Creamy Spinach Artichoke Chicken (Printable)
Juicy chicken in a rich cream sauce with spinach and artichoke for a cozy meal.
# What You Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 pounds)
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
→ Vegetables
05 - 2 cups packed fresh baby spinach (about 2 ounces)
06 - 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
→ Sauce
09 - ¾ cup heavy cream
10 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
11 - ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
12 - 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
14 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
→ Garnish
15 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5–6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic to skillet, sauté 2–3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
04 - Stir in artichoke hearts and cook 2 minutes.
05 - Add cream cheese, stirring until melted. Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, whisking until smooth.
06 - Stir in Parmesan cheese, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Add spinach, stirring until wilted.
08 - Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over top. Simmer 2–3 minutes to heat through. Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce is so luscious you will want to drink it straight from the pan
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying dinner
- The combination of artichokes and spinach feels like something ordered from a restaurant but comes together in under an hour
02 -
- Do not rush the cream cheese melting step or you will end up with small lumps in your sauce that never quite disappear
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it rests off the heat, so remove it from the stove when it still looks slightly thinner than your desired consistency
03 -
- Room temperature cream cheese melts into the sauce much more smoothly than cold from the refrigerator, so pull it out about twenty minutes before you start cooking
- Grate your own Parmesan instead of buying pre-grated cheese, as the texture and melting quality are noticeably better