You would never guess that this creamy Healthy Tuscan Chicken is paleo, low-carb, and dairy-free! It's a super flavorful one-pot dinner with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and a dairy-free alfredo-inspired cream sauce. Serve over zucchini noodles to transform it into a to-die-for pasta dish.
If you love Italian food - you will LOVE this Creamy, Healthy Tuscan Chicken Recipe! It just might be one of the best recipes I've ever eaten!
Not only is it really flavorful with sauteed garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and a dairy-free inspired alfredo cream sauce, but I like to serve it over zucchini noodles transforming it into a to-die-for pasta dish.
Plus, it's a one-pot dinner that comes together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner.
It also fits a variety of diets because it's:
- Paleo
- Dairy-free
- Low-carb
- Keto
- Whole30
- Gluten-Free
- Grain-Free
To make it even lower-carb, you can simply reduce the number of sun-dried tomatoes since they are the main source of carbs.
Frequently asked questions
No problem at all! Simply replace the coconut cream with heavy cream or sour cream and replace the nutritional yeast with shredded parmesan cheese.
This recipe is already low-carb, having only 9 net carbs per serving. However, the main source of carbs are sun-dried tomatoes, so to make this dish more keto-friendly, simply reduce the number of sun-dried tomatoes.
The sauce
For the creamy alfredo-inspired sauce, simply add these ingredients to a bowl:
- coconut cream or heavy cream
- chicken broth
- sea salt
- oregano
- basil
- pepper
- lemon juice
- garlic powder
- red pepper
- nutritional yeast or grated parmesan cheese
For the coconut cream, place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours, then scoop out the cream.
I only recommended Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, and Native Forest brands. Other brands may not separate well or leave an aftertaste.
If you're not dairy-free, feel free to use heavy cream.
The chicken
For the chicken, I recommend using chicken thighs or tenderloins. However, chicken breasts can be substituted.
If using chicken breasts, cut them in half. If the halves are extra-thick, cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a mallet, pound them until they are no more than 1 inch thick.
Step #1: Season the chicken, cook, and set aside.
Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Cook the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through and set aside. Cover with foil to keep warm.
Step #2: Saute the garlic, then add the sauce ingredients.
In the same pan, add additional oil if needed (I didn't need to add any) and add the garlic. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant - being careful not to let it burn!
Stir in the sauce and heat over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Step #3: Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Allow to simmer until spinach is wilted and tomatoes are softened.
Step #4: Thicken with xanthan gum or starch.
In a small bowl, mix together some xanthan gum with a small amount of oil or melted butter. Add the sauce and stir until thickened.
Alternatively, you can add 1 Tablespoon of starch mixed with cold water. Cornstarch, arrowroot, and tapioca will work, but they are not low-carb and cornstarch is not whole30 or paleo.
Taste and add more salt if needed.
Step #5: Stir in the chicken and serve.
Add chicken back to the skillet and simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles and enjoy!
Storage instructions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To reheat, simply add heat in a pan on the stovetop over medium heat and heat until warmed through.
Top tips and substitutions
- I highly recommend using chicken thighs or tenderloins instead of chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts, cut them in half. If the halves are extra-thick, cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a mallet, pound them until they are no more than 1 inch thick.
- For the coconut cream, I only recommended Thai Kitchen, Sprouts, and Native Forest brands. Other brands may not separate well or leave an aftertaste.
- If you're not dairy-free: Feel free to use heavy whipping cream in place of the coconut cream and ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese instead of the nutritional yeast.
- The main source of carbs in this recipe is sun-dried tomatoes, so to make it lower-carb and keto, you can simply reduce the sun-dried tomatoes.
Looking for more recipes?
Or this Chicken Leg Quarters recipe from Food Doodles, Buffalo Chicken Casserole from The Clean Eating Couple, and Chicken Dijon from Real Balanced look delicious too!
If you’ve tried this Healthy Tuscan Chicken or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Healthy Tuscan Chicken (Low-Carb, Paleo, & Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Salt - to taste (around ½ to 1 tsp.)
