This creamy Tuscan chicken thighs recipe is the kind of meal that draws people like a magnet…they wander into the kitchen from all directions, noses high in the air, begging to know what smells so delicious. What cook doesn’t live for those moments? And it all comes together in about 30 minutes…check it out!
Creamy Tuscan chicken was a cult favorite pasta dish at The Olive Garden, and it’s been copied a lot because it’s so mouthwatering.
Leave it to a large chain restaurant to come up with such an irresistible combination of ingredients ~ they know what people want. My version ditches the pasta and uses chicken thighs, but there’s no reason you can’t put it over pasta if you crave that. It’s a very versatile recipe that can be adapted in lots of ways, which I’ll explore in my Make it Your Own section below.
I like to use bone in, skin on, thighs, but you can use whatever you like, including chicken breasts, or a whole fryer chicken cut in parts, it all works. You’ll brown whatever you’re using in some olive oil until both sides are nice and golden. You can either cook the meat right on the stove top, or pop it in the oven to finish cooking while you make the sauce.
TIP: if you use skin on thighs you’ll want to keep that skin out of the sauce until serving, so it stays crisp. If you use skinless chicken you can submerge it in the sauce.
The quick pan sauce builds flavor starting with the drippings from browning the chicken.
I love to saute minced shallots and garlic in those drippings before adding the Marsala wine to deglaze the bottom and really grab up every bit of flavor. The sauce finishes with chicken stock and heavy cream. It gets more flavor, color, and texture from sun dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach. I threw in a few chopped cherry tomatoes because they were sitting on the counter. Good move.
Reader Rave ~
“This is my second time making this dish and it’s delicious! It was so easy to make and also the ingredients weren’t too expensive to buy. Great family dinner meal.” ~ Cassie
TIP: A wide shallow cast iron casserole with a lid (sometimes called a braiser) is perfect for this dish. These can range from very pricey, to not so pricey, and there are lots of choices. I think every kitchen needs one, they cook evenly and make a beautiful stove or oven to table presentation. If you cook from my blog you might recognize this pan from these other chicken recipes.
Reader Rave ~
“Delish! A welcome new dish for our Keto meal plan – thanks for the recipe!.” ~Suzanne
Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 2 packages of bone in/skin on chicken thighs, or about 6
- olive oil
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 large shallot peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup Marsala wine or any dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes jarred, in olive oil
- 1/2 cup good shredded Parmesan cheese
- large handful 2 cups fresh spinach, rough chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cherry tomatoes or any good red tomatoes
- parsley or fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large shallow cast iron skillet or braising pan with olive oil and heat on medium heat until hot. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper and then brown, skin side down for about 15 minutes, until the skin is nice and crisp. Flip the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes, or until done. The meat should read 160F on an instant read thermometer. Set aside on a plate and cover with foil, or put in a warm oven while you make the sauce.
- Add the shallot and garlic to the pan and saute, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes. Then add the Marsala wine and let it bubble down while you scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, and sun dried tomatoes, and cook the sauce for a few minutes until it starts to thicken, stirring frequently. Scrape up everything from the bottom and sides of the pan into the sauce. NOTE: This isn't a super thick sauce, but it will thicken somewhat as it cooks.
- Add the cheese and stir until incorporated. Add the chopped spinach and fresh tomatoes to the pan, and cook until the spinach has wilted. Add the chicken back into the pan and heat through before serving, garnished with fresh parsley or thyme.
Notes
- My husband's a dedicated thigh man, hence I used thighs, but this recipe is just as good with any chicken parts, and you can make a super quick meal with chicken cutlets, which are thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Use chopped chicken instead of the whole thighs, and serve this over pasta. The pasta absorbs all that creamy sauce and it's fantastic.
- Cut calories and fat by using a little more chicken stock and less cream. Let the chicken stock reduce, and you can thicken the sauce with a little Wondra flour.
- I use the sun-dried tomatoes that come in oil, in a jar, but if you only have the dry kind, re-hydrate them in warm water before using.
- For no-alcohol version replace wine with chicken stock, although be aware that some of the alcohol evaporates off, and the flavor payoff is huge. Even a tablespoon or two will make a difference in the flavor of this sauce.
76 Comments
Heather
October 31, 2020 at 10:32 amWould you follow the same cooking guidelines with boneless/skinless?
Sue
October 31, 2020 at 1:09 pmYes, they just won’t brown quite the same way, but they’ll still be delish.
Peggy Birkner
October 31, 2020 at 7:24 amThis will be the second time I have made this recipe in three weeks. My husband loved it so much, he asked when we could have it again. I did add some extras: cayenne pepper and Italian spices, and I doubled the amount of sun-dried tomatoes because it gives the sauce such a great flavor. I also used boneless, skinless chicken thighs and baked them in the oven. This is an excellent dish.
