Tuscan Garlic Chicken is as decadent as it gets–tender chicken in a garlic parmesan cream sauce, but under 200 calories!
Are you sick of copycat recipes yet? That seems to be a majority of the requests I get from readers, and I’m happy to oblige. The Olive Garden version of this dish comes in at 38 points! Yikes.
I’m pretty sure they don’t have it on their menu anymore, so if you’re looking to recreate this meal with the added bonus of cutting some calories, then you’re in the right place!
Lightening it up
I tend to gravitate towards cream sauces when I eat at restaurants, and this sauce blows just about every other one out of the water.
Of course I love Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Chicken, and Skinny Alfredo is a staple in my home. But I love that I can sneak some leafy green in here without really tasting them. And the colors are gorgeous!
The key to lightening up cream sauces, I’ve found anyway, is a combo of almond milk, full-fat half and half, cornstarch to bind it all together, and parmesan cheese to add extra flavor. This technique always results in a luscious sauce that is lighter but doesn’t sacrifice flavor and texture.
What do i serve with Tuscan Garlic CHicken?
Even though the chicken is juicy and tender, the real star if, of course, the sauce. So serve this with something you can use to mop up all of that deliciousness.
One full serving is about 1/3 cup of sauce, so you could definitely serve this over plain pasta. That’s how I did it the second time around, and it was like a more complex chicken fettucine alfredo. Yuuum.
The first time around, I served it with Crispy Smashed Potatoes (a recipe that I’ll share next week). But plain roasted or mashed potatoes would be divine, too.
Even rice would work. Basically, anything starchy is what I’m getting at here. Lol. Pair it with a side salad or some roasted veggies, and you’re ready to serve dinner in just about 30 minutes.
What about Leftovers?
The leftovers reheat really well in the microwave or over the stove. Another advantage of skipping out on the heavy cream and butter in this sauce is that it won’t get oily and separate when you reheat it.
I’m not so sure about freezing these leftovers, though. I haven’t tried it myself, but I would think that the sauce might get too watery when you thaw it out. But if you give it a try, let me know in the comments how it goes!
More recipes like Tuscan Garlic Chicken
- One-Pot Louisiana Chicken Pasta
- Baked Goat Cheese Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Parmesan Chicken
- Skinny Alfredo Sauce
I’d love to hear from you if you make this recipe! It makes my day when you share your pics on Instagram and tag me (@litecravings). Don’t forget to use #litecravingsrecipes to make sure I see it. If I don’t get a chance to scroll through my tags quickly enough, I won’t see your post. I always make a point to look through the hashtags, though, so I’ll see it there!
Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets (or 2 large breasts cut in half lengthwise)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- cracked pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup fat free chicken stock
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup unsweetened, plain almond milk
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (freshly grated is best, or the kind in the refrigerated section)
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes NOT packed in oil*
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Add olive oil and a spritz of cooking spray to the pan. Swirl oil around to coat. Add chicken and sear until golden brown and mostly cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium. Add garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken stock in to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together almond milk, half and half, and cornstarch. Add this mixture to the pan and bring to a simmer.
- Mix basil, oregano, and sundried tomatoes into the sauce. Continue to simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Add parmesan and spinach. Stir until cheese is melted into the sauce and spinach is just wilted. Place chicken and juices back in the skillet and simmer until chicken is heated through. Taste sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Let rest for 5 minutes off the heat, so chicken can rest and the sauce can thicken a bit more.
Another winner! You seem to make the most flavorful dishes using light ingredients. Thank you!
Thank you, Melanie! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Oh! My! Gosh! This was so good. I cannot believe this was only 3 WW points? I used unsweetened oat milk and it worked just fine. I did not double the sauce because I didn’t want to double my points but I really don’t think it needed to be. You are quite the chef Geri!
Easy to prep, easy to cook – and utterly delicious! The nice thing about this is that you can add your own touch – chili flakes, mushrooms, some shallot, for example – and it will still be awesome!