This Paleo + Whole30 creamy tuscan chicken is an easy one pan meal. It’s full of creamy, dairy-free goodness that will hit the spot when you’re in the mood for comfort food.
Creamy + Dairy-Free
You guys always ask how we make creamy, delicious recipes without dairy. Well, we rely on full fat coconut milk A LOT. We get the brand Aroy-D on Amazon, and we find it works best because it is all coconut milk. Most other coconut milks have some water or other ingredients added. Get the pure stuff. It’s a game changer! Just try this creamy tuscan chicken and tell us what you think!
Don’t Knock Coconut Just Yet
Don’t love coconut…well, just give one of our creamy, dairy free recipes a try before you knock it. Just about everyone, even those who don’t love coconut (maybe even despise it), have said they can’t even taste the coconut. We get sneaky with the other flavors of this creamy tuscan chicken to mask the coconut flavor, so you give it a shot even if you don’t like coconut flavored anything. Just try before you knock it.
One Pan Meal – Kind Of
We always love it when we can make dinner in one pan! This creamy tuscan chicken has less dishes and is still big on flavor, all while being made in 30 minutes! Now, if you decide to eat this creamy tuscan chicken over zucchini noodles or cauli rice…yes, you will have one more pan to wash but that one is pretty easy to clean!
Some Other Creamy, Dairy-Free Recipes
- CREAMY SALMON SWEET POTATO NOODLE BOWLS
- CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN SKILLET
- CREAMY CHICKEN CASSEROLE
- CREAMY BACON RANCH CHICKEN CASSEROLE
- CREAMY GARLIC SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE
Try Our Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Need a quick dinner, craving some comfort food? Make this creamy tuscan chicken! It’s creamy, dairy-free and comes together in just 30 minutes! Leave a comment below and let us know how it goes. Also, take a pic to share on Instagram. Tag us @realsimplegood so we can see and maybe share in our stories too. Make sure to give us a follow if you don’t already. We’d love to stay connected!
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Paleo + Whole30)
Ingredients
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 4 chicken breasts (or chicken thighs, see notes)
- 2 tbsp ghee (can sub avocado oil if needed for dairy-free)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth see notes
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch see notes
- 1.5 cups full fat 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.
- Place the chicken breasts between two pieces of parchment paper and pound them down to make them even in thickness. Sprinkle each side of the chicken with the Italian seasoning mix.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add ghee.
- 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 3-4 minutes, until a nice brown crust has formed. Flip and cook another 3-4 minutes on the other side, until the chicken is mostly cooked through.
- While the chicken is cooking, whisk together chicken broth and arrowroot starch.
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside. Lower the heat to medium.
- Add more ghee if needed and add the garlic and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, chicken broth, sun dried tomatoes and basil to the pan. Stir to mix, scraping up any browned bits remaining in the pan from when you cooked your chicken.
- Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet with the sauce. Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- When the chicken is almost finished, add in the spinach. You might have to add it in in batches. Stir the spinach in until wilted.
- Serve with vegetables, potatoes, rice or cauli rice. Spoon some sauce over everything for serving. Sprinkle with chopped parsley (optional).
Notes
- You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts for this recipe. You should not have to pound the thighs (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.
This was easy and absolutely delicious! Even the kids loved it!
So happy to hear that!
My kids AND husband loved this recipe and asked for it three weeks in a row!!! Thank you!
Aaww yay! That’s the best! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and share! We are so happy your family loves this one! 🙂
Hi there – what can I substitute for arrowroot starch?
You can use tapioca starch or cornstarch (not paleo).
I was out of arrowroot starch but had some kuzu root starch & used that. It works the same as cornstarch & arrowroot.
Thanks for the tip 🙂
I used paleo flour from Bob Mills
Turned out great, the entire family jus loved it! Thank you!!!
We’re thrilled to hear it was a hit! Thanks so much for trying our recipe and coming back to share!
Can this be frozen?
We haven’t tried freezing this recipe but we have had it as leftovers and it worked fine reheating it.