Sue
October 31, 2020 at 8:35 amThanks Peggy, glad you both liked it!
Melissa M.
October 23, 2020 at 3:45 pmThis recipe is absolutely scrumptious! I did add some extra ingredients to make more of the sauce, and I doubled the amount of sun-dried tomatoes. I also used skinless chicken thighs. My hubby and I were literally licking our plates at the end! I will definitely be making this again.
Melissa C
October 17, 2020 at 7:27 pmThis is a delicious recipe! I used red onion and dairy free Parmesan cheese and no roasted bell peppers. I plan on using gluten free noodles with the leftovers. Can’t wait for dinner tomorrow!
Shelley O
October 14, 2020 at 8:57 amI’ve made this last year. It’s a keeper! Loved it. I took a photo of it, too bad I can’t post it! Thank you for the great recipes. They’re always fantastic.
Maria
October 13, 2020 at 7:08 amI can smell it right now! Yay!! What a great recipe! Hungry atm
Jess
October 13, 2020 at 7:08 amA flavorful meal that is ready in less than 30 minutes?! YES please!
Lili Bo
October 13, 2020 at 6:56 amI really love the flavors of the marsala wine, shallots, sundried tomatoes, cream, and parmesan comingling together into a sauce that’s lick the pan good. What an awesome recipe!
Lizet Bowen
October 13, 2020 at 6:48 amI keep coming back to your recipe. It’s easy to make, and like you said, people keep coming into the kitchen asking if supper is ready.
great recipe!
Shelley
October 13, 2020 at 6:41 amYou’re so right, Sue – cooks live for moments when everyone is drawn to the kitchen by delicious smells, eagerly awaiting the dinner ahead! Even better if all the accolades take less than an hour to achieve! Total win! Thanks for the great tips on whether to submerge the chicken, or not – depending on whether I use skinless thighs – I wouldn’t have thought about that, and it’s super helpful!
Benita
October 3, 2020 at 10:24 pmCooked this for the first time tonight for some friends. I was a bit concerned because I had NEVER made it before and wanted to provide a good meal. Can I say AMAZING!!! One of my friends that is an avid cook gave me a 5 star rating. Even my 8 yr old grandson said I was great Grammy! Thank you so much. I will definitely hold onto this recipe.
yolanda terry parks
September 14, 2020 at 10:14 amI always double sauce recipes for that reason. It can always bee frozen for another time.
Keri
July 12, 2020 at 6:47 pmSo I just made it this evening and I followed the instructions exactly and I should’ve took a picture of it because when it was done there was like no sauce left and I’m trying to figure out where I went wrong what happened??? Maybe my chicken pieces were too big?? I am very sad because I know it would have been amazing had there been sauce left to coat the pasta I made.
Sue
July 12, 2020 at 6:57 pmI’m sorry you had that experience Keri ~ I would always encourage you to add more chicken stock, wine, or cream, if you feel your sauce is not adequate. Next time feel free to add more liquid as necessary. Could have been a pan size issue or, as you say, extra big thighs 😉
Julia Noel
June 7, 2020 at 12:58 pmMade this dish and it was DELICIOUS!!! My whole family loved it. Basically followed the recipe step for step adding a few different seasonings and also shrimp. Perfect!!!
Chris Miller
May 21, 2020 at 10:39 amThis receipe is now in the frequent dinner cycle. Every time I make it, everyone raves about it. Don’t skip the white wine Flavor boost! Thank you so much for sharing. I use cherry tomatoes for a zing.
Cassie
May 5, 2020 at 12:57 pmThis is my second time making this dish and it’s delicious! It was so easy to make and also the ingredients weren’t too expensive to buy. Great family dinner meal.
Tracy
April 16, 2020 at 8:39 amI have not made this yet but came across the recipe today and it looks amazing. I have no cream and wonder if I could use coconut milk instead? I use coconut milk a lot in place of cream.
Sue
April 16, 2020 at 9:19 amI’m sure you could, if you’re good with the flavor.
Alex
February 23, 2020 at 8:29 amOmg I made this last night and it was amazing!!!!! Thank you so much
Will
December 1, 2019 at 10:01 amWhoever have this 3 stars must have made this dish wrong. This is one of my favorites 5 stars!!!
Sue
December 1, 2019 at 10:05 amlol, thanks Will!!
Betsy
October 7, 2019 at 4:22 pmMade this today, and used zoodles instead of pasta. My family absolutely loved it! We talked about trying this with shrimp too.
Sue
October 7, 2019 at 5:42 pmI think it would be so good with shrimp, and I love the zoodles…I need to get my spiralizer back out 🙂
Abby
September 11, 2019 at 3:27 pmThere was enough sauce I added linguine to it! My kids loved it!
