Try this creamy chicken with spinach in a rich white béchamel sauce. A comforting, easy skillet recipe with chicken that's sure to please even the pickiest eaters.
Chicken breasts can sometimes be a hit or miss. They're lean and healthy, but if not cooked properly, they often turn out dry. That's why this chicken breast and spinach has become a family favorite. Juicy, flavorful, and light to digest, it's made with a classic béchamel sauce, garlic, onion, and tender spinach for added nutrition and freshness.
This was inspired by my Creamy Spinach Sauce Pasta recipe on this site, and pairs well with this Easy and Delicious Mediterranean Rice Recipe.
Recipe Summary
- ✅ Recipe Name: Creamy Chicken and Spinach without Heavy Cream
- 🕒 Prep Time: 40 minutes
- 🧑🧒🧒 Serves: 4 people
- 🍽️ Calories: 324 kcal
- 🥣 Ingredients: Chicken breasts, baby spinach, milk, all-purpose flour, garlic, onion, spices, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese.
- 👏 Why You'll Love It: It's quick, creamy, and cozy! This spinach chicken dinner is full of flavor, doesn't feel heavy, and makes weeknights so much easier.
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Spinach Nutrition
Fresh spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, offering powerful health benefits, especially when eaten raw (USDA, 2024). You can easily add it to smoothies (try my Creamy Green Smoothie with Avocado and Spinach!), salads, or sandwiches for a boost of vitamins and minerals. Per USDA, just 100 g of baby spinach (about 3 ⅓ cups) provides:
- 2.9 g protein (6% RDI)
- 1.6 g dietary fiber (6% RDI)
- 68 mg calcium (7% RDI)
- 92.9 mg magnesium (29% RDI) - important for muscle function, and deficiencies are often linked to leg cramps and pregnancy (NIH, 2023)
- 582 mg potassium (22% RDI)
- 26.5 mg vitamin C (35% RDI)
- 283 mcg vitamin A (40% RDI)
- 116 mcg folate (29% RDI)
- 1.26 mg iron (10% RDI)
Vitamin A, in particular, plays a key role in immune function, vision, skin health, and overall organ performance.
One consideration with spinach and other leafy greens is their oxalate content. Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring plant compound that binds to calcium as it leaves the body, which may increase the risk of kidney stones in some individuals (National Kidney Foundation). Since oxalates can also reduce mineral absorption, lightly cooking spinach is recommended to lower its oxalate levels and improve nutrient availability.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- Dried oregano, ground
- Dried thyme, ground
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil, for cooking chicken
- Baby spinach, fresh
- Onion, medium, chopped
- Garlic cloves, minced
- Unsalted butter, for white sauce
- All-purpos flour
- Regular milk
- Nutmeg powder, ground
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese to sprinkle
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 thinner pieces. Place in a glass container, drizzle with olive oil, and season with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake gently to coat evenly. Let rest for 15-20 minutes. Heat a cast-iron skillet over low-medium heat with a thin layer of oil. Cook chicken until golden on both sides and fully cooked through.
- Step 2: Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Step 3: Blanch the spinach. Bring a pot of water to boil. Wash and drain spinach well. Add spinach to boiling water for 45-60 seconds only. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze out excess water, chop, and set aside.
- Step 4: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until fragrant. Stir in flour and mix until smooth, adding more butter or oil if needed. Slowly pour in milk while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid clumps.
- Step 5: Add minced garlic and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes bubbly. Stir in chopped spinach and combine well.
- Step 6: Nest the cooked chicken breasts into the creamy spinach sauce. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Mix in sun-dried tomatoes and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm over rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, or crusty bread.
Hint
For quicker, more even cooking, slice the chicken breasts thinly or pound them to the same thickness. You can also cook the chicken in the air fryer, similar to my Easy Air Fryer Chicken Tenders Without Breading recipe.
Substitutions
- You can easily customize this creamy chicken with spinach recipe to fit your taste.
- Swap chicken breasts for skinless thighs or boneless tenders for extra juiciness.
- While spinach pairs perfectly with chicken, other greens like kale or Swiss chard also work well.
