Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Season and sear the chicken
- Season the chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Sear in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until golden, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F, then remove the chicken.
Build the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
- Cook the minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds, stirring so it doesn’t brown. Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Wilt spinach, sauce, and serve
- Stir in the fresh baby spinach and cook until wilted. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the sauce over each piece.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately while the sauce is glossy.
Notes
For best coating, simmer the cream sauce until it visibly thickens before adding the spinach, so it clings to the chicken. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat to avoid thinning. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can separate after thawing. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, then simmer slightly longer to help it thicken.