Chicken Florentine combines lightly breaded golden brown chicken breasts, shallots, spinach, and garlic in a creamy white wine sauce sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. This dish is elegant enough for company yet easy enough for a weeknight dinner.
I love to serve this family favorite over rice, angel hair pasta, or roasted veggies. For a low-carb or keto meal, serve it over mashed cauliflower or with a simple garden salad.
This chicken recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. With tender chicken, creamy spinach sauce, and hints of garlic and parmesan, it’s the perfect meal for busy weeknights. If your family is like mine, you can never have enough delicious chicken recipes. Chicken is still one of the most reasonably priced meats available. It is also highly versatile and so tasty. We usually eat chicken for lunch or dinner four to five times weekly. This delicious Chicken Florentine is one of our favorite recipes. It quickly comes together all in one large skillet, making cleanup a breeze.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Chicken: cutlets or two thick breasts cut in half lengthwise, creating four thinner chicken breasts
- Seasonings: salt, fresh black pepper, and Italian seasoning
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- Olive oil: extra virgin
- Vegetables: shallot, garlic, and baby spinach
- White wine: for optimal flavor, use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, or Pinot Grigio.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Heavy cream: If you use something lighter, like half-and-half, you will need a thickening mixture, like a slurry or a cornstarch mixture. Half-and-half will never reduce enough to thicken, but heavy cream will.
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated is best for melting and flavor
How to Make Chicken Florentine
This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
First, add the flour, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture. Heat a little butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Plate the chicken and put it in the oven on low to keep it warm.
Now, add a little more butter and cook the shallots for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the garlic. Cook for about one minute, stirring constantly. Add the white wine, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce by at least half. This takes about 10-15 minutes. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Add the chicken back to the pan and warm it. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese right before serving.
Preparation Tips
- Most chicken breasts these days are pretty large. If you can not find chicken cutlets, cut them in half lengthwise or pound them thin with a meat mallet and split them in half. They will cook better, and they will still be more than an ample serving.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning in your spice cabinet, try dried basil, oregano, parsley, or marjoram.
- Don’t add the spinach until the very end. It only takes a couple of minutes to wilt.
What to Serve With Chicken Florentine
Potatoes are always a good choice, like garlic mashed potatoes, fondant potatoes, and twice-baked potato casserole. We also like to serve it with pasta, rice, or zucchini noodles with a side of roasted broccoli or sauteed asparagus.
Storing and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. To freeze, cool thoroughly, and freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container.
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Florentine Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken cutlets
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 cups baby spinach or about 4 ounces
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt, and freshly ground black pepper to a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter and heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through. Plate the chicken and place it in the oven on low to keep it warm.
- Melt another tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat and cook the shallots for 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to low and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the white wine, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and reduce by a little more than half. This takes about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Add the chicken back to the pan and warm. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan Cheese right before serving.
Notes
- Most chicken breasts these days are pretty large. If you can not find chicken cutlets, cut them half lengthwise or pound them thin with a meat mallet and split them in half. They will cook better, and they will still be more than an ample serving.
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning in your spice cabinet, try dried basil, oregano, parsley, or marjoram.
- Don’t add the spinach until the very end. It only takes a couple of minutes to wilt.
Nutrition
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Selma
This was soooo good. I loved that it’s creamy but still has spinach in it – was a win-win. Thanks for the easy and yummy dinner.
Emily
Oh my gosh, I never thought of preparing a Florentine sauce in this way! It was delicious and quite easy to prepare. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
JOY
What a terrific recipe for one of my favorite comfort foods. What is it about parmesan cheese to brighten the meal?
Beth Pierce
I know, right?
Gust
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was a big hit with my family! Super easy and full of flavor!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Gust!
Lisa
OMGoodness this was so delicious. I made it today and my family really enjoyed it. I served it with white rice and roasted asparagus. Even my picky teenagers liked it.