Hi Lisa, I do a lot of canning & freezing & I think this will freeze just fine. Any meat dish that has a sauce like this usually does well. I just made a double batch of it tonight & that’s what I plan on doing with half of it.
Why Isn’t this Keto? because of Arrowroot?
Yes that and the tomatoes make it a little higher carb than the 10g of net carbs per serving we consider our “keto” labeled recipes.
I am wondering if this could be made in the Instant Pot?
Possibly, but we haven’t tried it. Honestly, it would probably take longer to cook it in the Instant Pot and I’m not sure how the creamy consistency would turn out. If you want to cut down some time on the recipe, you could sub chicken thighs for breasts, as they are usually a more uniform thickness and you wouldn’t have to pound them out.
Hi I was wondering if you could tell me what 1 serving size is in grams?
Sorry, I honestly don’t know the answer to that question. Perhaps you could do the calculation yourself based on the ingredients?
Do you have nutrition facts for calories, fat, carbs, etc?
Hey there – we don’t track nutrition info on all of our recipes since we don’t track it personally. It’s one of our favorite things about our Paleo lifestyle. We really don’t worry about counting calories, fat, etc. because we are always eating real, minimally processed food. If needed, you could use an app or online calculator like myfitnesspal to get an estimate though if needed.
Not a big fan of coconut milk. Could I do 1/2 coconut milk and 1/2 almond milk? Or only almond milk?
We haven’t tried that, but it might work. Because of the seasonings, you don’t really taste “coconut” in this recipe. If you try it with almond milk, uou may need to simmer the sauce for longer to get it to thicken up, as almond milk isn’t as thick as full fat coconut milk.
So yummy! I just made this for my daughters family and everyone loved it! I served it over rice. This recipe is a keeper!
So glad everyone enjoyed it!
This was great however, mine came out a bit too thick and I was picturing as a thinner sauce. I added more chicken broth along with more Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder. Ate this over spaghetti squash! It was great.
Glad you made it work for you! Serving it over spaghetti squash sounds delicious 🙂
Fast and delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed it Jennifer!
OMG this was so good! After I devoured dinner, I had to recheck the ingredients to make sure it actually was W30 compliant because it was so creamy and so good and tasted like real “cream” lol. The only things I did differently was I filleted my chicken and marinated it in the seasonings plus olive oil and then grilled them. With the sauce, I added 2 extra tablespoons of italian/chicken seasoning and a light sprinkle of salt. (I could initially taste the coconut flavor; that’s why I added the extra seasoning.)
SO GOOD. You won’t regret making this!!!
We’re so thrilled you enjoyed this one so much! Bet the grilled chicken was a nice touch! Yum! Thanks so much for trying our recipe and taking the time to come back and share. We appreciate it! 🙂
It was easy, but for my taste, way too much basil. Thinking to reduce greatly next time and add Oregano; if it wasn’t for that, would’ve been amazing.
We do love basil! But that’s an easy fix if you’re not as big of a fan as us! Thanks for trying our recipe and coming back to share. We appreciate it! 🙂
Soooooooo good absolutely in heaven eating this
Glad you enjoyed it Leah!
Oh man we loved this recipe! I used 1/2 tsp pepper because my family is a bit wimpy about any spice but I honestly think the 1 tsp wouldn’t have been too much. Not following any specific diet so I also used butter and cornstarch. We loved the thick, creamy sauce and although it was thick, it was the perfect consistency for serving over rice. Definitely one we will make again!
Thanks so much!
So glad you guys enjoyed the recipe!
Wow this recipe is DELICIOUS!
I did a rough calculation on my LoseIt! App.
Calories for 1 serving 514
Total fat 29.7g
Sat. Fat 16.2g
Cholest. 79.9 mg
Sodium 350mg
Carb 28g
Fiber 7.9
Sugars 9g
Protein 43.8g
*I also added Riced Cauliflower to this recipe which is included in the calculation. I omitted a lot of the salt as well.
