Cooked chicken breasts topped with sliced tomatoes sitting in a cream sauce in a cast iron pan on a white and brown towel (with logo overlay)

Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream

Pan fry chicken then smother it in a cream sauce with tomatoes and spinach for an easy meal using only one pan and 20 minutes!

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“The best-laid plans… often go awry.” That could be the quote of the week for our kitchen. Some nights, no matter how hard we try with the meal plan and calendar reminders and thawing meat ahead of time, dinner just doesn’t happen the way we want. That’s how we ended up with our meal of chicken with tomato and spinach cream!

Those nights of “I know we planned this meal but I really don’t feel like cooking/eating that” tend to be when we come up with some of our best experiments! And this meal came from such a night.

I had taken some chicken out of the freezer to thaw and make Chicken Fried Rice, but that sounded like so much work that night. So we started with the idea that we would make a chicken meal so it doesn’t go to waste. We searched the refrigerator for any other leftovers that needed to be used up.

We found some grape tomatoes, spinach, and heavy cream. Add in some parmesan cheese, seasonings, and chicken broth and we had the start of a decent meal here.

In the end, we realized this meal is similar to Chicken Basil Cream, only we didn’t use basil. We joked about calling it “chicken parsley cream” since parsley is our main herb, but that would be too confusing. So, we went with the longer but more descriptive Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream.

Since we weren’t quite sure what the end results would be as we were making it up as we went along, we did not end up with any sides. In the future, I would make it with some noodles (to put the sauce over) or a loaf of French bread to dip in the sauce.

Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream Step by Step

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp parsley (divided)
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
  • 5 oz spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Preparation

Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the pan, then season with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp of parsley. Cook the chicken, flipping as needed until it’s cooked through.

Three seasoned chicken breasts cooking in oil in a cast iron pan on a gas stovetop

Meanwhile, cut about 1/2 cup of grape tomatoes in half. Chop the spinach if you prefer it smaller in the cream. I like to use my kitchen shears to quickly and easily cut the spinach leaves into pieces.

Close up of sliced grape tomatoes next to a small knife on a bamboo cutting board

When the chicken has finished cooking, remove it from the pan. Saute the spinach for about 2-3 minutes, until it has wilted, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn to the pan.

Spinach cooking in oil in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Add the grape tomatoes and stir for 1-2 minutes.

Wilted spinach and sliced grape tomatoes in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir occasionally until it’s warm, about 2-3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp of parsley and bring to a boil.

Wilted spinach, sliced tomatoes, and cream sauce in a cast iron pan over a gas stovetop

Whisk in the parmesan cheese. Lower the heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes. until the cheese has melted and the cream thickens slightly. Return the chicken to the pan and flip to coat. Serve immediately while it’s warm.

Cooked chicken breasts topped with sliced tomatoes sitting in a cream sauce in a cast iron pan on a white and brown towel (vertical)

Recipe

Originally Published On: January 14, 2019

Last Updated On: July 27, 2023

Cooked chicken breasts topped with sliced tomatoes sitting in a cream sauce in a cast iron pan on a white and brown towel

Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream

Pan fry chicken then smother it in a cream sauce with tomatoes and spinach for an easy meal using only one pan and 20 minutes!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course:
Main Dish
Cuisine:
American
Keyword:
chicken
|
heavy cream
|
parsley
Servings: 2 servings
5 from 8 votes

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp parsley (divided)
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes
  • 5 oz spinach leaves
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)

Recommended Equipment

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet
  • Place the chicken in the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp parsley and cook until done, flipping as needed
  • Meanwhile, cut the grape tomatoes in half and chop the spinach if desired
  • After chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan
  • Saute the spinach for 2-3 minutes, until it has wilted, stirring constantly to prevent burning
  • Add the tomatoes and stir for 1-2 minutes
  • Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream
  • Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp of parsley and bring to a boil then lower to a simmer
  • Add the parmesan cheese and parsley
  • Simmer for 3-5 minutes to melt the cheese and let the cream thicken slightly
  • Return the chicken to the pan and flip to coat both sides and serve immediately
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Nutrition Facts
Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream
Amount Per Serving
Calories 860 Calories from Fat 567
% Daily Value*
Fat 63g97%
Saturated Fat 33g165%
Cholesterol 324mg108%
Sodium 2146mg89%
Potassium 1526mg44%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 62g124%
Vitamin A 9290IU186%
Vitamin C 37.6mg46%
Calcium 469mg47%
Iron 3.6mg20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

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48 thoughts on “Chicken with Tomato and Spinach Cream”

  1. 5 stars
    That looks absolutely delicious! The chicken is probably so moist! I love that this is what you came up with when dinner didn’t just fall into place. When I do that I end up with spaghetti… again lol

  2. This looks like the perfect meal to use up the remainders of fresh ingredients. I make my own wet dog food and we tend to have a ton of spinach leftover. There are only so many salads I can eat and smoothies I can drink before I’m tired of them! And we always have grape tomatoes for snacks. Thanks for this inspiration!

    1. I understand that! I’ve tried sneaking some spinach in smoothies when I make them for my boys and it changes the texture just enough that they won’t drink them. So that’s not even an option for us!

  3. 5 stars
    I love creamy sauce and this one looks so good. I also only enjoy simple recipes like this one that I will make soon. Thanks for sharing.

  4. 5 stars
    I think those are the best kinds of recipes right?? When things don’t go as planned and you have to improvise 🙂 It looks delicious and yes, I’d love it paired with some pasta.

  5. I currently have chicken fricassee on the stovetop. As I was cooking it I mentioned to my husband that I needed to find a dish similar to it but with spinach in it. Like all of your recipes, I know I’ll be making this!

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