A lightened up version of a beloved creamy spinach chicken dish. Tender, juicy chicken breasts are smothered with an irresistible yogurt garlic sauce loaded with spinach and mushrooms. The yogurt gives an almost lemony flavor which pairs so well with the spinach. A quick and easy meal that comes together in one skillet for a wonderful weeknight meal!
My family loves a good chicken dish, that is probably our number one consumed protein in this house. Of course finding new ways to enjoy it is always a task. I love this dish because it comes together so quickly but packs a ton of flavor. It's also versatile to add or take out what you don't like.
Thin chicken breast is quickly seared, removed from the pan and a spinach sauce is created using yogurt as the base. The tang from the yogurt is so good with the spinach and garlic which honestly emulates a bit of lemony flavor. I like to add mushrooms to my version but they are totally optional! Pair this with my perfect Lebanese rice for a complete meal or prep a No Knead Bread loaf the night before, you will be so happy you did!
Ingredients
Most of these ingredients you'll have on hand in your fridge and pantry. I'm opting to use yogurt instead of the traditional heavy cream which absolutely changes the flavor and texture of the dish to bring a new dish to life. It gives this dish a much lighter feel and wonderful for summer days. If you love my Creamy Salmon dish, this will be another family favorite!
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - You'll want very thin chicken breast, I typically take a standard breast and slice it in half to create two breasts. Or opt to purchase thin cutlets. I also love chicken thighs with this recipe, or really anytime! They are smaller, cook faster and tend to have even more flavor. You're choice!
- Spice Mix - Adding a few spices to cook on the chicken breast gives them such a great flavor - garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper and oregano are blended together to get a nicer herby flavor.
- Butter - I love using a combination of butter and olive oil to cook in. The butter has a higher heat point which helps to balance the olive oil. Both gives incredible flavor.
- Olive Oil
- Onion - A great base to our sauce
- Garlic - Garlic is what gives us our robust flavor for this dish
- Mushrooms - Optional but they really add a great flavor to this dish
- Spinach - Fresh or frozen, I ALWAYS have frozen spinach on hand in my freezer. It's a great quick way to add great greens to anything. For this dish, I opt to use frozen so I can make it anytime and don't have to worry about spinach wilting in my fridge. You can also certainly use fresh spinach - see cooking instructions.
- Yogurt - Yogurt is the base of our sauce in this dish, it really gives a lovely tangy flavor and thickens as well as heavy cream.
- Feta - Tangy feta cheese tops our dish for the ultimate luxurious dish. Parmesan is more common but feta is a great alternative and has a great salty bite.
- Spices - salt, pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes (optional) but adds a nice heat
- Parsley - optional
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Truly a quick and easy meal that comes together in about 30 minutes in one skillet!
Step 1: Begin by prepping your chicken breasts. Remove any fat from the breast and then slice in half lengthwise to create two thinner breasts. This ensures even and fast cooking.
Step 2: Combine your spice mixture together - garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper and oregano and coat your chicken breasts entirely along with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. You can do this in a bowl or simply a ziplock bag.
Step 3: Heat a large skillet (ideally 12-14") on medium high heat. Add your butter and olive oil and allow to melt while your pan continues to heat.
Step 4: Once bubbling, add your thin, coated chicken breasts in a single layer (4 pieces). Avoid overcrowding your pan, if you have additional breasts, cook a second batch. Allow to cook on for 3-4 minutes until golden brown then flip.
Step 3: Continue cooking on second side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from skillet, these will not be fully cooked, they will finish cooking in the final sauce. Repeat with your second batch.
Step 4: Add additional butter and olive oil to your skillet, keeping on medium-high heat. Add your diced onions, sliced mushrooms, a teaspoon of kosher salt and half a cup of water or broth to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking for 10-12 minutes until they become soft.
Step 5: Add salt and your minced garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. Cook until just fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Step 6: Add your frozen spinach and cook until soft and wilted.
Step 7: Add your yogurt and 1 cup of water to the pan and allow to cook on medium-high until it becomes thickened and bubbly.
Step 8: Nestle your chicken breasts back into the skillet. Cover and allow to cook on medium-low for 10-12 minutes until sauce is bubbling and chicken is fully cooked through. Chicken should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit on a thermometer.
Step 9 : Add in your feta cheese. Check for additional seasonings, especially salt and add if needed. Serve and top with additional feta cheese and chopped parsley (if desired). Serve with crusty bread or rice.