- Try adding Italian seasoning for a classic flavor boost, or make it spicy with red pepper flakes.
- For serving, enjoy the creamy chicken and spinach over quinoa, couscous, pasta, or crusty sourdough bread. Perfect with my Sourdough Bread for Beginners recipe.
- To make the béchamel sauce richer, replace part of the milk with heavy cream or half-and-half, and brighten it up with fresh lemon juice or zest.
Tips & Tricks
- Marinate the chicken breasts beforehand in herbs, garlic, or a simple seasoning mix to impart extra flavor.
- Taste the sauce as you go along and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more milk if it becomes too thick, or simmer it a bit longer if it's too runny.
- If you decide to use other greens, be mindful of the cooking time for the greens. Spinach wilts quickly, but heartier greens like kale might need a bit more time to soften.
See the heavy cream version of this chicken and spinach recipe on my website!
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of milk if the sauce thickens too much.
- Freezer: For best texture, it's not recommended to freeze creamy sauces with béchamel, as they can separate when thawed. However, if needed, you can freeze in a sealed container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly, stirring well.
- Make ahead: You can cook the chicken and blanch the spinach in advance, then prepare the sauce fresh when you're ready to serve.
Top Tip
Don't overcook the spinach. Blanching it for less than a minute keeps the vibrant color, reduces oxalates, and preserves nutrients, while preventing it from turning soggy.
Related
Looking for other chicken recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this no cream creamy chicken with spinach:
Let's Hear From You
⭐ Love this recipe? Leave a rating and comment below!
📖 Recipe
One-pan Creamy Chicken with Spinach (Without Heavy Cream)
Video
Ingredients
- 1.2 lb chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon oregano ground
- ½ teaspoon thyme ground
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbs olive oil for chicken
- 6 oz baby spinach fresh, 170 gr
- ¼ onion medium, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbs butter 15 gr, for white sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over finished dish
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create 4 thinner pieces.
- Place in a glass container, drizzle with olive oil, and season with oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and shake gently to coat evenly. Let rest for 15-20 minutes.
Step 2: Blanch the spinach
- Bring a pot of water to boil.
- Wash and drain spinach well.
- Add spinach to boiling water for 45-60 seconds only.
- Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
- Squeeze out excess water, chop, and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the chicken
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over low-medium heat with a thin layer of oil.
- Cook chicken until golden on both sides and fully cooked through.
- Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 4: Make the white sauce
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in flour and mix until smooth, adding more butter or oil if needed.
- Slowly pour in milk while stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to avoid clumps.
- Add minced garlic and a pinch of nutmeg. Cook until sauce thickens and becomes bubbly.
- Stir in chopped spinach and combine well.
Step 5: Assemble and serve
- Nest the cooked chicken breasts into the creamy spinach sauce.
- Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted.
- Mix in sun-dried tomatoes and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve warm over rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, or crusty bread.
Notes
- Instead of chicken breasts, you can use skinless chicken thighs or even boneless skinless chicken tenders.
- Spinach works beautifully with juicy chicken breasts, but you can experiment with other greens like kale and Swiss chard for a different flavor profile.
- You can use Italian seasoning as an addition to or instead of the abovementioned spices.
- For a varied meal, serve the creamy chicken and spinach over different bases like quinoa, couscous, crusty bread, or your favorite pasta.
- You can replace part of the milk with heavy cream or half-and-half for an ultra-creamy sauce.
- Add some lemon juice or lemon zest to the bechamel sauce for a citrusy flavor.
- Add some red pepper flakes to the chicken spice mix if you prefer spicy meals.
- Marinate the chicken breasts beforehand in herbs, garlic, or a simple seasoning mix to impart extra flavor.
- Taste the sauce as you go along and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
- Adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more milk if it becomes too thick, or simmer it a bit longer if it's too runny.
- If you decide to use other greens, be mindful of the cooking time for the greens. Spinach wilts quickly, but heartier greens like kale might need a bit more time to soften.
Dusan says
Tasty
Dusan says
Great dinner choice.