Creamy Whole30 Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes (Paleo)
Posted: 01/10/22
Updated: 01/26/22
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This healthy, creamy, Whole30 Tuscan chicken with artichokes is such an amazing Italian dinner recipe, and it’s good for you, too! Whole30 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.
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- What I really love about this healthy, creamy, Whole30 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, sun-dried tomatoes… There aren’t too many supporting ingredients here.
- Did I mention it’s quick? It comes together in about 30 minutes, which 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!
- The flavors and textures are everything you want and hope they’ll be! The chicken breasts are cooked perfectly until they’re so tender, not at all dry. The sauce is dairy-free, yes, but still oh-so-creamy, and it’s perfectly flavored with plenty of garlic, fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts.
- It’s a healthy, Whole30, paleo, low carb, keto-friendly, dairy-free, gluten-free, and grain-free recipe, so it’ll suit just about anyone! Don’t you love it when you can cook just one meal and make the whole group happy?
Key Ingredients
Chicken Breasts – Perfectly cooked, perfectly tender, perfectly juicy chicken breasts. If you’d prefer to use chicken thighs, you totally can. Check out the Chef’s Tips section below for specifics!
Coconut Cream/Milk – Don’t worry. It’s not going to make your Whole30 Tuscan chicken super coconutty or tropical tasting. It WILL, however, make the sauce unbelievably creamy and rich, while still being Whole30-compliant, paleo-friendly, and dairy free.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes – Look. I don’t make the rules. But sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and a rich cream sauce are just meant to be together. Don’t believe me? Check out my reader favorite Marry Me Chicken (Whole30 version coming soon!) and you’ll see exactly what I mean. The slight sweetness coupled with that tart tanginess? Oh, it’s so good.
Chef’s Tips
- This recipe is at its very best when you use all of the ingredients listed. They’re there for a reason! If you really need to, though, you can leave out any one of the three: sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, or artichoke hearts. But I beg you, please only do it if you or one of yours JUST WON’T EAT that ingredient. Trust me, I’ve been there, I get it. Keep at least two, though, so you get a real Tuscan chicken flavor!
- If you eat dairy or are keto, opt for heavy cream or half-and-half in place of the coconut milk or cream. Coconut milk is fine on keto, but it’s just barely higher in carbs than the other two.
- Looking for more fat or a little more flavor? 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 Fahrenheit oven for 14 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and set chicken thighs aside. Pour off the grease and continue with the recipe, starting with adding the butter or ghee.
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)
- Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken (Dairy Free, Paleo)
- Roasted Air Fryer Carrots
Creamy Whole30 Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes (Paleo)
This healthy creamy Whole30 Tuscan chicken with artichokes is such an amazing Italian dinner recipe, and it's good for you, too! Whole30 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.
servings
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts uniformly sized; approximately 2 pounds
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter, or avocado oil; see Notes
- 2 shallots minced; approximately ½ cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut cream or full-fat coconut milk; unsweetened
- 2 packed cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 1 14-ounce can quartered artichoke hearts drained
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Plate
Instructions
- Liberally season both sides of each chicken breast with salt.
- Heat avocado oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot and shimmering, place chicken breasts in skillet. Cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness of chicken breast. Once chicken is browned and firm on both sides, transfer to plate and set aside.
- Clean any browned or burnt residue from skillet, then return to heat. Lower heat to medium and add ghee (or butter or avocado oil). When ghee is melted, add minced shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant – approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
- Pour in coconut cream and stir well. Add spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and artichoke hearts. Stir well, then allow sauce to simmer until well combined and slightly thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Return chicken to skillet and turn 2 to 3 times, to coat in sauce. Serve warm with roasted potatoes, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash.
Notes
- If you’re on a Whole30 or are strictly paleo, use ghee here. If you’re not on any particular diet or include grass-fed butter as part of your paleo diet, use butter. If you’re totally dairy free, use avocado oil.
- Make it Keto: Coconut milk is fine on keto, but you can use heavy cream or half-and-half in place of the coconut milk, if you’d rather. Only if you’re not also paleo or on a Whole30, though!
To Make Roasted Potatoes:
- Preheat your oven to 425º Fahrenheit. Slice 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 over!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 530kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 37g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 23g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 103mg, Sodium: 454mg, Potassium: 1117mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 819IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 3mg, Net Carbs: 11g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
2nd time making this. love it!
So happy you love it!
I think I have a new favorite recipe! I made this tonight and it was so delicious. I’m on the final week of my Whole30, and this was just the creamy and savory boost I needed for these last few days. I will definitely be making this (and several of your other recipes) again soon. Thanks for creating so many wonderful Whole30 options!
So glad you loved this one Hailey!
I plan to make this very soon, I’m so excited! Although, do you think I could use almond milk instead of coconut milk?
Absolutely!
I made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! He’s a super taster and he raved about this meal. I served mine over zoodles. Thanks so much!
so glad y’all loved it!
Ok made this tonight and totally messed up. My store ran out of coconut milk so I got cream of coconut instead of coconut cream (assumed they were the same but apparently they are not). Sauce came out tasting like dessert. Had to toss it. I will try again next time.
Oh, no! We hope you try again!
I’m new to gluten free (friend staying with us who is GF), are these recipes are gluten free under the category even though you don’t state it in the actual recipe? I’ve made so many of your receipts with no dietary restrictions and they have all been fabulous, so now I want to make sure I don’t mess up and serve something the GF eater can’t have.
Yes. If they are under the GF category, then they are certainly gluten free! 🙂
I made this last night and it was tasty, though the coconut cream gave the dish a pretty strong coconut taste. Any tips on how to neutralize the sweetness of the coconut to give the dish a more savory taste?
This. Was. Amazing. I am slightly obsessed with you and your recipes – no shame. Every single one has been a hit! My sister makes a similar recipe with lots of cheesy goodness and the fact that this is just as flavorful and delicious without the dairy makes me so happy! Thank you!
Thank you for the kind words!
What type of chicken breasts do you use? It looks like maybe skin on from picture?
Yes!
Made this tonight…loved it! Thanks for another great recipe!
You are so welcome!! 🙂