Gluten-Free Creamy Tuscan Chicken Skillet

I first made this on a chilly Tuesday night when I was craving something rich and comforting but didn’t want to spend an hour in the kitchen. The smell of garlic and sun-dried tomatoes filling my apartment was enough to make my roommate wander in asking what was for dinner. Now it’s become my go-to “impress anyone” meal — creamy, savory, and absolutely no one believes it’s dairy-free.

aka The Golden Hour Skillet

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 medium), sliced into ½-inch cutlets
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
• 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut cream
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season the chicken: Pat chicken cutlets completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides with sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika.
2. Sear the chicken: Heat avocado oil in a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chicken in a single layer — don’t crowd the pan. Sear for 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Transfer to a plate and loosely tent with foil.
3. Build the sauce: Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet with the fond (those golden bits), add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the cream: Pour in the coconut cream and stir well, scraping up all the fond from the bottom. Sprinkle in nutritional yeast and whisk until smooth. Let the sauce simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Wilt the spinach: Add baby spinach in handfuls, stirring until each batch wilts down — about 2 minutes total. Stir in lemon juice and red pepper flakes.
6. Finish: Nestle the seared chicken back into the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Let everything warm together for 1–2 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and an extra pinch of red pepper flakes.

Tips

• Don’t skip patting the chicken dry — this is the secret to a golden, restaurant-quality sear instead of sad, steamed chicken.
• Use full-fat coconut cream (not light coconut milk) for the richest, silkiest sauce. I like the Thai Kitchen brand.
• This pairs beautifully over cauliflower rice, roasted sweet potatoes, or gluten-free pasta.
• Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 days. The sauce thickens as it cools — just add a splash of water when reheating.
• For an extra protein boost, add a handful of canned artichoke hearts with the sun-dried tomatoes.