I hope this was helpful!
thank you for calorie count!! I came to see if it was in the comments!
Can I use Paleo flour instead of arrowroot? I already have that flour and just trying not to buy something if I don’t need to. This like the first dish my job has posted that looks good and I really wanna make it.
Hey there – not sure which paleo flour blend you’re referring to, but it would probably work. We haven’t tried so I can’t say for sure. It might not thicken up the sauce quite as much as arrowroot flour does. If you have cornstarch (not paleo) or potato starch you could use that as well. We’d love to hear how it goes!
It went great. I put too many onions in it tho so next time I either gotta go less or just cut them bigger. I also like things spicy so I did add peppers and cayenne peppers to it.
Sounds great! Glad it turned out well and that you know what you’ll enjoy most for next time, too! 🙂
My daughter has a dairy allergy. What do you suggest in place of the ghee?
An oil like avocado, coconut or olive oil.
I just used Avocado Oil I already had
I am vegan, however a good friend of mine needs a total knee replacement & she is quite overweight. The surgeon wants her to lose 30-40lbs before surgery & highly recommended she do the Whole30 diet. I’m trying to do everything I possibly can to assist her & so have been making some recipes for her. The spices in this were heavenly, I love basil, & the coconut milk sauce was just to die for.
I’ll recreate this for myself one day soon using tofu or seitan
It’s so great to hear that you are doing everything you can to help your friend. We are so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
This recipe was so delicious! I am newly gluten and dairy free and I didn’t even miss the heavy cream. Even my husband who usually dislikes all of my whole30/paleo recipe attempts devoured this. Best part is, it freezes well too so I can easily divide it up into meal prep containers and have a quick dinner or grab and go lunch for work. The Creamy Tuscan Chicken is great over roasted spaghetti squash or zoodles too for an extra serving of veggies!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Mary Beth! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment and rating 🙂
Made this tonight – was a huge hit! Absolutely delicious and so easy. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Tara!
I bought sun dried tomatoes in olive oil. Is this what the recipe calls for it should I have bought the dry ones?
Either will work fine! Go with what you’ve got! Just drain the tomatoes from the olive oil if there’s excess oil. Let us know what you think!
Ghee is not dairy free!!
You are free to use another cooking oil like avocado or coconut oil if desired 🙂
Great! Served over spaghetti squash.
Do you think this would work in the slow cooker?
We haven’t tried it, but it might. I’m not sure if the sauce would thicken up in the slow cooker.
This looks so good! What a yummy one to make for a weeknight or for company!
We agree, we hope you try the recipe!
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Yes, it keeps well in the fridge for leftovers. It’s also freezer friendly!
I will try your brand of coconut milk. Recently I have been using almond milk for the more savory dishes and Trader Joes coconut milk for sweet dishes. I’d love to have one that I can use for both as it always seems I have the one opposite of what I am cooking. Thanks for the tip
You’re welcome! We love the Aroy-D brand because it has the best consistency and is the creamiest of the full fat coconut milks we have tried.
My whole family loved this meal! The coconut milk adds a great creaminess, but definitely doesn’t have an overpowering coconut taste. Loved the thickening of the sauce that the arrowroot provided. So many great flavors. Thank you!
We’re thrilled to hear the whole family enjoyed it! Thanks so much for trying, sharing and coming back to leave a comment! We appreciate it! 🙂
Thank you for the great review Kristen :).
Just made this and doubled the batch. Glad I did! It was delicious
Good call on doubling it up :).
Thoughts on making this with chicken thighs rather than breasts?
You can absolutely use thighs for this, just adjust the cooking time if needed to make sure they are cooked completely through.
What do you think then calorie content per serving is?
Hi Sarah, as part of our real food/paleo lifestyle we don’t track any nutrition information personally, and it has been really liberating for us and helped us find food freedom. For that reason we don’t post the nutrition info on our recipes, with the only exception being the Keto specific recipes on our site. You could plug the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator if needed though.
