Description
This Chicken Florentine recipe offers a creamy and flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs marinated with aromatic spices, pan-seared to golden perfection, and served with a rich spinach and Parmesan cream sauce. Perfect for a comforting and elegant meal in just about an hour.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Sauce
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- â…“ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 green onion, chopped
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: In a bowl or ziplock bag, combine the crushed garlic, olive oil, sweet paprika, black pepper, kosher salt, and ground turmeric. Add the chicken thighs and coat them thoroughly with the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the marinated chicken thighs into the skillet and cook for 8-10 minutes per side until they are golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Deglaze Pan: Pour the dry white wine into the skillet. Scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any browned bits left from cooking the chicken; this adds depth to the sauce.
- Make Sauce: Add fresh spinach leaves and heavy cream to the skillet. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and continue cooking for 2 more minutes until the cheese is melted into the sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Return the cooked chicken thighs to the skillet and cook for an additional 2 minutes to heat through and allow the chicken to soak up some sauce. Sprinkle chopped green onion over the top before serving hot.
Notes
- For best flavor, marinate the chicken for a minimum of 2 hours but overnight is ideal.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half and half for a lighter sauce, but the texture will be less rich.
- This dish pairs well with steamed rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
- Use fresh Parmesan cheese for best taste and melting quality.
- Ensure the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before serving.
