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Baked Tuscan Chicken

Baked Tuscan chicken with golden roasted chicken thighs in a sun-dried tomato and spinach Parmesan cream sauce. Crispy skin stays intact while the sauce bubbles, turns lightly thick, and turns red and green around the chicken.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken thighs
  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Seasonings
  • Salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • garlic powder to taste
  • Italian seasoning to taste and also divided
  • smoked paprika to taste
Sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • Fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and season
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and season the chicken thighs generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  2. Let the seasoned chicken sit while you heat the skillet so the surface starts drying slightly for better browning.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat the olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken skin-side down for 6-7 minutes until deeply golden.
  2. Flip the thighs and sear for 3 more minutes.
  3. Remove the chicken from the skillet and reserve while you build the sauce.
Make the Tuscan cream sauce
  1. Cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
  2. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then deglaze with the chicken broth, scraping up browned bits.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer briefly until the sauce starts to thicken.
  4. Stir in the baby spinach until wilted and bright green.
  5. Nestle the chicken skin-side up into the sauce so some bubbling sauce surrounds the thighs.
Bake and garnish
  1. Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes at 400°F until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the sauce is visibly bubbling around the chicken.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: use an oven-safe skillet you can keep under the broiler at the end if the tops need extra browning. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until steaming. Freezing: not recommended because the cream sauce can break after thawing. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, replace half the heavy cream with half-and-half (sauce will be slightly thinner).