, baked spaghetti squash, or shirataki noodles.Potatoes – Mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower, shown in the photos above), is the best choice, to soak up all the sauce. But you can also serve it with roasted potatoes, fried radishes, or roasted rutabaga.Rice – Use your favorite variety. Mine is cauliflower rice, but white or brown rice works, too.Italian Style Sides & Veggies – Serve this dish with Italian marinated artichoke salad, sauteed eggplant, or oven roasted zucchini.
More Easy Skillet Chicken Recipes
If you like quick skillet dinners, you’ll love these other healthy chicken recipes too! Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it!
