Chicken Florentine Recipe

5 from 6 votes

Chicken Florentine Recipe

Chicken Florentine is a quick skillet meal that combines pan fried chicken with a creamy béchamel sauce and wilted spinach. This has all the hallmarks of a fancy dinner, while actually being a quick weeknight meal.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Servings: servings

Calories: 528kcal

Author: Lisa Longley

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cutlets (see note 1)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (see note 2)
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
dash nutmeg
2 cups fresh baby spinach (loosely packed)

Instructions

Cut the chicken in half (as though you are butterflying it open) to make thin chicken cutlets. If there are thick spots on the chicken, pound thin so that the chicken is about 1/4 inch thick all the way through. Season the chicken on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Then drudge it in the 1/4 cup flour.
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 minutes on each side until browned. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
2 tablespoons olive oil
Melt the butter in the skillet (no need to clean it first). Whisk in the 2 tablespoons all purpose flour until it is fully combined with the butter and there are no streaks of white left. Cook for about 30 seconds until it is fragrant.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Turn the heat to medium low. Slowly whisk in the white wine, scrapping up the brown bits as you go. Then slowly whisk in the chicken stock and then the heavy cream. Go slowly at first with both, only adding a few splashes and whisking it in to the butter and flour mixture before you add more. While you do need to go slowly, this process should only take about a minute.
1/2 cup white wine, 3/4 cup chicken stock, 3/4 cup heavy cream
Bring the mixture to a simmer - you should see consistent bubbles about the size of a pea - and let simmer, stirring often, for 2 minutes.
Add in the cheese, stirring for it to melt. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, a dash of black pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Taste the sauce and add more seasonings as needed.
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, dash freshly ground black pepper, dash nutmeg
Stir in the spinach, allow it to wilt while the sauce simmers, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan, spooning the sauce over it. Serve over pasta and enjoy.
2 cups fresh baby spinach

Video

Notes

Start by butterflying the chicken open and continue cutting until there are two thin pieces of chicken. See this in action in the video above.
I do not recommend using cooking wine. If your family doesn't cook with wine, replace the wine called for in this recipe with 1/2 cup of additional chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
Please note that the nutritional information does not include serving over pasta.

Nutrition