Gluten Free Creamy Tuscan Chicken

This gluten free creamy tuscan chicken is one of those dinners that looks and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, but it really only takes about 30 minutes.

Tender chicken thighs in a rich, creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan. It’s comfort food at its best.

And yes, it’s completely gluten free. No weird substitutions or hard to find ingredients. You probably already have most of what you need in your kitchen right now.

It works great served over rice, gluten free pasta, or with some crusty gluten free bread to soak up all that sauce.

If you’ve been looking for a simple but impressive gluten free dinner, this one is definitely worth trying.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Naturally Gluten Free – This recipe uses cornstarch instead of flour so there is no need for any gluten free substitutes that taste off.

Restaurant-Quality Sauce – The parmesan and sun-dried tomato cream sauce tastes like something from a fancy Italian restaurant.

One Skillet Meal – Everything cooks in a single skillet which means less cleanup and more time enjoying your dinner.

Chicken Thighs Stay Juicy – Using thighs instead of chicken breast means the meat stays tender and never dries out.

Ingredients

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Oil Packed), Drained and Chopped
• 2 cups Fresh Baby Spinach
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 3/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tbsp Fresh Basil, Chopped

How to Make

Step 1

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the same skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until the garlic is fragrant.

Step 4

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth until smooth. Pour into the skillet along with the heavy cream. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.

Step 5

Cook the sauce for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the parmesan cheese until melted and smooth.

Step 6

Add the baby spinach and stir until it wilts into the sauce, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 7

Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the creamy tuscan sauce over the top. Let everything simmer together for 2 minutes to warm through. Garnish with fresh basil and serve over rice, gluten free pasta, or with crusty gluten free bread.

My Tips

Pat the Chicken Thighs Dry First

Before you season the chicken, grab some paper towels and pat each thigh dry on both sides. This removes the surface moisture that would otherwise cause the chicken to steam instead of sear.

Dry chicken in hot oil is what gives you that golden brown crust. If there’s moisture on the surface, you’ll get pale, soft chicken that doesn’t have much flavor on the outside.

This step takes about 30 seconds but makes a huge difference in how the chicken looks and tastes.

Don’t Crowd the Skillet

Make sure all four chicken thighs lay flat in the skillet with a little space between each one. If they’re overlapping or squeezed together, the heat can’t reach the surface properly and you won’t get a good sear.

If your skillet is on the smaller side, cook the chicken in two batches of two thighs each. It takes a few extra minutes but the result is way better.

Cook the Garlic Carefully

When you add the garlic after removing the chicken, keep it moving in the pan. There will be residual heat from searing the chicken, and garlic can burn in under 30 seconds if you’re not paying attention.

Burnt garlic turns bitter and will affect the entire sauce. You want it fragrant and lightly golden, not dark brown. That’s why the recipe says to reduce the heat to medium first.

More Tasty Recipes

• Gluten Free Chicken Marsala
• Gluten Free Chicken Piccata
• Gluten Free Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Bread
• Gluten Free Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia
• Gluten Free Stuffed Shells

FAQ

My sauce is too thin – how do I thicken it?

If your sauce hasn’t thickened after simmering for a few minutes, mix another teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it in. Let it simmer for another minute or two and it should thicken right up.

The most common reason the sauce stays thin is that it wasn’t brought to a proper simmer. Cornstarch needs to hit a gentle boil to activate its thickening power, so make sure you see small bubbles forming before you start timing it.