Sue
September 11, 2019 at 5:57 pmOh man, I think that would make a killer meal!
Bridget
September 10, 2019 at 5:27 amI made this last night and it was amazing. I pre-seasoned the chicken with some complete seasoning and a bit of oyster sauce (because we love oyster sauce) and added some green pepper with the onions and garlic. I had a bit of prosecco in my fridge so used a tbs of that to deglaze the pan. I also didn’t have heavy cream so used whipping cream and a little flour and milk to thicken the sauce. I also didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes, but it was still good without. Served it over pasta and it was delicious!
I’ll definitely be making it again.
Cheyenne Ross
August 12, 2019 at 9:14 pmSo today I wanted to try something new with chicken thighs came across this recipe and it was amazing ? parents loved it ! I had seasoned my chicken with salt , black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder , chili powder & paprika love it I will be making it again
Michelle
July 23, 2019 at 9:46 pmI just finished making this and serving for dinner. My 19 year old son and I. What I did do is fry the things and removed the skins so they could be crispy and placed the chicken in the sauce. Once done I served it with the crispy skins on each piece drizzled with the sauce. Delicious thanks so much, it’s still quite a bit left over I will see how it is tomorrow. This was simple to follow, and yes I prepped everything else while frying the chicken.
Kendra
June 9, 2019 at 8:30 pmThis was amazing! Rich and creamy, next time I am going to use boneless chicken.
Ashley Porretta
June 6, 2019 at 1:10 pmWhat’s a good side?
Sue
June 6, 2019 at 2:41 pmI would go with something fresh a green to balance out the creaminess of the chicken. Maybe a salad, green beans, roasted broccoli or asparagus. If you want a grain you might serve couscous or quinoa.
Kendra
June 9, 2019 at 8:31 pmI served roasted asparagus with this.
Lisa
May 2, 2019 at 7:46 amI am making this dish tonight for company and wondered if I can make it ahead and reheat it?
Sue
May 2, 2019 at 8:09 amWell, creamy cheesy sauces really don’t reheat well, Lisa, and the chicken would probably lose its crispy texture. I wouldn’t recommend it, although since I haven’t tried, I can’t say for sure. What you might consider is prepping everything the day before, like one of those meal delivery services do, and have everything chopped, measured, and ready to go so you could make this really fast and easily.
Kathy
April 20, 2019 at 5:36 pmI just found this today. I am a confirmed bone in skin on thigh Master! Not too crazy about the boneless skinless chicken breast unless in a hurry. Made this for a Saturday night comfort food. Made it exactly as directed, sans the shallot. Used tiny diced onion.This recipe was A Mazing!! We will be having this routinely now. I haqve several good thigh recipes, but this one is up at the top! Thanks for your recipe.
Sue
April 20, 2019 at 5:40 pmOh I’m really happy to hear this Kathy, especially since you’re a thigh master 😉 Thanks for coming back to leave a comment!
Lisa
May 2, 2019 at 1:56 pmSue, can I make this ahead?
Sue
May 2, 2019 at 2:22 pmThe cheesy cream sauce doesn’t reheat easily Lisa, so I don’t think it’s a good candidate for making ahead. As I mentioned to Lisa, below, I think your best bet would be to prep and measure everything ahead of time, and then it wouldn’t take much time to put together.
Misty Alvis
February 27, 2019 at 5:01 pmThis was a fabulous recipe. Yes, very rich but oh so good! I only used 1 cup of cream but was still great! I served over pasta and was perfect. Thanks for a recipe that the whole family loved.
Sue
February 27, 2019 at 5:26 pmI can imagine it was great over pasta, thanks for the review!
Suzanne Harrison
January 5, 2019 at 7:51 pmDelish! A welcome new dish for our Keto meal plan-Thanks for the recipe!
Eric Vanderwerff
December 23, 2018 at 8:36 pmThis was so good! I skipped the sun dried tomatoes and did mushrooms instead. Frozen spinach and onion instead of shallot. Used dry Chardonnay to deglase. Still amazing! Shared your recipe and my results on Facebook. I couldn’t figure out how to post my picture results but let me know and I’ll send it on. Thanks so much for this recipe!!
Sue
December 24, 2018 at 7:52 amThanks Eric ~ I’ll have to see if I can get the option to post photos here, that would be fun to see everybody’s creations.
Matthew
December 2, 2018 at 7:47 pmMy wife and I, mostly my wife, are on the keto diet. I had some chicken thighs to cook and was looking for recipes that seemed keto friendly. OMG this was delicious! Both my wife and I liked it. I have friends who are food snobs and I think I will cook this for them. What is not to love about this meal. Thank you.
Sue
December 2, 2018 at 8:35 pmHope those snobs approve 😉
Louise Pragt
November 4, 2018 at 12:55 amThis is the most delicious & easy recipe ever. I make it a couple of times a month. An absolute standout!! Thank you.
