This Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken is so tender and juicy, filled with spinach, sundried tomatoes and basil in a light cream sauce
Ingredients and substitutions
- Melted butter – use ghee or a neutral oil like olive oil or grapeseed oil instead.
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work for this recipe.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic is preferred. In a pinch, use garlic powder or garlic salt.
- Sundried tomatoes – use Roma tomatoes or dried tomatoes in place of sundried tomatoes. Just note that any substitution will slightly alter the taste and texture.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth is the best substitute here.
- Heavy cream – half and half or milk combined with butter would also work here.
- Parmesan cheese – fresh grated parmesan cheese is recommended. You could also use pre-packaged parmesan or Asiago cheese.
- Baby spinach – try another dark leafy green like arugula.
- Basil – additional spinach leaves or basil seasoning can be used instead.
Pasta
- Cavatappi pasta – I use cavatappi pasta, also known as scoobi do pasta, but you can use any kind of pasta of your choice.
How to make Tuscan chicken in the Instant Pot
- Prep your ingredients.
- Add the chicken ingredients to the pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Make the sauce.
- Add the chicken back in.
- Serve over pasta and enjoy!
What to serve with Tuscan chicken
Tuscan chicken is a creamy weeknight dinner idea that’s guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. It’s usually served as a pasta dish, but there are so many different ways to enjoy this delicious recipe. Here are some of my favourite sides:
- Pasta: Serve this chicken with your favourite pasta for an indulgent pasta dish.
- Veggies: This dish would be great with roasted or steamed vegetables like broccoli, green beans, asparagus or a vegetable medley.
- Salad: Add some greens to your dinner plate by pairing your Tuscan chicken with a nice spinach salad. You could even cut up the chicken and serve it over salad.
- Garlic bread: The best way to sop up that delicious cream sauce would be with a slice or two of garlic bread!
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuscan chicken is a delicious Italian dish that consists of chicken breasts served in a creamy parmesan-based sauce with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
This recipe has 494 calories per serving. It’s definitely an indulgent dish, so if you want to cut down on the calorie count a bit, swap out the heavy cream for half and half, and serve it without the pasta.
The sauce for this Tuscan chicken recipe is super easy to make. It’s made of butter, garlic, sundried tomatoes, chicken broth, heavy cream and parmesan cheese. It’s extra creamy and so delicious – you’re going to want to put this sauce on everything!
Storing and reheating
Any leftover Tuscan chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat the chicken either in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes or in a pan on the stovetop until warmed through.
Freezing this recipe
This Tuscan chicken recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container – just keep in mind that the cream may curdle when defrosting, so the texture won’t be exactly the same. If you do freeze this dish, I recommend freezing the chicken on its own without the noodles, spinach or sundried tomatoes, as those components won’t defrost well.
When you’re ready to enjoy your dish, let it defrost in the fridge overnight then warm it up in a pan on the stovetop. Reheating it on the stovetop will help the sauce maintain its creamy consistency. Stir in the spinach and tomatoes when reheating, then serve over fresh pasta and dig in.
More Instant Pot chicken recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this Tuscan Chicken into your weekly lunches.
- I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
- Get a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked through.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp melted butter
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
Pasta (suggested side)
- 1 lb pasta any shape
Instructions
- Add melted butter to the Instant Pot, followed by chicken breasts. Distribute salt & pepper evenly over chicken, followed by garlic and sundried tomatoes. Add chicken broth and cream overtop.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and make sure valve is set to seal. Press the pressure cook button and set to high, then cook for 8 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 5-10 minutes to come to pressure then pressure cook for 8 minutes.
- Meanwhile, boil pasta in water in a pot on the stove for 8-10 minutes or according to package instructions while chicken cooks.
- Let the pressure in the Instant Pot release naturally for 10 minutes then release any remaining pressure. Open the lid when pressure gauge has dropped and the lid opens easily.
- Remove chicken from the sauce, then turn Instant Pot to saute mode. Stir in parmesan cheese and bring sauce to a boil, cooking for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Stir in baby spinach, then add chicken back to pot once wilted. Add fresh basil leaves overtop.
- Serve chicken along with cooked pasta and enjoy!