Creamy Parmesan Chicken: The Original Recipe, the Tuscan Variation, and More!

Creamy Parmesan chicken is incredibly delicious and absolutely filling. The thinly sliced chicken is topped with a wonderful layer of flavorful spices like smoked paprika, garlic powder and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. It’s then served with a simple cream sauce for added flavor. This is one of those wonderfully easy dishes with minimal preparation that comes together in about 20 minutes.

How to make Creamy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

• 120 g Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 80 g breadcrumbs,
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally or 4 smaller breasts

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 20g fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
•  80 chicken broth
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions:

• Prepare the topping: In a shallow dish, combine the Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Toss the chicken breasts in the cheese mixture and shake off any excess.
• Fry the chicken: In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden on each side, about 5 to 6 minutes per side. If you find the chicken is browning too quickly and not cooking through the center, reduce the heat and cook slowly. Place the fried chicken on a plate.

• Prepare the Sauce: Add the remaining butter to the pan and add the garlic, parsley, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 30 seconds. Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth. Stir in the whipped cream. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
• Finish and Serve: Return the chicken to the pan and simmer another minute to warm it up. Turn off the heat and pour some of the sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately with pasta or steamed vegetables.

Variation with mushrooms and spinach

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 100g sliced mushrooms

Creamy Parmesan Garlic Sauce:

• 60g butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 80g chicken broth
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 60g grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 30g chopped spinach

Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the chicken over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until brown on each side and no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
• Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until soft. Take out and set aside.
• For the sauce: Melt the butter. Add garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the flour and then add the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
• Add the spinach and simmer until the sauce thickens and the spinach is wilted. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce and serve with pasta, if desired.

Tuscan chicken in parmesan sauce and cream

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

• 4 large chicken breasts, lightly pounded and evenly thick
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons butter

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 70g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 250g low-sodium chicken broth
• 60g Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 30g baby spinach, chopped
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

• Season each side of the chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Mix flour and grated Parmesan in a shallow bowl. Coat the chicken in the flour mixture, covering both sides.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and let melt while stirring.
• Fry the chicken (in batches if necessary) for 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked through and browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and place on a plate. Cover with foil.
• Wipe down the pan, return to medium heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan while the butter melts.

• Add the garlic and sun dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in the flour with the whisk, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the heavy cream, chicken broth, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir until everything is well mixed.
• Add the spinach and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens slightly and the spinach is wilted.
• Return the chicken to the pan and toss in the sauce. Continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through (2-3 minutes). Garnish with fresh parsley.
• It’s that easy and delicious to prepare a creamy parmesan chicken! Enjoy your meal!