Everything about this meal was amazing! Definitely saving this recipe! Love being able to cook with whole, natural foods.
Great to hear that Chelsey! Glad you enjoyed the recipe :).
This is absolutely delicious! My husband doesn’t eat paleo, but he requests this recipe about once a week. Thank you!!!
We’re on day 5 of whole30 and made this tonight for dinner and absolutely loved it! Chicken is so juicy and we paired it with asparagus
So glad you enjoyed the recipe Monica!
Omg
…I love this dish. I’m making it for the 3rd time and can’t wait for the potatoes to get done. Thanks so much.
You’re very welcome, glad you love the recipe :).
This was delicious! Even the kids loved it. Served it over homemade mashed potatoes, with fresh green beans on the side. This will definitely be in my rotation. Might even add some mushrooms next time. Yum!
We’re so happy to hear it was a hit, especially with the entire family! We love hearing that! Thanks so much for coming back to share and leave a comment! We really appreciate you trying our recipe and taking the time to come back and also to have you following along on Instagram, too! 🙂
Quick and easy to prepare a nice dairy-free dish to add to my home’s meal rotation!
Glad you enjoyed this one. Thanks Liane!
OMG This recipe is sooooo good! I make it at least once a week. Even my four-year-old and non-paleo husband love this chicken! I’ve served it on it’s own, over roasted spaghetti squash, and over zoodles. Delicious either way!
That’s awesome, we are so happy to hear the family loves this one!
Delicious!
I made this two nights ago. Wow, Delicious! I served it over cauli rice. It’s definitely going into the rotation.
This was really yummy! I had a ton of leftover kale so I subbed that for the spinach but it’s really good with kale or next time I might even do broccoli. Trying to stay dairy free can be really tempting sometimes so this was a perfect answer for my cravings for something savory and creamy. Thanks for sharing it with us!
You’re welcome Candace, thanks for coming back to leave a review!
This was delicious and one of my favorites! The coconut milk pairs so well with the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. And it’s so easy to make!!
So glad you enjoyed the meal Amy :).
This has become one of my go-to meals. So easy, so quick, and so good!!
We’re so glad to hear it! Thanks so much for giving our recipe a try and for taking the time to come back and share! We appreciate it. 🙂
A go-to favorite! Ultimate comfort food, especially when doing Whole30 (but also ANYtime!).
This is my family’s favorite!!!
This has become a family favorite. My husband request’s this meal all the time.
Love this meal! So simple and quick to make, and the flavors are amazing! I can picture myself in Tuscany when I eat this meal 💕
This was an Italian inspired meal I had been craving without the dairy and gluten to make me feel bad after! So yummy!
So so good. Perfect for creamy, dairy-free goodness.
Yum!
I don’t think I have made a recipe that I haven’t liked! This was another good meal that tasted like a treat!
That’s great to hear Alicia!
This is on regular rotation for us. My husband (who eats all the cheese and milk) said he didn’t even miss the dairy!
Made for the first time tonight and it was amazing!! My fiancé even commented that this Whole 30 thing isn’t bad lol Thanks for sharing and providing great recipes, I will be trying more of yours!
We loved this meal! And the leftovers were so good the next day. Thank you for all of the amazing recipes!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, too! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂
Absolutely loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and the coconut milk made the sauce soo creamy! With just a few ingredients this is the perfect meal to whip up for dinner. I served mine over zucchini noodles and it was delicious! 10/10 would recommend!
Sent this to my fried and we are both making the dish tonight!
It keeps us feeling close while social distancing.
Thanks for an exciting recipe!
You’re very welcome!
Really excited to try this recipe and I have a question about the coconut milk. I don’t have the brand you recommended. As a sub, could I use canned full fat coconut milk? Or is a different carton with 4g of fat per cup better. It doesn’t say anything about being full fat or low fat, so I’m not sure how it compares. Thanks!
Yes, you can use canned coconut milk. I’m not sure about the carton, so just go with the can and mix it well so it’s as creamy as possible before adding it in.