What readers are saying about this recipe
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I made it for my husband and I the other night and we are both so in love! The leftovers were great the next day as well. I’ve tried a few recipes from this blog and every single one has turned out amazing! Thank you!
Heather
If you like this recipe you have to try our dairy free chicken recipe with mustard sauce, our dairy free chicken breast recipe with mushroom sauce and this no dairy creamy chicken casserole recipe. They’re all dairy free and full of creamy deliciousness!
Making healthy Tuscan chicken (step-by-step)
This creamy dish comes together all in one pan in about 30 minutes. Here’s how:
What to serve with creamy Tuscan chicken
Our favorite way to serve this dish is over either white rice or cauliflower rice. Some other options:
- Over your favorite noodles (zoodles or spaghetti squash noodles are great for a grain free option)
- With some garlic bread
- Pair it with any mix of roasted veggies
- With mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
Looking for more creamy recipes? Check out this roundup of 20+ Warm and Cozy Comfort Food Recipes!
Making a dairy-free cream sauce for Tuscan chicken
How do you make creamy, delicious recipes without dairy?
Our preferred method is to use full fat coconut milk. We get the brand Aroy-D on Amazon, and we find it works best because it is pure full fat coconut milk that doesn’t separate and get watery.
Most other coconut milks have some water or other ingredients added. It’s best to use 100% full fat coconut milk.
You can also make coconut milk at home with our easy 2-ingredient coconut milk recipe!
Coconut cream vs coconut milk
Coconut cream is just the thicker, creamier version of coconut milk. You can use either coconut cream or coconut milk for this recipe, the sauce will just be a little thicker with coconut cream.
If you are using coconut milk from a can and the water and cream have separated, I suggest dumping it into a blender to mix it back together and turn it into a more “milk” like consistency before mixing up the sauce.
And don’t worry, this tuscan chicken doesn’t really taste like coconut at all. The garlic, shallot, herbs and sun dried tomatoes cover up the coconut flavor and result in a rich and creamy dairy free sauce.
We hope you love this dairy-free chicken recipe as much as we do!
Don’t forget to leave a quick star rating and review below, we read every comment and truly appreciate your feedback. Also, be sure to browse the rest of our healthy chicken dinner recipes to find some other favorites too!
25-Minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken (Dairy Free)
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 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 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.
- 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)
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add ghee. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the Italian seasoning mix.
- 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.
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add more ghee if needed and add the garlic and shallot to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
A flavorful, quick dish that is impressively delicious! We aren’t doing whole30 so we had a side of noodles with it. 10/10, this will be put in our rotation!
This is my favorite Whole30 meal. I skip the arrowroot and just reduce the sauce a little longer. My husband has no idea it’s dairy free. I serve him and my son with pasta and cauliflower rice for me.
Love that! Now that I’m officially eliminating all potential potato exposure, I have stopped eating arrowroot so we’ve made it without the arrowroot as well. It turns out great! Glad you guys enjoy it! And we love hearing your hubby has no idea it’s dairy free! 😉
This recipe was fast and easy to prepare and tasted delicious 😋 Needed to be inspired to try new, healthy recipes and glad I came across @realsimplegood
Thank you
You’re welcome Laura, thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review!
The sauce was kind of a snotty consitency… blegh. Was it the arrowroot starch? Oh well… it tastes good. Just doesn’t look appetizing at all. Probably won’t make again.
Sorry this wasn’t great for you. The arrowroot starch is definitely a different texture than corn starch. You could sub corn starch if desired.
My suggestion would be to omit the arrowroot, then either sub coconut cream for coconut milk or lessen the chicken broth. Hopefully, this will stop the sauce from being too thin.
Making this tonight! Did you use plain dried tomatoes or the sundried tomatoes in oil ?
We used plain sun dried tomatoes but either should work.
Excellent. Added artichoke hearts, sun dried tomato’s and a few capers
Made this last night and can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight! The recipe was perfect just the way it’s written. I added a little more salt than it called for and also some zucchini. I served it with brown rice penne pasta for the win.
Thank you for such a solid recipe!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review, we appreciate it 🙂
Any tips on how to make this for 20? Would you cook the chicken in the pan in shifts, assemble, put in the oven to keep it warm for dinner? I just want to do it ahead of my guests arriving so I can visit instead of making the recipe. Any suggestions of oven or crock pot options would be great.