Sue
November 4, 2018 at 8:25 amLove to hear that Louise!
Nanette
June 15, 2018 at 11:35 amWinner Winner this will be my chicken dinner tonight. I just love your website. I am here daily getting fresh new ideas and I have to say that you are turning me into a pretty good cook.
Sue
June 17, 2018 at 9:19 amI’m so happy to hear this Nanette, it’s great to have you cooking along with me 🙂
Alison
June 7, 2018 at 1:06 pmWe really enjoyed this last night – I didn’t have any regular cream so used a small tub of sour cream and it worked well. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for your lovely recipes.
Sue
June 7, 2018 at 1:45 pmThat’s so nice to hear, thanks Alison. It’s good to know about the sour cream, I bet it added some nice extra flavor to the sauce.
Berni
May 30, 2018 at 8:20 amI’ve made this twice already, it’s delish! And it was so good the next day for lunch as well everyone I work with was so jealous – what is that wonderful smell! Thanks Sue!
Susan
April 25, 2018 at 8:30 amHi Sue,
I made this for dinner last night and it was DELISH!! ? I used boneless, skinless thighs but next time will cook less and at a lower temperature as they stuck to the pan but left great brown bits! We love mushrooms so I threw some into the sauce. No one will be disappointed if they try this. I served it over whole grain brown rice.
I love your recipes and beautiful site and look forward to trying many more of your recipes.
Thank you.
Sue
April 25, 2018 at 8:36 amI’ve had lots of good feedback from this recipe already, Susan, and I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Sticking chicken thighs is a constant problem, and it seems that no matter what I do, at least one of two of them stick, but, as you say, that just means more brown bits!
Susan
April 25, 2018 at 8:38 amHi again,
I just read my post and saw there was a ? after DELISH that shouldn’t be there and also that it should have read “threw” instead of “through”–should’ve read through it first. ?
Sue
April 25, 2018 at 8:53 amalready fixed the ‘through’, and for some reason my comment plugin adds those annoying ??, not sure why!
Candykid
April 21, 2018 at 7:15 amLast night I cooked this recipe ( minus the cheese, sun dried tomatoes and garlic). My family devoured it immediately. Served with quinoa, it was a complete meal and could be a company dinner because it looks as great as Sue’s photos when done. Bravo
Sue
April 21, 2018 at 7:53 amYay, and I’m so pleased that your meal turned out delish AND pretty! It’s so nice to have a few go-to company meals in your back pocket. Thanks for taking the time to let me know Candy 🙂
Shelley S
April 20, 2018 at 7:27 pmI adapted this to Keto, And served with mashed trips. I also adapted it to be cooked in an instant pot. Love the recipe and will definitely make it again. Thank you for the inspiration!
Sue
April 20, 2018 at 7:35 pmI need to try the Instant Pot idea, sounds good!
Christina
April 20, 2018 at 3:49 pmOooooooh, this looks so good. I eat a lot of chicken which tends to get boring so I’m always on the lookout for recipes that help spruce up my chicken dinners!! Plus, who doesn’t love a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight meal! Pinning!
Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
April 19, 2018 at 5:36 amBeautiful looking dinner Sue. And that creamy sauce = ohmy! Need to try this one soon.
[email protected]'s Recipes
April 19, 2018 at 1:12 amLots of flavours and that creamy sauce looks so good!
Sue
April 19, 2018 at 7:31 amThere’s something about creamy sauces!
Laura | Tutti Dolci
April 18, 2018 at 5:45 pmI love that creamy sauce, what a delicious dinner idea!
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
April 18, 2018 at 12:39 pmLove getting new ideas for chicken dinners! This one looks like a winner 🙂
Tricia
April 18, 2018 at 12:03 pmI can see why this is a favorite of many! I will try it very soon and join the club of loyal followers – so pretty!!!
Amy Abbott
April 18, 2018 at 8:24 amLooks like just the meal I like to serve on a Friday night. My go to chicken is always thighs. This would be nice served over orzo too! Can’t wait to try it.
Sue
April 18, 2018 at 8:43 amWhat a perfect way to put it, this is totally a Friday night meal!
Mike Hultquist
April 18, 2018 at 8:15 amOh my, this looks so delicious. I recently made a Tuscan pasta soup and think chicken thighs would have been an outstanding addition. I’ll have to make this one soon!
Sue
April 18, 2018 at 8:44 amI almost went for Tuscan chicken soup first, that sounds so good.
John / Kitchen Riffs
April 18, 2018 at 7:48 amThat sauce looks killer! Terrific dish — yo’ve loaded this up with flavor. Thanks!
Chris Scheuer
April 18, 2018 at 7:33 amI dream of dinners like this! It sounds like it’s full of wonderful flavor!