This creamy, healthy Tuscan chicken recipe is a super flavorful one-pot dinner with plenty of garlic, delicious sun-dried tomatoes, and an alfredo-inspired cream sauce.
Pinchor 2 of Ground Cayenne Pepperadd more if you want it spicy
2Tbsp.Nutritional Yeastor grated Parmesan if not dairy-free
¼tsp.Xanthan GumOR 1 tablespoon starch (arrowroot or tapioca for paleo and whole30) mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
½tsp.Oil or Melted Butterfor 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.
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 or 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 the 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.
This recipe's main source of carbs is sun-dried tomatoes, so to make it lower-carb and keto, you can reduce the sun-dried tomatoes.
Be sure to drain the sun-dried tomatoes really well, or the sauce will be oily.