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Chicken Florentine

Chicken Florentine delivers golden seared chicken breasts in a silky white wine and cream sauce with wilted spinach and Parmesan. The pale, elegant sauce lightly thickens after simmering, then turns rich with spinach flecks and herb-like brightness from lemon.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Spinach and finishing
  • 3 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 0.5 fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 lemon for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning; pat lightly so the coating sticks.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165°F; set aside.
Build the Florentine cream sauce
  1. Cook minced garlic in the same pan for 30 seconds, stirring just until fragrant and pale golden.
  2. Deglaze with dry white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits until the liquid looks slightly reduced.
  3. Add heavy cream and chicken broth, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened and silky.
  4. Stir in Parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon zest, mixing until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth and bright with lemon flecks.
  5. Add baby spinach and stir until wilted and glossy, with the leaves fully darkened.
Finish and serve
  1. Return chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast so they’re coated on top.
  2. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon, then serve the chicken over pasta or rice with the spinach-flecked sauce pooling around it.

Notes

For the best sear and restaurant-style texture, make sure the skillet is hot before adding chicken and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer so it thickens without breaking. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently to avoid curdling. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a thinner but still creamy Florentine sauce.