Hi Connie – My suggestion would be to cook the chicken in the oven on sheet pans in advance. Then, you could make the big batch of sauce to serve with the chicken and leave it to simmer on the stove for serving. You could also chop up the cooked chicken into pieces and mix it in with the sauce. That way, you’d just have to throw the chicken in with the sauce just before serving to warm it up and you wouldn’t have to reheat larger whole chicken breasts which would get rubbery and overcooked. I hope this turns out for you, you’ll have to let us know 🙂
How would you calculate macros for this dish?!
You can run it through an online calculator like myfitnesspal if needed.
I put this into My Fitness Pal and it comes out to 424 calories per serving. Just wondering if you think this sounds correct? That is based on an 8 oz piece of chicken. Seems low in calories to me, but I am hoping it is accurate!
I honestly am not sure if that’s accurate or not. You could double check with another online calculator if you’re uncertain.
This recipe is absolutely amazing! I made it for my husband and I the other night and we are both so in love! The leftovers were great the next day as well. I’ve tried a few recipes from this blog and every single one has turned out amazing! Thank you!
You’re very welcome Heather, thanks for coming back to leave a review 🙂
Delicious
This was my first recipe I’ve tried since finding the instagram page. Im sooo glad I did. This is so flavorful and delicious. Im very happy and will make this again. Im new to paleo and this is my kind of eating!!! I didn’t pound out my chicken breasts and I used cornstarch as suggested in the notes. Those were my only changes . I also used dried basil and parsley. 5 stars
So happy you found us and enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for coming back to leave a rating and review 🙂
Thanks for sharing! Does it reheat well?
You’re welcome. Yes, the leftovers are great! 🙂
This looks so good! It’s simple enough for weeknight dinner but tasty enough to make for company!
Absolutely! Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
Will it work without the thickener to make it Keto too?
It will still taste great, the sauce will just be runnier. Let us know how it goes! 🙂
Can you bake this in the oven?
We haven’t tried this recipe in the oven, so we can’t recommend it. For the best results we recommend following the instructions as written.
Would really love to make this but my daughter is allergic to coconut.
Is there another milk substitute that would work in its place? I’m sure the coconut milk is delicious but … 😬☠️☠️☠️
Hi Shay – any other nut milk could work, they just might not thicken up as well as coconut milk. If the sauce isn’t as thick as you’d like, you can try adding in a little more arrowroot starch with the sauce. Just mix 1 tsp of starch with a tbsp or so of water to dissolve it before mixing it in with the sauce so it doesn’t clump up.
Just wondering if anyone is having issues printing out the recipes? Having the links is a timesaver but any words in yellow don’t print. Perhaps an issue with my printer only but wanted to check with others. Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
Hi Sara – I think this is likely an issue with your printer. When you click the print button on the recipe, it should default to print the recipe card with everything in black and white except the picture. You can use the toggle at the top of the recipe to not print the recipe photo.
This recipe was delicious and so easy to make. I have made it once already and i’m going to make it again this week. I would highly recommend. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review! We are so happy you love this one! 🙂
I made this recipe for my family last night and everyone loved it! I’ve been trying the paleo diet for awhile now and this is my favorite meal I’ve had on the diet so far. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Alana, so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Great recipe !!!! I made this tonight for dinner and served with sweet potatoes. I also added extra spinach 😉
Love this recipe! It’s a family favorite!
This was Ahhmazing. I served over cauliflower gnocchi.
Day 8 of Whole 30 and not missing our “normal” meals at all.
I’ve made a version of this dish for years with heavy cream and parmesan cheese and don’t see any reason to go back to that version.
Super easy prep and only 1 pan a big +.
Thanks, Dawn! We are so happy this one was a big hit for you! Thanks for giving it a try and for sharing on IG too. We appreciate you coming back to our site to leave your review!
Made this recipe as part of my Whole 30 and it was just what I needed – the flavors were delicious. I made it with cauliflower gnocchi and it was the perfect meal!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to share your review!
Can’t tell it’s paleo. DELICIOUS!!!!
This was absolutely amazing! Was looking for a simple recipe that i had most ingredients to. So fast, delicious and My whole family LOVED it! Highly recommend!
This was delicious. Mine didn’t come out as pretty as your picture. Yours was more yellow and creamer for some reason. I was worried mine wouldn’t taste good but it was delicious. I used chicken thighs and cauliflower rice. Yummy! Thank you! ❤️
Glad you liked it Julie! Thanks for coming back to leave a rating and review, we appreciate it 🙂
I absolutely LOVED this recipe! It was our first dinner on our third round of Whole30 and let me tell you, I don’t think anything else we make will be as delicious. It was full of flavor and was so easy to make. We served it over some smashed red potatoes and it was perfection.
