Tuscan Garlic Chicken

This Tuscan Garlic Chicken is simply the best! Moist, tender chicken topped with a creamy garlic and spinach white sauce and ready in just 30 minutes!

Looking for more Italian-inspired meals? I’ve got you covered with my Four Cheese Baked Ziti, Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup, and amazing homemade Lasagna (with my secret ingredient!).

Why This Recipe Works

So easy – Really! It just sounds fancy. It’s as simple as cook the chicken, make the sauce, put it all together on top of a pile of fettuccini, devour. You got this!

Simple ingredients – Use boxed pasta, skinless, boneless chicken, a few veggies, some flour and garlic powder for the sauce, butter, cheese, and a few other ingredients you have hanging around.

Feeds a crowd – Double this creamy Tuscan chicken if you have last-minute house guests. Add some rolls and a salad and you’ve got a fancy and impressive dinner. No one needs to know it only took you 30 minutes!

Make ahead – If you want to save even more time, you can make this alfredo sauce ahead of time and keep in the fridge or freezer. Reheat the sauce in a skillet, stir to get it smooth, and add the chicken back in before putting atop pasta.

Ingredients

Here is a quick look at what ingredients you will need to make this quick and delicious (and totally family-friendly!) Tuscan Garlic Chicken recipe.

Here’s How You Make It

First, cook the fettuccini noodles according to package directions. Drain them and set them aside.

Making the chicken

1. In a large, shallow bowl, add ¼ cup of flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together, then dredge the chicken in the flour, getting it coated on all sides. (photo 1)
2. Add oil to a large skillet and allow it to heat to medium. Place the chicken in the skillet, cover, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then flip it to the other side, cover and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the chicken is browned on both sides and white in the middle. Remove the chicken and set it aside. (photo 2)

Making the sauce

1. Wipe the skillet with a dry paper towel. Add the butter and cook over medium till it’s melted, then add the garlic and sauté another minute or until it becomes fragrant. Now add flour and stir till it starts to clump. (photo 3)
2. Add the half-and-half to the pan, whisking it into the roux until it’s completely combined. (photos 4-5)
3. Now stir the red peppers and spinach in the sauce and cook them for about 2-3 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Add the parmesan, salt, and pepper and stir, stir, stir till the sauce is smooth and thickens. (photo 6)

Putting it together

1. Top the noodles with the chicken and a big helping of sauce. Garnish with parsley if you like. (photos 7-8)

What to Serve With This Dish

• Nothing goes with this chicken with cream sauce like a lovely green salad and some garlic bread or knots.
• Want to pretend like you really are Olive Garden? Serve this creamy Tuscan chicken with some copycat gnocchi soup, salad, and breadsticks! Heck, serve it buffet style and pretend you ARE Olive Garden.
• For those looking for some low-carb options, you can serve this chicken and alfredo over some zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash instead of fettuccini.

Ideas for Customizing This Recipe

• If you don’t like spinach and red peppers or have other veggies in your crisper, use those instead. I also like to make the sauce with mushrooms and kale. Zucchini or yellow squash cubes work well too or throw in some frozen peas.
• Another favorite flavor combination of mine for alfredo is to add in some chopped sun-dried tomatoes (the kind packed in oil) to the sauce, and then sprinkle pine nuts and parsley over the top just before serving. Yum!
• I think chicken works best in this dish, but you could also use ground chicken or even ground beef. Just brown the meat first before following the rest of the instructions.

Expert Tips

• I usually make the chicken with cream sauce with fat free half-and-half, and it comes out perfect and creamy, but you can also make it with heavy cream for an even richer flavor.
• If you loooooove a really cheesy white sauce, you can add more parmesan.
• If you want to lighten this Tuscan garlic chicken up a bit, stick with the fat free half-and-half and save some parmesan cheese for sprinkling right on top!
• To prevent the noodles from sticking together after cooking and draining, toss them with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil so they don’t stick together.

More Delicious Chicken

• Easy Chicken Gyros
• Cajun Chicken and Rice Skillet
• Stuffed Chicken Marsala
• One Pot Lemon Herb Chicken and Rice
• Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo

Did you make this amazingly creamy and delicious Tuscan Garlic Chicken? YAY! Please rate the recipe below!