Helpful Tools
12" Skillet - This is a great 12" skillet by Cuisinart with lid that is affordable. I do like using a stainless steel or cast iron skillet for this dish to get nice color on the chicken but a non-stick will work fine too.
Storage
Store this dish in a sealed container in the fridge. Warm in the microwave or reheat on the stovetop. It is best eaten within 5 days.
While you could freeze this dish, please note the texture of the sauce will likely change if frozen. You may have more separation and a slightly off appearance.
Why We Love This Recipe
This chicken spinach dish is packed with so much flavor and tang. The addition of yogurt is a great alternative to heavier dishes with cream. Perfect to reheat as a leftover, enjoy with rice, a great gluten free dish.
If you try making this One Pot Lightened Up Creamy Spinach Garlic Chicken please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media #cosetteskitchen, I love resharing your photos! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter!
xoxo,
Cosette
One Skillet Meal - Creamy Spinach Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 chicken breasts 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Description
A wonderfully tangy and flavor packed one pan meal that comes together rather quickly for the perfect weeknight meal. It's great as leftovers too!
Ingredients
Spice Mix
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
Chicken Dish
- 2 pounds thin chicken breast - I take 4 chicken breasts and cut each in half to create 8 thin pieces
- 3 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 medium onion - finely diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms - any variety works well, I usually use cremini** see notes for substitutions
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt- divided, half if using table salt and adjust as needed
- 6-8 cloves of garlic - finely minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12-16 ounces of frozen chopped spinach **see notes for fresh spinach
- 2 cups whole milk yogurt
- 6 ounces crumbed feta cheese - additional for topping
- Parsley (optional) - chopped
Instructions
- Begin by prepping your chicken breasts. Remove any fat from the breast and then slice in half lengthwise to create two thinner breasts. This ensures even and fast cooking. You may also use chicken tenders or purchase thin chicken breasts.
- 2 pounds thin chicken breast - I take 4 chicken breasts and cut each in half to create 8 thin pieces
- Combine your spice mixture together - garlic powder, salt, paprika, black pepper and oregano and coat your chicken breasts entirely along with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. You can do this in a bowl or simply a ziplock bag. You can also do this the day before if you are meal prepping.
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Heat a large skillet (ideally 12-14") on medium high heat. Add your 2 Tablespoons butter and 1 Tablespoon olive oil and allow to melt while your pan continues to heat. Once bubbling, add your thin, coated chicken breasts in a single layer (4 pieces). Avoid overcrowding your pan, if you have additional breasts, cook a second batch. Allow to cook on for 3-4 minutes until golden brown then flip.
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Continue cooking on second side for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from skillet, these will not be fully cooked, they will finish cooking in the final sauce. Repeat with your second batch. add additional butter or oil as needed
- Add your remaining butter and oil to your skillet, keeping on medium-high heat.
- 1 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- Add your diced onions, sliced mushrooms, a teaspoon of kosher salt and half a cup of water to deglaze the pan. Continue cooking for 10-12 minutes until they become soft.
- 1 medium onion - finely diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms - any variety works well, I usually use cremini** see notes for substitutions
- 1 teaspoons kosher salt - half a teaspoon if using table salt
- ½ cup water
- Add your minced garlic, red pepper flakes and oregano. Cook until just fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- 6-8 cloves of garlic - finely minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, half a teaspoon if using table salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Add your frozen spinach and cook until soft and wilted.
- 12-16 ounces of frozen chopped spinach
- Add your yogurt and 1 cup of water to the pan and allow to cook on medium-high until it becomes slightly thickened and bubbly.
- 2 cups whole milk yogurt
- 1 cup water** - see notes for replacing with heavy cream if desired
- Nestle your chicken breasts back into the skillet. Cover and allow to cook on medium-low for 10-12 minutes until sauce is bubbling and chicken is fully cooked through.
- Add your crumbled feta to the pan and top with chopped parsley if desired.
- 6 ounces crumbed feta cheese - additional for topping
- Parsley (optional) - chopped
- Check for additional seasonings, especially salt and add if needed. Serve and top with additional feta cheese and chopped parsley (if desired). Serve with crusty bread or rice.
Notes
- If using fresh spinach, you'll need 24 ounces, I like to roughly chop but that's not necessary - just preference. Add in about half, let it wilt, then add the rest.
- You may replace the one cup of water with heavy cream if you'd like a creamier version of this dish.
- If you don't enjoy mushrooms you can simply omit or replace with sun-dried tomatoes or artichoke hearts!
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