We are so happy it was a hit for you guys! Thanks so much for taking the time to hop over here and leave your review! We really appreciate it! 🙂
This was delicious. I added artichoke hearts and served with cauliflower gnocchi. Everyone loved it. It’s now in my top ten meals and will be served at our annual Christmas party in 2021.
What a great review Connie, thank you! We’ll have to try serving it over cauliflower gnocchi, that sounds delicious 🙂
I just made this dish 10 minutes ago and my fiancé and I ate the entire thing. This is now one of my most favorite dishes and I would suggest this 100%
It’s quick, easy to follow, and tastes like you have to spend hours on it. It’s that good!
Thanks so much for trying our recipe and for sharing on IG! And thanks for coming to our site to leave a review. We’re so grateful! And we are thrilled this one is a new favorite now! 🙂
Love this recipe so much! So much flavor layered and I love that just one replacement (oil for the ghee) makes it dairy free! I added some shredded carrots for extra veggies and cubed the chicken, so I needed less of it. I also added cooked egg noodles as it was finishing up for a “one pan” meal! My picky family of 5 loved it!
What a great review! We’re so happy your entire family loved it! Thanks for sharing on IG and for coming to our site to share your review! We really appreciate it! 🙂
Even nonpaleo family members Absolutely loved this dish.One thing about Paleo is always wanting comfort food at least for me in this really delivers. It’s also just as quick and easy as it promises to be.
We’re so glad to hear this recipe was a hit for you! Thanks for taking the time to come back and share your rating/review. We appreciate it! 🙂
The taste is amazing! My family loved it! My boyfriend made it too and enjoyed it! Really satisfied
That’s great! We’re so happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for coming back to leave a rating/review. We really appreciate your support! 🙂
I have made this recipe a few times now and every time it shocks me! It is so easy and so delicious!!! It is my husband’s favorite!
Love that! Glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe and we really appreciate you coming back to leave a rating and review 🙂
This was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! It was even better the next day once the flavors marinated even more. I don’t like coconut so I was a little nervous but could hardly taste it (and I couldn’t taste it the next day at all). I added chopped artichoke hearts…fantastic! I will be adding roasted red peppers next time. Served over zoodles….DEFINITELY going in the regular rotation. Thank you for the recipe!!
Thanks for the great review Karin! I agree, it’s even better the next day and you can’t really taste the coconut 🙂
Made this one for my husband and I this week and it was a total win! Healthy, easy and comforting! He especially loved it!
This recipe is just SO good. We like a lot of sauce so if you’re like us I recommend doubling the recipe minus the amount of chicken. Make this and you won’t regret it!
We’re so glad it’s a hit for your family! Thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂
Holy smokies this recipe is incredible. I was dubious about the coconut milk, but you can’t taste it when it cooks down. It is amazing & tastes delicious!!!!!
This recipe is amazing!! I will be making this again!
This is without a doubt the best chicken dish I have ever had. Even my daughter who does not follow whole 30, thought it was great. I make this once a week. This is a company worthy Dish. I just add a side of green beans and salad. I’m excited to make it again.
What a great review, thanks Jackie!
This is a fantastic recipe! I have tweaked it a bit each time based on what I have on hand but each time it’s tasty! Just made it for the 5th time tonight!!
We are dairy and sugar free so this is the perfect creamy dinner. I’ve added extra veggies and served over rice or pasta. I was able to Increase the sauce by adding bone broth, as needed. Used roasted bell pepper instead of tomatoes and onion rather than shallots the first time and prefer the combo! Regardless of what you add you Can’t go wrong with this
Recipe!
This recipe is fabulous! I’ve made it as recommended and also in the crockpot! I served it for dinner last night and all of our guests requested that I email them your recipe! It was a huge hit – thank you! XO
That’s great April, thanks for reporting back that it worked in the crockpot and for sharing our recipes with your guests :).
I am allergic to spinach – would this meal work if I just leave it out, or do I need to find a replacement?
Either way would work. You can leave it out completely or substitute something like kale if you wish.
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.
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!
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!
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! 🙂
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!
This is on regular rotation for us. My husband (who eats all the cheese and milk) said he didn’t even miss the dairy!
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!
Yum!
So so good. Perfect for creamy, dairy-free goodness.