Creamy Balsamic Chicken with Spinach
Tastes so elegant, you'll hardly believe it came together in one skillet and about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2-3 strips bacon
- 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour see note
- 1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream see note
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add bacon, and cook until browned and crisp. Remove to a plate and crumble or chop into small pieces. Leave bacon fat in the pan.2-3 strips bacon
- While the bacon cooks, sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with garlic powder and about 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place flour on a shallow plate. Dredge each piece of chicken through it to coat on both sides, shaking gently to remove excess flour.4 thin-sliced chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- After removing the bacon, add chicken to the skillet and cook 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden on the outside and cooked through to 165°F. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the pan starts to look dry. Remove chicken and set aside along with the bacon.1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Add broth, balsamic vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan. Scrape to release any browned bits. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook 1-2 minutes, until slightly reduced.1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Add cream and stir until the sauce is smooth.1/2 cup heavy cream
- Return chicken and bacon to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes to thicken sauce more and warm the chicken. Add spinach and cook 1 minute more to let it wilt. Serve and enjoy!2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
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Notes
- Chicken Breasts: You can purchase these already thin-sliced to save time, if you like, or purchase regular chicken breasts and butterfly them yourself down the middle, cutting all the way through to make two breasts into four cutlets. For the most tender chicken, you also can lay each cutlet flat on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound a few times with the flat side of a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed skillet.
- Chicken Broth: I recommend using low-sodium so you can control how salty the finished dish is. Feel free to swap white wine for a splash of the broth for another dimension.
- Cream: If possible, measure and set the cream on the counter while preparing the early steps of the recipe. Fridge-cold cream is more difficult to whisk smoothly into a simmering sauce. Heavy or light cream work well; half-and-half is alright but does yield a thinner sauce, as you’d expect.
- Gluten-Free: If you don't want to use all-purpose flour, substitute almond flour 1-for-1, or leave it out and skip the step of dredging the chicken before adding to the skillet. The sauce will not thicken up quite so quickly, but you can just simmer it for an extra minute or two to compensate if you like.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare it fully, ideally in a lidded skillet, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, warm over medium-low heat with the lid still on, spooning a bit of sauce over each chicken breast every few minutes.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly-covered lid. They will keep for at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power (to reduce odds of drying out) or in a small saucepan.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 241 kcal, Carbohydrates: 4 g, Protein: 16 g, Fat: 18 g, Saturated Fat: 9 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6 g, Trans Fat: 0.02 g, Cholesterol: 77 mg, Sodium: 323 mg, Potassium: 385 mg, Fiber: 0.4 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 1865 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 42 mg, Iron: 1 mg