Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thighs
User Reviews
3.7
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Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Calories
620 kcal
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Course
Dinner
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Cuisine
Italian-American Fussion
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thighs
Description
This recipe begins by seasoning and browning chicken thighs in olive oil until the skin crisps and the meat reaches safe doneness. After removing the chicken, minced shallot and garlic are sautéed in the same pan, then deglazed with Marsala wine to lift the browned bits, imparting complex flavor to the sauce base.
Next, chicken broth, heavy cream, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes are added and cooked until the sauce slightly thickens. Fresh spinach and halved cherry tomatoes fold in at the end, adding color and freshness, while grated Parmesan enriches and binds the sauce. The sauce has a creamy texture with a subtle tang from the sun-dried tomatoes and a savory depth from the cheese.
This dish pairs well with pasta or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. Using chicken thighs offers moist, flavorful meat but the recipe also adapts well to other chicken cuts or cutlets for quicker cooking. Adjusting cream and broth ratios can manage calorie content without compromising texture. Optional wine substitution with stock maintains depth if avoiding alcohol.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs bone in, skin on
- olive oil
- salt fresh cracked
- black pepper fresh cracked
- 1 large shallot peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup marsala wine or Vermouth, or dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato jarred, in olive oil, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese shredded (go for the good stuff!
- 2 cups spinach fresh, roughly chopped (I like to use baby spinach
- 1/2 cup cherry tomato or any good red tomatoes, chopped
- parsley or fresh thyme, for garnish
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large shallow cast iron skillet or braising pan with olive oil and heat on medium heat until hot. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and then brown, skin side down for about 15 minutes, until the skin is nice and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes, or until done. The meat should read 160F on an instant read thermometer. Set aside on a plate and cover with foil, or put in a warm oven while you make the sauce.
- Add the shallot and garlic to the pan and saute, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Then add the Marsala wine and let it bubble down while you scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, and sun dried tomatoes, and cook the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Scrape up everything from the bottom and sides of the pan into the sauce. NOTE: This isn't a super thick sauce, but it will thicken somewhat as it cooks.
- Add the cheese and stir until incorporated. Add the chopped spinach and fresh tomatoes to the pan, and cook until the spinach has wilted. Add the chicken back into the pan and heat through before serving, garnished with fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
- Substitute chicken cutlets for a quicker cooking version while enjoying the same sauce.
- If using dry sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrate them in warm water before adding to the sauce for softer texture.
- Reduce cream and use extra chicken broth to lower fat content; thicken sauce with a little flour if needed.
- A splash of Marsala or white wine adds flavor depth, but chicken stock can replace it in no-alcohol versions with some flavor trade-off.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 620 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 620kcal | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 9g | 3% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 52g | 80% |
| Saturated Fat | 22g | 110% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 216mg | 72% |
| Sodium | 345mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 625mg | 13% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 2176IU | 44% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 146mg | 15% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
3.7
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