Have you ever longed for a gourmet meal that transports you to a world of rustic charm and bold flavors, all from the comfort of your home? This journey through crafting the perfect Tuscan Chicken with a Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce is about to do just that. Perfect for any day of the week, yet luxurious enough for special occasions, this recipe combines tender chicken, a vibrant sun-dried tomato sauce, and a plethora of spices that will make your taste buds dance with joy...Let's Get Cooking!
The first step in creating this flavor-packed chicken recipe is to prep the chicken itself. I prefer to use chicken thighs myself, but breasts were actually intended to be used in this recipe so use whichever you have on hand or like better. The only change will be the cook time by a few minutes. Anyway, prepare a simple 2 container dredging station. The first container should hold the eggs, which only need to be whisked. The second container will hold all the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, Italian seasoning, paprika, garlic salt, and a bit of salt and pepper in the second container.
Simply take each piece of chicken and start by dunking it in the egg wash followed by the dry ingredient mix. Make sure the chicken is covered on all sides and repeat the process until it all the chicken is ready to pan fry.
Once all your chicken has been dipped and breaded, add some oil to a large pan over Medium-High heat. Pan fry the chicken on each side, about 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown. It won't be fully cooked at this point, but should be somewhere between half and 3/4 cooked through. Do this step in batches, depending on the size of your pan, and repeat until all the chicken has been browned on both sides. You can also go ahead and preheat your oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, which will finish cooking the chicken in the next step.
Once each piece of chicken is browned place it back on the sheet pan. You can use the same sheet pan since it will be going into the oven and killing off any remaining bacteria, but if you are a germaphobe feel free to dirty up another pan for the baking process. Nonetheless, once all the chicken has been browned and the oven is preheated, simply slide the sheet tray in and let the chicken bake for about 10 minutes to finish cooking. The internal temperature of chicken breasts should reach between 160-165 and thighs between 170-175. It will go back into the pan to finish and have some rollover heat so don't overcook it, but make sure you are pretty close to the final temperature before pulling it from the oven. While the chicken bakes, you can move on to making the sauce, but for this recipe blog's purpose here is the final baked chicken photo.
Using the same skillet we pan-fried the chicken in earlier, reduce the heat to Medium, add a bit of olive oil, and toss in some sliced onions. The onions and bell pepper both should be sliced into long thin strips for this recipe, but if you want to finely dice or chop otherwise it would be fine. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes or so, until softened.
Now add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, sliced red bell pepper, tomato paste, oregano, and paprika. Give everything a good stir and continue cooking over Medium heat for an additional 2 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with some white wine and scrape up all that delicious fond and extra bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer for another 2 minutes.
Now pour in the chicken salt and give the pan a quick sprinkle of salt and pepper. Bring the sauce up to a boil before lowering the temperature and simmering over Medium-Low for about 5 minutes.
This is the point where you should check on the chicken in the oven if you decided to continue along with the recipe before fully baking it. Use a thermometer and give it a quick probe to check for doneness and either remove it from the oven or let it continue to bake an additional few minutes.
Otherwise, after the chicken stock has simmered for 5 minutes, add in the heavy cream, grated parmesan, and fresh spinach. Don't worry, it may seem like way too much spinach, but it will wilt down to nearly nothing. In fact, just keep stirring the sauce until the spinach wilts down, which should take about 2 to 3 minutes.
Once the spinach has wilted down and your chicken is up to temperature, add the chicken back to the pan in the sauce to finish cooking and soak up all those wonderful flavors we just developed. Let everything simmer together for 3 to 4 minutes to finish off the dish!
That wraps up this simple yet delicious Tuscan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce! You can serve it with rice, potatoes, or pasta, but be sure and give it a final sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley to add that final pop of color and herb flavor. This Tuscan Chicken with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce recipe is more than just a meal; it's a journey through the heart of Italian cooking, promising an unforgettable culinary adventure. Remember, the true beauty of Italian cooking lies in the simplicity of its ingredients and the love poured into preparing each dish. So, tonight, uncork a bottle of Chianti, set the table, and prepare for a feast that brings a taste of Tuscany right into your home...Just Keep Cooking!
TUSCAN CHICKEN
Comments