The simple recipe details
Active time about 10 minutes, total 25, all in one 12-inch skillet. Boneless chicken thighs are the better cut for staying juicy; breasts work too with a little more attention to cook time. Coconut milk (or coconut cream) is the dairy-free swap. Serve it over rice, pasta, or potatoes.
Making dairy-free tuscan chicken (step-by-step)
This creamy dish comes together all in one pan. Here’s how:
Looking for more creamy recipes? Check out our Comfort Food Category!
Why coconut milk works (and why brand matters)
Coconut milk is the only dairy-free swap that actually delivers a creamy, restaurant-style sauce. We use full-fat coconut milk, specifically the Aroy-D brand, because it is pure coconut without added water or stabilizers. Other brands often separate in the can or thin out the sauce.
If your can is separated when you open it, dump it in a blender for a few seconds before adding it to the pan. Coconut cream works the same way and gives a slightly thicker sauce (the Native Forest brand has worked well for us). The garlic, shallot, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian herbs cover the coconut flavor completely. The finished sauce ends up creamy and savory, not coconut-forward.
What to serve with marry me chicken
We serve this over white rice or pasta most often, but mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes work well too. It is also good with a simple roasted vegetable side or over greens.
For more dairy-free chicken dinners, try our dairy free chicken recipe with mustard sauce or our dairy free chicken breast recipe with mushroom sauce.
Dairy Free Tuscan Chicken (Like Marry Me Chicken, No Cream)
Ingredients
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 chicken thighs, (or chicken breasts, see step #2)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 cup chicken broth, see notes
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch, see notes
- 1.5 cups coconut milk
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup basil, chopped
- 3 cups spinach
- Chopped parsley, optional topping
Instructions
- Prepare shallot and garlic as noted. Place Italian seasoning, sea salt and pepper in a small bowl and mix.1 shallot, diced, 4 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- If using chicken breasts, place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment paper and pound them down to make them even in thickness. (Skip this step if using chicken thighs)4 chicken thighs
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in avocado oil. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the Italian seasoning mix.2 tbsp avocado oil
- Once hot, add the chicken to the pan (you may have to cook the chicken in 2 batches depending on the size of your pan). Cook, without disturbing for 4-5 minutes, until a nice brown crust has formed. Flip and cook another 4-5 minutes on the other side, until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together chicken broth and arrowroot starch.1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add more oil if needed and add the garlic and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.1 shallot, diced, 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Add coconut milk, sun-dried tomatoes and basil to the pan. Give the chicken broth mixture a quick whisk and pour that in as well.1.5 cups coconut milk, 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil
- Stir to mix, scraping up any browned bits remaining in the pan from when you cooked your chicken.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet with the sauce. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- When the chicken is done, add in the spinach. You might have to add it in batches. Stir the spinach in until wilted.1/4 cup basil, 3 cups spinach
- Serve with rice, potatoes, noodles, or cauli rice. Spoon some sauce over everything for serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional).Chopped parsley
Notes
- Nutrition estimates are per serving and an estimate provided for reader benefit. See our full nutrition information disclosure here.
- You can use chicken breasts instead of thighs for this recipe. Follow the instructions to flatten the chicken breasts (step 2). Adjust cooking time if needed to ensure the chicken is fully cooked.
- If your sauce is too thick, add in more chicken broth to get the consistency you want.
- If you don’t have arrowroot starch, you can substitute tapioca starch or corn starch. Corn starch is not considered Paleo or Whole30.
I’m excited to try this! You say to add the basil in both Step 8 and Step 11. Could you clarify when to add? I’m assuming it’s 11..? Thanks!
Hey! Thanks for catching that. It’s actually step 8 with the sundried tomatoes. You can see it in the process photos. Hope you love this one. 🙂
I have been trying my hardest to make creamy non-dairy pastas or dishes because I love cheese, but I’m highly lactose intolerant. But it’s so hard for me to find anything that’s creamy like dairy with good flavor. Does the milk in this make the dish creamy or is it the arrow root or both? I made a dish that I kind of just threw it together, but I put coconut cream, not coconut milk in it, and although I made it spicy or put enough spices in it to kind of cover up the coconut flavor, it was still kind of there, but very slightly. And I honestly just don’t like coconut. You said the spices in your recipe covered the coconut flavor. I am wondering was using cream just too much coconut flavor should, I have put a lot more spices to cover it up fully, or used milk and starch.
I do want to try this recipe, but I want to also find a creamy base for other dishes. Ive tried beans and nut butters but I always find them to be gritty… I dk if this is user error or just how they are…
Have you tried lactose free milk?
The full fat coconut milk and arrowroot are what make it thick and creamy. It’s coconut milk, so it won’t ever be covered up completely.
Can you make this in the crockpot? Do you recommend canned coconut milk or milk from the carton?
We have coconut milk brand recommendations listed in the post. If you want to make this in the crockpot, I’d recommend this sister recipe https://realsimplegood.com/slow-cooker-tuscan-chicken/ and you can substitute coconut milk or coconut cream for the whole milk.
We are newly transitioning to dairy free and are freezer meal preppers – will this freeze and reheat well?
This can be prepped in advance and frozen. Just know that the sauce may break up and separate upon freezing so you will have to mix it back up when you thaw it out and reheat.
Tried and tested—this one was a huge hit with my family! We try to avoid dairy whenever possible, so finding a recipe that’s this flavorful without it is a win. It’s definitely earned a spot in our regular meal rotation.
For even more flavor, I brined my chicken breasts for about 6 hours in a mixture of garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, paprika, and salt before cooking. It turned out incredibly juicy and delicious!
Sounds amazing with the brining, thanks for sharing!
Great recipe. Couldn’t tell it was dairy free. I used 4 chicken breast and I still feel there was enough sauce. But I should have made more. Was great in pasta shells. I’m really surprised on how moist the chicken breasts we’re
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Jeff, thanks for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Can I use olive oil in place of avacado oil?
Yes, that’s totally fine.
Highest possible marks for flavor, ease of prep, and versatility. I used leftover turkey, just adding it into the sauce after thickened, and it’s just as delicious as my first attempt with raw chicken (as recipe calls for). Even my 1-yr-old and almost 3-yr-old granddaughters ate it faster than their mama could keep them supplied! They had it with penne, whereas I used up some leftover quinoa. Amazing either way.
Very good. Been looking for a dairy free recipe and this one hit the spot.
Nope….even dog walked away and she has been known to eat chicken poop.
You are loved ❤️❤️
Your Italian Creamy Tuscan Chicken is
Fabulous!!! I have made it a couple of
times and my husband loves the
gravy-like sauce. I am dairy and gluten
free so I really appreciate this sauce and
its thicker consistency made without
flour. Thank you, Nansea
You’re welcome! So happy you and your husband have enjoyed this one!
Great recipe! My boyfriend and I are both dairy-free and we thought it was very tasty. The receipe came together fairly quickly too! We loved all the flavors.
Happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Great dish! I doubled it to accommodate my family and everyone thought it was great despite the coconut smell initially throwing us off. When you taste it, its delicious! So hard to believe it’s dairy free. I am going to add a little extra garlic next time and I might try it with a combo of extra creamy oatmilk and cashew cream. I have some picky kids and they loved it! Thanks for a great recipe! This one will be added to my rotation for sure!
Thanks for giving it a try! We always love hearing when a recipe is a hit with the whole family, even the picky eaters. 🙂