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    A Full Living » Blog » Chicken

    Published: Jun 20, 2021 · Modified: Jul 5, 2021 by Briana · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Keto Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    creamy keto tuscan chicken skillet with text

    Need a super satisfying keto tuscan chicken recipe? This version comes together quickly in one cast iron skillet. A simple, hearty and decadent meal, this creamy tuscan garlic chicken uses simple ingredients, but is packed with flavor.


    spoonful of creamy keto tuscan chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet with fresh basil

    Every household needs a handful of low carb recipes that are just completely satisfying, no matter what diet you follow. This recipe is one of those! It happens to be keto friendly, with it's high fat and protein content, but this creamy garlic sauce is jus delicious.

    If you've been here for a while, you know we love EASY, one-skillet dishes. You probably also noticed that we love anything slathered in a cream sauce. This tasty meal is sure to impress, made with minimal dishes, in just under 45 minutes.

    Feel free to skip to the recipe card if you’re ready to get right into it. We do cover common questions, tips, and tricks in the body of this post to keep reading if you’re wondering something. We do also include tons of step by step pictures in the body of the post.

    Ingredients:​

    ingredients for creamy keto tuscan chicken with text to denote each ingredient
    • Chicken thighs - We like boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this dish, but skinless chicken breasts work perfectly fine if you prefer.
    • Olive oil & unsalted butter - We use a mixture of both of these cooking fats. The olive oil is used to cook the chicken, since we cook that at a higher temperature. The butter is added later when the heat is a little lower, to get the creamy and rich sauce going.
    • Fresh garlic & onion - The base of any flavorful sauce, in our opinion. If you prefer you could substitute for garlic and onion powder instead.
    • Herbs - We are totally obsessed with basil, and parsley is always a good touch too. Add as much or as little of these as you want.
    • Dry seasonings - Aside from kosher salt and ground black pepper, we always season our food quite a lot! We opted for Italian seasoning and optional red pepper flakes for a bit of spice.
    • Tomatoes - You can use whatever you like here. We prefer fresh, cherry tomatoes, but if you prefer sun dried tomatoes, have at it.
    • Spinach - Fresh or frozen work fine here. You will need about 3 ounces of fresh spinach, or more, if you like!
    • Freshly grated parmesan cheese - Grating it fresh is the key to getting a smooth, creamy sauce. Pre-shredded doesn't melt well, so we can't recommend using it.
    • Chicken broth - This is used to thin the sauce. You could use water if you prefer.
    • Heavy whipping cream - This is how we get the sauce so creamy and decadent! If you prefer, you can swap it for half and half to lower the calories. Truthfully though, heavy cream is really hard to beat in terms of its flavor!

    How to Make Keto Tuscan Chicken:

    Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the pan, and sear the chicken in batches if necessary to avoid over crowding the pan. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.

    searing chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet

    Add butter to the pan, followed by onions. Cook until onions are translucent, then add in tomatoes and salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

    tomatoes and onions cooking in a cast iron skillet

    Add the spinach to the skillet to wilt. Once wilted, add in garlic and dry seasonings and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

    spinach wilting in a cast iron skillet
    tomatoes spinach and garlic in a cast iron skillet

    Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, followed by the heavy whipping cream. Reduce the heat to simmer, stirring often.

    Add in some fresh chopped parsley, basil and freshly shredded parmesan cheese.

    spinach tomatoes and cream in a cast iron skillet being stirred with a wooden spoon
    fresh parsley basil and parmesan cheese in a cast iron skillet to make a creamy sauce

    Stir the mixture continuously until a sauce forms. Once you have a nice creamy sauce, add back the chicken, then top everything with more fresh parsley, basil and parmesan if desired.

    creamy sauce with herbs spinach and tomatoes
    creamy keto tuscan chicken skillet in a cast iron skillet
    close up shot of a chicken thigh in a creamy parmesan sauce with fresh herbs

    Tips For The Best Creamy Tuscan Chicken:

    • If you use milk or half and half instead of heavy cream, the sauce will be quite thin. Heavy cream will create the best sauce. If you'd still like to use a lower calorie milk, you could use xanthan gum to thicken the sauce.
    • Chicken breasts can be used in place in chicken thighs. 
    • Make sure to use freshly grated parmesan cheese instead of pre-shredded or else your cheese won't melt correctly. 
    • You can use fresh or frozen spinach. 
    • Sun dried tomatoes can be substituted for fresh tomatoes.
    • Garlic and onion powder can be substituted for fresh. 

