Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken Thighs - tender chicken smothered in a parmesan cream sauce packed with semi dried tomatoes, spinach, dijon, garlic and bacon.
Full disclosure, this is one of those recipes that you're either going to love me or hate me for...Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken. Tender chicken thighs with a tuscan style cream sauce you are going to want to drink!
And therein lies the dilemma, it's not exactly diet food BUT I totally think it's worth the calories. The sauce is a combination of dijon mustard, semi dried tomatoes, and spinach in a rich and creamy garlic and parmesan sauce. Oh yeah - then I added bacon...the bacon takes this sauce over the top!
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
- chicken thighs - boneless and skinless
- paprika - I used sweet
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt & pepper
- olive oil for frying
- cream
- fresh garlic
- bacon
- baby spinach
- dijon mustard
- semi dried tomatoes
- fresh parmesan
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
How to make this recipe
- Combine all the spices along with the salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle combined spices over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Fry the chicken thighs on both sides until browned (they don't need to be cooked through at this stage - they will finish cooking in the sauce) and remove to a plate.
- Add bacon to pan and fry until starting to brown, then add garlic and continue to fry for 30 seconds.
- Add cream to the pan, along with the baby spinach, semi dried tomatoes, dijon mustard and grated parmesan then mix to combine.
- Add chicken thighs back to sauce mixture, and simmer over low heat until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
My top tips for making this recipe
- I use semi dried tomatoes in this tuscan sauce rather than the usual sun dried tomatoes. I think they balance well with the other ingredients in the sauce. Feel free to substitute sun dried tomatoes if you enjoy them more, or if that's what you have on hand.
- You are going to get lots of flavour from the seasoning on the chicken. When you remove the chicken after frying it there should be some nice flavour spots in the bottom of the pan, these will get a little darker too when we fry the bacon. That's good! That's where the flavour's at! Make sure to scrape up these flavour spots when mixing the ingredients in the pan for the cream sauce.
Serving suggestions and ideas for add-ins
- Seasoned chargrilled (fire roasted) capsicum/peppers would be a great idea as a substitute for the semi dried tomatoes.
- I like to serve this tuscan chicken with mashed potato, here is a link to my recipe for Garlic & Mustard Mashed Potatoes which would partner really well with this chicken.
- Feel like creamy tuscan chicken pasta instead? No problem, just slice the chicken (if you like) and serve it with the sauce over some fettuccine.
- You could go really low carb and serve it with some green vegetables.
- Got any leftover sauce? Of course you don't! I make this dish for my husband and I with enough chicken for 2 portions, but enough sauce for 4 so that we have leftovers! He loves to top a thick juicy steak with this sauce.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Dijon Mustard Cream Sauce - a quick and easy creamy sauce using dijon mustard, rosemary, garlic and bacon. Perfect with a juicy steak!
No Cook Double Mustard Garlic Sauce - a super simple no cook butter sauce with mustard, garlic and chives. Just melt, mix and serve!
Chicken Tenders with Wholegrain Mustard Sauce - tender chicken wrapped in prosciutto, topped with a sage & whole grain mustard cream sauce.
Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken Thighs - tender chicken smothered in a parmesan cream sauce packed with semi dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic and bacon.
Servings 4
Calories 525kcal
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs skinless and boneless
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 rasher of bacon chopped
- 2 fresh garlic cloves crushed
- 300 ml cream pure cream - 35% milk fat with no thickeners
- 1½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 60 g baby spinach roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup semi dried tomatoes chopped
- ⅓ cup grated fresh parmesan 20g
Instructions
- Combine the sweet paprika (1 tbsp), garlic powder (1 tbsp) and onion powder (½ tsp) along with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle combined spices over both sides of the chicken thighs.
- Heat the olive oil (2 tbsp) in a frypan over medium high heat, and fry the chicken thighs on both sides until browned (they don't need to be cooked through - they will finish cooking in the sauce) and then remove to a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium low then add bacon (1 rasher - chopped) to the pan and fry until starting to brown, then add garlic (2 cloves - crushed) and continue to fry for 30 seconds.
- Add cream (300ml) to the pan, along with the baby spinach (60g - roughly chopped), semi dried tomatoes (⅓ cup - chopped), dijon mustard (1½ tbsp) and grated fresh parmesan (⅓ cup/20g) then mix to combine.
- Add chicken thighs back to sauce mixture, and simmer over low heat until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through.
Notes
- I use semi dried tomatoes in this tuscan sauce rather than the usual sun dried tomatoes. I think they balance well with the other ingredients in the sauce. Feel free to substitute sun dried tomatoes if you enjoy them more, or if that's what you have on hand.
- You are going to get lots of flavour from the seasoning on the chicken. When you remove the chicken after frying it there should be some nice flavour spots in the bottom of the pan, these will get a little darker too when we fry the bacon. That's good! That's where the flavour's at! Make sure to scrape up these flavour spots when mixing the ingredients in the pan for the cream sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 525kcal
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