Description
Creamy Tuscan Chicken is a rich, flavorful dish featuring tender chicken thighs cooked in a savory bacon, sundried tomato, and cashew cream sauce with spinach. Perfect for Paleo and Keto diets, this recipe offers a dairy-free alternative to traditional creamy sauces using nutrient-dense cashew cream, making it a healthy and satisfying meal option that pairs beautifully with cauliflower rice, pasta, or zoodles.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs or chicken tenders (see notes)
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 onion, sliced thin
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped roughly
Liquids and Others
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil (if needed)
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- ½ cup cashew cream (see notes)
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan and draining excess oil.
- Cook Chicken: Add the chicken thighs or tenders to the pan in batches if necessary. Cook each side until lightly browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: If the pan is dry, add 2 teaspoons of avocado oil. Add the thinly sliced onion and minced garlic, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add Liquids and Sundried Tomatoes: Pour in the chicken stock and add the chopped sundried tomatoes. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to incorporate those deep flavors. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Incorporate Cashew Cream: Stir in the cashew cream until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Add Spinach, Bacon, and Chicken: Return the spinach, cooked bacon, and chicken to the pan. Continue to cook until the spinach has wilted and everything is well combined. If the sauce becomes too thick, add additional chicken stock to reach the desired consistency.
- Serve: Serve the creamy Tuscan chicken immediately paired with cauliflower rice, pasta, or zoodles for a complete meal.
Notes
- If you don’t have chicken tenders, slice chicken breasts in half horizontally and then in half again to get the correct size. If using thighs, leave them whole.
- To make cashew cream: Soak 1 cup cashews in cold water for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours. Drain, then puree with ¼ cup water and ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor or high-speed blender until smooth. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- If you cannot consume cashews but tolerate dairy, substitute cashew cream with an equal amount of heavy cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 550mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