    A Note About This Recipe:

    No, this is not an authentic Tuscan recipe! It's one of the most popular items at Olive Garden, so we had to remake it at home. Many recipes do use sun dried tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes. Use whatever you like.

    skillet full of keto creamy tuscan chicken with parsley and parmesan

    More Recipes To Try:

    • Keto Chicken and Dumplings
    • Creamy Chicken and Butternut Squash Skillet
    • Keto Chicken Cordon Bleu
    • Steak and Seafood Skillet with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

    Need more ideas? Be sure to check out this massive list of over 85+ low carb and keto friendly recipes on our site!

    Shop This Recipe:

    Want to get supplies for this recipe or shop our keto kitchen or pantry? We've linked our favorites above and right here in our Amazon Store!  

    A Full Living is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associate program, an affiliate advertising program designed to promote a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking products to amazon.com. We only share products we use and love. It doesn't cost you anything extra to shop using our links, but we earn a small commission that helps us keep this site going! 

    spoonful of creamy chicken with basil and parsley

    If you get a chance to try this recipe, let us know what you think, would ya?! Leave us a comment, or catch up with us on Facebook or Instagram, or pin to your favorite Pinterest board for later. We love sharing your versions of our creations over on Instagram @afullliving!

    If you could please leave a comment and/or a rating if you loved this recipe, we would be forever grateful! (Ratings helps users find our recipes, since users say that they like them!)

    Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to subscribe to our email newsletter so you're the first to know about new recipes we post on our blog.

    Until Next Time,
    Briana & Chamere

    spoonful of creamy keto tuscan chicken thighs in a cast iron skillet with fresh basil

    Keto Creamy Tuscan Chicken

    Need a super satisfying keto tuscan chicken recipe? This version comes together quickly in one cast iron skillet. A simple, hearty and decadent meal, this creamy tuscan garlic chicken uses simple ingredients, but is packed with flavor.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Author: Briana

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
    • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 small yellow onion, diced
    • 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
    • 3 ounces fresh spinach
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
    • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
    • 8 cloves garlic, minced
    • ½ cup chicken broth
    • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 4 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • Parsley and basil for garnish

    Instructions

    • Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken well on both sides with salt and pepper. Add olive oil to the pan, and sear the chicken in batches if necessary to avoid over crowding the pan. Once chicken is cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
    • Add butter to the pan, followed by onions. Cook until onions are translucent, then add in tomatoes and salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
    • Add the spinach to the skillet to wilt. Once wilted, add in garlic and dry seasonings and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, followed by the heavy whipping cream. Reduce the heat to simmer, stirring often. Add in some fresh chopped parsley, basil and freshly shredded parmesan cheese.
    • Stir the mixture continuously until a sauce forms. Once you have a nice creamy sauce, add back the chicken, then top everything with more fresh parsley, basil and parmesan if desired.
    • This dish will keep for about 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container.

    Notes

    • Chicken breasts can be used in place in chicken thighs. 
    • Half and half or milk can be used in place of heavy cream for the sauce. 
    • Make sure to use freshly grated parmesan cheese instead of pre-shredded or else your cheese won't melt correctly. 
    • You can use fresh or frozen spinach. 
    • Sun dried tomatoes can be substituted for fresh tomatoes.
    • Garlic and onion powder can be substituted for fresh. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 279mg | Sodium: 1322mg | Potassium: 702mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 3106IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 319mg | Iron: 3mg

    These nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy and are only estimates. We cannot guarantee the accuracy.

    Did you love it?If you made this recipe, make sure to show us on Instagram at @AFullLiving or tag #AFullLiving! We love to see what you guys are making!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian, Mexican-American

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