- Pepper - to taste (around ¼ to ½ tsp.)
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil - or oil of choice
- 3 Cloves Garlic - minced
- 4 oz Sun-Dried Tomatoes - chopped and well-drained
- 1 ½ cups Baby Spinach - chopped
- 6-8 Zucchini Noodles - optional, for serving
Sauce:
- ½ Cup Coconut Cream - or heavy cream if not dairy-free
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth
- ½ tsp. Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ tsp. Dried Basil - plus more for sprinkling
- ⅛ tsp. Ground Black Pepper
- Dash of Garlic Powder
- ¾ tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- Pinch or 2 of Ground Cayenne Pepper - add more if you want it spicy
- 2 Tbsp. Nutritional Yeast - or grated Parmesan if not dairy-free
- ¼ tsp. Xanthan Gum - OR 1 tablespoon starch (arrowroot or tapioca for paleo and whole30) mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- ½ tsp. Oil or Melted Butter - for mixing with xanthan gum
Instructions
- Add all of the sauce ingredients EXCEPT the xanthan gum or tapioca to a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Once heated, add the chicken and cook on both sides for 4 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Do not overcrowd the skillet, cook in batches if needed. Set aside and cover with foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, add additional oil if needed (I didn't need to add any) and add the garlic. Cook for 15 to 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant - being careful not to let it burn!
- Stir in the sauce and heat over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Allow to simmer until spinach is wilted and tomatoes are softened. In a small bowl, combine the xanthan gum with oil or melted butter (or combine the starch with cold water). Add the mixture to the sauce while stirring constantly to thicken. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Add chicken back to the skillet and simmer until heated through. Serve over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles and enjoy!
Add Your Own Notes
Video
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store separately from the zucchini noodles. The zucchini noodles are best eaten the same day
- I highly recommend using chicken thighs to tenderloins instead of chicken breasts. If using chicken breasts, cover the chicken with plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a mallet, pound them until they are no more than 1 inch thick. If chicken is extra thick, cut them in half lengthwise to make two breasts out of one.
- For the coconut cream, place a can of full-fat canned coconut milk in the fridge for 24 hours. Then, scoop out the coagulated cream. I only recommend Sprouts, Native Forest, and Thai Kitchen brands because others may not separate well or leave an aftertaste.
- The main source of carbs in this recipe is sun-dried tomatoes, so to make it lower-carb and keto, you can simply reduce the sun-dried tomatoes.
- Be sure to drain the sun-dried tomatoes really well or the sauce will be oily.
Nutrition
NET CARBS = Total Carbs - Fiber - Allulose - Xylitol
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary. Sugar alcohols, xylitol, and allulose are included in the total carbs and fiber.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out my
Jen Eccleston says
This has my mouth watering!
Cassidy says
Thanks Jen! Yeah, this is one of my favorites 🙂
-Cassidy
Tessa@TessaDomesticDiva says
my sister made this and loved it, so I threw it on the menu too! Yum!! I decided to throw boiling water over the cashew directly, along with my sundried tomatoes (my were dry, not packed in oil), and a couple cloves of garlic. I then blended the whole thing. Really good dinner, thanks Cass!
Cassidy says
YAY Tessa, I'm happy you and your sister liked it so much! Thanks for your feedback 🙂
Jess @ Crunchy Hot Mama says
This sounds delish! It's always nice to find dairy-free cream sauces 🙂 I swear I need to invest in a 100 pounds of cashews just to create all these dairy-free recipes!
Cassidy says
Yeah, I buy a ton of raw cashews every time they go on special at Sprouts. I can usually get them for around $4 a Lb!!!
-Cassidy
Jillian Hudson says
This is a great recipe! I’d love it if you would share it on my new corn-free link party. http://www.creatingsilverlinings.com/corn-free-everyday-jan-20-15/
Tessa@TessaDomesticDiva says
Looks like a great dinner Cass, featuring it this week!
Cassidy says
Thanks so much Tessa 🙂