Creamy Spinach Chicken

Creamy Spinach Chicken is delicious comfort food that comes together in just 30 minutes. It’s a perfect recipe for a family weeknight dinner! Very creamy, lots of spinach, moist and tender chicken with a golden-brown crust. What’s not to love?

The chicken smothered in creamy spinach is so moist and tender, it melts in your mouth. If you want comfort food + some veggies, go for this recipe – you will not be disappointed!

First, the chicken is seared in a cast-iron skillet to perfection.
Then, the simple cream sauce is made with heavy cream, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and spinach.
Next, the chicken is added back to the skillet and smothered in all this creamy cheesy goodness. Sprinkle some fresh herbs (thyme) on top and you have comfort food.

If you love creamy chicken, I also highly recommend these two recipes: Creamy Mushroom Chicken and Creamy Tuscan Chicken.

30-minute one-pot recipe

Creamy spinach chicken is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. It’s made with basic ingredients, and the whole recipe takes only 30 minutes. Because everything is cooked in one pan, the cleanup is minimal. What’s not to like? It’s a logical choice for a quick dinner on a busy weeknight. It also looks beautiful and presentable – a great dish to serve a company.

What kind of chicken to use?

Skinless, boneless chicken breast. This is what I used in this recipe. Make sure to slice each chicken breast in half horizontally, especially if you bought large chicken breasts, to make them thinner. This will help the chicken to cook faster and more evenly.
Skinless, boneless chicken thighs. The dark meat of chicken thighs will go really well with creamy spinach.
Chicken Tenderloins or Tenders. Chicken tenders are tender, small, and will cook similarly to thinly sliced chicken breasts.

What kind of spinach to use?

Fresh spinach. This is what I used in this recipe – just add it to the sauce and let it wilt.
Cooked spinach. Make sure cooked spinach is drained of any liquid before adding it to the sauce.
Frozen spinach. If using frozen spinach, make sure it’s thawed and drained of all water. Then, add it to the sauce just as you would fresh spinach.

Substitutes for the cream

Heavy cream works the best in this recipe. It has enough fat content to form a thick enough sauce to coat the spoon.
Half-and-half is the next best alternative to heavy cream. It will work well in this recipe since you will be melting Parmesan cheese.
Milk can be used if mixed together with roux or cornstarch.
Coconut milk or coconut cream will be a good dairy-free substitute as it has a high enough fat content.

How to make creamy spinach chicken

1) First, season the chicken with salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour.

2) Then, sear the chicken with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet (I used cast-iron) until the chicken acquires a beautiful golden-brown crust and is cooked through. How do you know that the chicken is cooked through? The meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken.

3) Make the cream sauce by adding heavy cream, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese to the same skillet and cooking for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts.

4) Add fresh spinach.

fresh spinach and creamy sauce in a cast-iron skillet

5) Stir until the spinach wilts.

creamy spinach sauce in a cast-iron skillet

6) Add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and top with fresh herbs (thyme).

chicken with creamy spinach sauce in a cast-iron skillet

Cooking tips

Use thinly sliced skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Thinly sliced chicken breasts cook faster and more evenly. If you bought large chicken breasts, slice each chicken breast in half horizontally.
When is the chicken done? Use a meat thermometer. The chicken is done when the juices run clear, and the meat thermometer should register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the chicken.
Use fresh herbs. I’ve added fresh thyme at the end, and it really adds a nice touch. You can also add fresh oregano or fresh sage.
Serve this with pasta. Creamy spinach sauce will go well with any type of pasta, especially those flavored kinds that you can so often find in the store, such as lemon pasta, spinach pasta, or even truffle pasta.
Create a beautiful presentation. Spoon small amounts of creamy spinach sauce over the cooked chicken, allowing the chicken to display golden-brown color.

Storage tips

Fridge. Store this in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish because that will destroy the texture of the sauce.
Reheat on the stovetop. Reheat it on low heat in the skillet on the stovetop to prevent the sauce from separating. When reheating, add extra heavy cream or half-and-half to thin out the sauce.

What to serve with creamy spinach chicken

Vegetables. This recipe will go well with roasted or steamed vegetables, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or green beans.
Rice. Serve this over a small portion of jasmine rice, basmati rice, or long-grain rice.
Wild rice is a great side to go with creamy spinach chicken.
Cauliflower rice is a lower-carb alternative to some other sides.
Mashed cauliflower will work as a lower-carb substitute for mashed potatoes.
Potatoes. Serve the chicken with mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
Pasta. Serve this dish over any type of pasta, such as angel hair pasta, bow-tie pasta, or other types of pasta.
Ravioli or tortellini (filled with cheese) will go really well with creamy spinach chicken.

More chicken recipes you might like

Creamy Mushroom Chicken
Chicken Thighs with Creamy Bacon Mushroom Thyme Sauce
Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Spinach and Artichokes
Chicken Thighs with Creamy Tomato Basil Spinach Sauce