The most amazing flavour EVER!

Here in Sydney, we are currently in lockdown. It’s meant lots of time at home doing the usual – cleaning, cooking, catching up on TV shows and even researching different recipes online. I’m always on the hunt for new ideas, new flavour combinations, new meals. Pinterest, Instagram and even TikTok (yes believe it or not!) are my normal hunting grounds for inspiration. After a while of searching, you do see some recipes popping up over and over. You can’t ignore them and have to look at why they are so popular. Blender banana bread was one recipe that at one stage took social media by storm. But here is another one – Tuscan Chicken.

After looking at many variations of this recipe. I learnt didn’t originate in Italy. In fact, It is inspired by Olive Garden’s Tuscan Garlic Chicken meal that became the most popular chicken meal on their menu. I say inspired as their recipe contains capsicum strips whereas this one contains sundried tomato strips. The variation with sundried tomato was more common. That’s what I went with.

I love recipes you can make all in one pan. Less mess, less clean up. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it?! Also, you don’t lose any of the flavours as you’re not transferring between different pots and pans during the cooking process. It’s a win-win in my eyes!

What is Tuscan Chicken?

Let’s just say it’s one of the best meals you can put on the dinner table. Made with chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) sliced in half and nestled in a creamy garlic sundried tomato sauce with baby spinach. Those who know me well know I love to add my own spin on recipes. In this case, it’s a splash of wine into the sauce which in my eyes takes this meal up a level.

You don’t coat the chicken in breadcrumbs and fry. You simply coat each thinly sliced fillet in paprika and onion powder. This adds a lot add more flavour than the typical salt and pepper combination. It doesn’t matter what type of paprika you use – whether smoky or sweet, mild or spicy. Use whatever you have in your cupboard.

And like that, everything comes together in just 30 minutes!

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

Creamy and delicious, Tuscan Chicken is full of flavour. This recipe contains sundried tomatoes, lots of garlic, mustard & a splash of wine. All flavours come together in one pan in just 30 minutes. This is now a firm family favourite!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

 

• 4 large chicken thigh fillets, sliced into halves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 teaspoons paprika
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, or 3 tablespoons of sundried tomato oil

For The Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced or crushed
• 150 g sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup white wine
• 1 cup liquid chicken stock
• 300 ml light thickened cream
• 120 g baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley to serve

Instructions

 

The Chicken

• Season chicken thigh slices on both sides with salt, pepper, paprika and onion powder.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil (or olive oil) in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. If your frying pan isn't big enough, work in batches. Transfer to a warm plate and set aside.

The Sauce

• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil into the frying pan. Add garlic and sundried tomato strips. Fry for 1 minute to release the flavour. Add wine, liquid chicken stock and mustard, mix together.
• Reduce heat to low heat and add the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, while stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add in the spinach leaves and allow to wilt in the sauce. Add in the parmesan cheese and allow to simmer for a further minute until the cheese melts through the sauce.
• Add the cooked chicken back into the pan. Serve with pasta, mashed potato or rice.

Notes

Here are some serving ideas:

• Pasta such as penne is best as it has the chance to catch all the wonderful sauce. Don't forget to add a little parmesan on top and freshly chopped parsley.
• Alongside mashed potato and steamed green vegetables such as beans, broccoli or brussel sprouts.
• An alternative to mashed potatoes is white or brown rice. This is also good if you want to mix it up.