Tuscan Chicken with Saffron Cream Sauce (Authentic Recipe) (2024)

Chicken breasts, cooked in a creamy saffron sauce with spinach, deserve a place on your table! Explore the flavours of Italy through this delicious and very easy Tuscan recipe.

Add our Tuscan Panzanella Salad for an authentic feast!

Authentic Tuscan Chicken Recipe

Am I the only one who has a freezer full of chicken breasts? No? Well I’ve got great news because today I am bringing you a delicious recipe, which hopefully will be a step away from the ordinary.

It is so incredibly simple and quick to make! No more than 30 minutes from start to finish.

This saffron chicken recipe is inspired by Tuscan recipes I caught sight of years ago. I’ve taken the main idea from traditional recipes but changed it slightly to adapt to our taste.

This recipe is truly special mostly because of the creamy saffron sauce, which brings a unique taste and a gorgeous colour to the dish.

Creamy Saffron Sauce

The sauce is absolutely the star of this recipe. The main flavour and the stunning hue come from the saffron threads which are used to infuse the cream.

Saffron may have originated in Greece, but it is now grown in places as diverse as Spain, Iran, India, and, of course, Italy. Although often associated with the Middle East and Iranian cuisine, saffron has a longstanding place in European dishes as well.

It’s labour intensive to harvest so definitely a premium ingredient. It is the most expensive spice in the world so a pinch of saffron will need to go a long way!

It has a delicate taste, one that is incredibly hard to describe. It’s very slightly sweet, earthy and floral. That sounds like a lot, but it’s so subtle that there is little risk of overpowering a dish with saffron flavours!

A quick side note. If your saffron is out of date, it will taste of nothing. Make sure it’s not expired if you want an authentic experience. Ground saffron has even shorter life span; no longer than 6-12 months.

The colour it adds is just as important. The vibrant yellow is distinctive, and one that sets saffron dishes apart.

I’ve also added 2 cloves of garlic and spinach to the sauce. The sauce is thickened with flour but you can use cornstarch if you follow a gluten free diet.

There is also white wine, which gives this creamy sauce an acidity it needs to balance it out. If you prefer to leave the wine out, substitute with 1 cup of apple juice plus 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar.

Despite featuring saffron, a slightly exotic ingredient, this sauce is very straightforward to make and very quick. Besides chicken, it is also delicious when served with fish, prawns or scallops.

If you love the look and taste of saffron, you’ll want to try my Saffron Risotto or my Spanish Rice featuring saffron to make yellow rice in a tasty one-pot recipe.

Serving suggestions

I know that the first thing that comes to mind is pasta. Italians would absolutely disapprove as this would be considered a second course. However, let’s throw caution to the wind do what feels right.

Plain rice, mashed potatoes, polenta or oven roasted potatoes are all great accompaniments to this tender and juicy saffron chicken breast.

I would also serve some good quality crusty bread alongside. It’s perfect for the sauce!

Storage and leftovers

Saffron chicken leftovers can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheating in the microwave is the easiest way to go.

Because it is a cream sauce, this isn’t a recipe to freeze though.

More Italian chicken recipes

• Best Chicken Marsala
• Italian Rosemary Chicken
• Slow Cooker Venetian Chicken Ragu
• Easy Chicken in Sun-dried Tomato Sauce

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