Chicken Florentine

By Dan Pelosi

Published April 16, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
5(7,372)
Comments
Read comments

In this weeknight recipe, perfectly browned chicken breasts are smothered in a creamy spinach sauce that comes together with ease, all in one skillet. The highlight of this recipe is the buttery white-wine sauce, which is enriched and thickened with a secret ingredient: cream cheese. The sauce nicely coats the wilted spinach, though you can use sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms or canned artichokes instead of, or in addition to, the spinach.  A side of mashed or roasted potatoes would round out this dish well, but some crusty bread to sop up every last bit is a must.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour

  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

  • Salt and black pepper

  • 4 thin-cut boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound) 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 4 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)

  • 1 medium shallot, minced

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • ½ cup dry white wine

  • ½ cup chicken broth

  • 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil)

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano)

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

  • 2 cups packed baby spinach (about 3 ounces)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

14 grams carbs; 168 milligrams cholesterol; 539 calories; 11 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 36 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 2 grams fiber; 675 milligrams sodium; 33 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    On a plate, mix together the flour, Parmesan and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Dredge each chicken breast in the mixture, evenly coating on both sides.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large pan over medium. Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt to combine. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown (but not cooked through), about 4 minutes on each side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and let it melt. Add shallot, garlic and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring until the shallot is softened and the garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add wine, broth, basil and oregano, and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid has reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and stir, allowing the cream cheese to soften and melt, until a thick sauce forms, about 6 minutes. Add baby spinach and stir until it is folded into the cream sauce and the spinach is beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.

  5. Step 5

    Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan on top.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
7,372 user ratings
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Comments

Kathryn

This was outstanding. I used chicken tenders because that's what I had in the freezer. Also, I added some mushrooms sauteed in a little butter for flavor and some olive oil because I had a few left and they needed to be used. Didn't have heavy cream, so used 2% milk. That, along with light cream cheese made a lovely sauce that thickened up nicely. I also used a whole bag of baby spinach, 6 oz, which was a good amount. Served it with rice and steamed zucchini. Will definitely make again!

David Kay

I made it just as directed by the recipe, but with more like 5 oz. of spinach. It's a rich sauce, so I'm glad I upped the veg. In the US, chicken breasts rarely come in "thin," so I cut my two halves (about 1# toal) down the middle to make four thin filets. This was a big hit with the whole family, and it was quite simple and used mostly pantry ingredients. It's going into a regular rotation for us.

Jon

@Dianne, this is more on the broad technique-oriented side of things, but I believe your best option is to experiment with lower-fat ingredients and thickeners, such as subbing milk for the cream/cream cheese, using less butter and using a cornstarch slurry to reach a velvety texture. The fat in the dish helps with temperature regulation while cooking (browning the chicken) and imparts flavor and texture. If you consider those things while substituting, I'm sure you can land on something delicious within your desired dietary restrictions. Maybe you were hoping for something more specific with measurements and such, but I'm feeling lazy after a short workday, sitting in a bar, sipping on a beer and browsing recipes. Hope this helps you land on something that works for you.

NJ Smom

Amazing. I doubled it for my family of four (three men) and nothing was left. A fair bit of liquid did cook out of the spinach and I probably should have reduced it further to thicken the sauce. I did substitute a small onion for the shallots. This is a keeper.

Sean

Great recipe. In the rotation.

Kaitlynn

I probably make this once a month. It's a family favorite and is robust to substitutions. I've started preparing chicken according to this recipe for other dishes, like chicken marsala as well.

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