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.
Excellent recipes. I will be making this again and again!
So happy you liked it! It’s a favorite around here, too.
This was delicious! Finally tried this recipe, will keep on hand, it’s so simple and quick. I can see why it’s at the top of your list. Entire family enjoyed it.
Thanks, Jen!
Love this recipe, but always wish it had more sauce to it. I think next time I make it I’ll just double the sauce ingredients.
Made this for the first time. Absolutely delicious. This will definitely go in my dinner rotation. My husband loved it and I wouldn’t hesitate to serve this for company. Served alongside skinny mashed potatoes.
What could I use in place of the almond milk? Family member has a nut allergy.
Skim milk should be fine!
A great recipe. I made it for the second time tonight, but this time, I substituted salmon for chicken. Used four fiveish oz pieces of salmon (just cut two larger center cut filets into two pieces each so they were all the same size). Seared on both sides on med high in a skillet with a little butter, then followed the rest of the recipe to make the cream sauce, put the salmon back in on low and let it simmer a little. Finished with a squeeze of lemon. it was delish! Thanks, Geri!
Love hearing this!! I need to try to with salmon. Sounds delicious!
This was so good! My whole family loved it.
Could oat milk be used instead of almond
That would work!
I was wondering this too. I keep vanilla almond milk on hand for cereal and shakes but that would probably ruin the dish. But I have plain oat milk for cooking. Thanks for asking!
Yum! Made this for the first time tonight & my picky 5 year old ate it and asked for more. After dinner she asked me to make it again tomorrow because she loved it.
So easy & so delicious! Geri your recipes never disappoint!
This recipe is so tasty. You have a talent Geri, keep this site going. I absolutely love the fact that I do not have to guess the WW points as well as it connecting right to my AP. Thsnks so much.
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a kind comment, Jennifer <3 I wanted to make my recipes easily accessible for everyone. So glad having the recipes on the app has been helpful 😀
SO good. Honestly tastes restaurant quality. This was our second time making it – we like to serve it over pasta, so we doubled the sauce recipe this time so that we would have enough. Absolutely delicious, and so easy to make.
This is excellent! It is a family favorite. Thank you!!!
Thank you, Susanne – so happy to hear the whole family enjoys it!
LOVE this recipe. My entire family loves it too so I double it. I use chicken tenders. Instead of sun dried tomatoes, I use mushrooms and an entire large container of spinach. My kids and husband eat it over fettuccine and to keep my points down I eat it over brown rice. It’s delicious and I will continue to make it. Thank you! 🫶🏻
You’re so welcome, Jacki! Love that you can modify it so the entire family can enjoy it 🙂
My bf and I ✨LOVED✨ this recipe! We both agree it’s one of the best ones I’ve ever made, lol. I had randomly stumbled onto your recipe and blog, and I am hooked. I can’t believe how crazy good the sauce was, considering there was no cream or butter in it. Thank you!! I look forward to trying more of your dishes!
You are SO welcome, Annette! If you love my Tuscan Garlic Chicken I also recommend you try my Mushroom Parmesan Chicken and my Louisiana Chicken Pasta. They have a similar (healthy) sauce base and also feel like fancy takeout. Enjoy!
Made tonight for the first time, and so so good! The whole family enjoyed!!
Hi Brittany, so happy to hear the whole family enjoyed it!!! Thanks for letting me know and I hope you and the family find more favorites on my blog!
AMAZING!! This will be made over and over!!
LOVE THIS SO MUCH! My picky kids ate it all and asked for seconds! Definitely on the “list.”