Tomato Spinach White Wine Chicken (Printable Version)
Seared chicken braised in white wine with cherry tomatoes and spinach for a simple, comforting weeknight meal.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Vegetables
02 - 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 medium onion, finely diced
→ Liquids
06 - 1 cup dry white wine
07 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Seasonings
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Dairy (Optional)
12 - 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
# Directions:
01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add the diced onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until they begin to release their juices.
05 - Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
06 - Add the chicken broth, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet.
07 - Cover the skillet and simmer on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Stir in the chopped spinach and cook until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
09 - Taste the sauce and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The white wine reduces into a sauce that tastes like you spent three hours on it when you barely stirred for fifteen minutes.
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means the flavors layer on each other and you only wash one pan at the end.
02 -
- Do not skip drying the chicken before searing because wet meat steams instead of browning and you lose that gorgeous crust.
- Letting the wine reduce for those 2 minutes is what prevents the sauce from tasting watery or overly boozy.
03 -
- Always use a wine you would actually drink because the flavor concentrates as it reduces and every flaw becomes louder.
- Start checking the chicken temperature at 12 minutes because overcooked chicken in a sauce this good is a genuine tragedy.