This healthy creamy Tuscan chicken with artichokes is such an amazing Italian dinner recipe, and it’s good for you, too! Whole and paleo, it’s dairy-free but still super creamy, loaded with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. It’s a quick and easy skillet dinner, perfect for a weeknight. One of our favorite paleo recipes.
If there’s anything I can’t resist, it’s Jason Momoa and his sense of humor any chicken dish with artichokes in it.
Bonus sun-dried tomatoes? Hello. Bonus bonus fresh spinach? Yes yes yes. Bonus bonus bonus creamy garlicky sauce that goes just perfectly over the tender chicken breasts and, oh, I don’t know, some crispy roasted potatoes? I. Am. There.
This healthy creamy Tuscan chicken conveniently ticks all of those boxes, and that’s why I am absolutely and positively obsessed with Jason Momoa and his sense of humor. But also this healthy creamy Tuscan chicken with artichokes. I mean, the Jason Momoa thing is just kind of independent of everything else, right? Right.
OK, but…
What I really love about this healthy creamy Tuscan chicken is that it is so dang quick and so dang easy. The ingredients in the recipe are real elements to the dish: chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, etc., and there aren’t too many supporting ingredients. That makes it super duper easy to throw together on a weeknight for a quick Italian skillet dinner. It’s really one of our favorite paleo recipes!
Did I mention it comes together in about 30 minutes? Because yeah. I’m into that.
Why we love this healthy creamy Tuscan chicken so. dang. much.
- It’s quick and easy, making it the perfect Italian recipe for a weeknight dinner.
- The sauce is dairy-free but still oh so creamy, and it’s perfect with plenty of garlic, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.
- The chicken breasts are cooked perfectly until they’re so tender, not at all dry.
- It’s a healthy, Whole30, paleo, dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free recipe, so it’ll suit just about anyone!
Variations
- You can leave out 1 of the 3: sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or artichoke hearts if you or one of yours isn’t a big fan of it. Keep the other two, though, for a real Tuscan chicken flavor!
- If you eat dairy or are keto, opt for half-and-half in place of the coconut milk or cream.
- Use chicken thighs instead of the chicken breasts: sear them skin side down in avocado oil for 8 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Flip and bake in a 375º F oven for 14 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and set chicken thighs aside. Pour off grease and continue with the recipe, starting with adding the butter or ghee.
How do you make healthy Tuscan chicken?
- Start by searing your chicken: cook well-salted chicken breasts 5-6 minutes per side in a little avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Remove your chicken when cooked and let rest on a plate or cutting board while you make your sauce.
- Clean out your skillet if it’s burnt at all, then add your butter, ghee, or avocado oil. Sauté your shallot until softened, a few minutes, then add your garlic and sauté, stirring constantly about 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Next, add your coconut cream or milk and stir well. Add in your spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and stir. Simmer about 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted, the sauce is a bit thickened, and flavors are melded.
- Serve over whatever speaks to you: roasted chicken, cauliflower rice, zoodles, regular pasta, etc.
What sides go with Tuscan chicken?
To go with this paleo Tuscan chicken recipe, I roasted a handful of small yellow potatoes in a generous drizzle of avocado oil with plenty of salt. Of course, if you’re on no particular diet, you could serve this recipe over pasta, like orzo or even fettuccine, or zoodles (zucchini noodles!) if you like.
If you opt for roasted potatoes, try this:
- Preheat your oven to 425º F. Slice your small yellow or fingerling potatoes lengthwise and toss them with avocado oil until coated. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and place them cut side down.
- Roast until golden brown and crispy on the cut side, about 15-20 minutes. The potatoes should slide around the pan relatively easily when they’re cooked crisp enough. Transfer to your serving bowls and place your chicken on top. Spoon plenty of sauce oven!
If you’re on a Whole30:
- Make sure you use ghee instead of butter.
- Do not serve over pasta! You will be sad because you’ll have to start over. But here’s your fair warning. Also, learn the rules of Whole30.
- Try roasted potatoes or cauliflower rice to serve this healthy creamy Tuscan chicken over!
Other paleo recipes you’ll love:
- Creamy Tomato Artichoke Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)
- Best Ever Paleo Italian Meatballs with Creamy Tomato Sauce (Whole30, Paleo)
- Healthy Zuppa Toscana (Whole30, Paleo)
- Bruschetta Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)
Healthy Creamy Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes (Whole30, Paleo)
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts uniformly sized
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil plus more as needed
- 1 tbsp ghee butter, or avocado oil, see note
- 2 shallots minced, about 1/2 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk
- salt
- 2 cups fresh spinach packed
- 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts drained
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
Instructions
- Cook your chicken: sprinkle both sides of chicken with plenty of salt. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until oil is shimmering. Carefully place chicken breasts in skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the breast, or until chicken is browned and firm. Transfer to a plate.
- Clean out your pan if it has browned or burnt residue, then return to medium heat. Add butter, ghee, or avocado oil, and when hot, add shallot. Sauté shallot until soft, stirring occasionally, then add garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Pour in your coconut cream; stir well. Add in your spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts; stir. Simmer until flavors are well combined and the sauce has slightly thickened about 5 minutes. Serve over roasted potatoes (see note), cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or pasta.
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 425º F. Slice your small yellow or fingerling potatoes lengthwise and toss them with avocado oil until coated. Sprinkle with plenty of salt and place them cut side down.Â
- Roast until golden brown and crispy on the cut side, about 15-20 minutes. The potatoes should slide around the pan relatively easily when they're cooked crisp enough. Transfer to your serving bowls and place your chicken on top. Spoon plenty of sauce oven!
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Stephanie says
The whole family enjoyed this meal. We do find the coconut cream to be too sweet for us, so we will look for an alternative and try again. We are only on day 3 of Paleo lifestyle and we appreciate all of these paleo recipes. We are working our way through them one recipe at a time.
Prep time was perfect. I was able to make this dish in about 35 minutes.