By Becky Hardin
Updated Apr 22, 2025
Instant Pot Tuscan chicken is one of my favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners that’s bursting with bold Italian flavor! Chicken breasts are golden brown on the outside, juicy on the inside, and served with the most incredible creamy sauce that features spinach, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes. I love that this recipe comes together in under an hour and is mostly hands-off! It’s perfect for those days when I just don’t have time to babysit dinner.
I love taking my favorite recipes and learning how to make them in the Instant Pot. Tuscan chicken is one of my absolute favorite recipes, so I knew it was due for an Instant Pot upgrade. Although the OG recipe is super quick, this one is much more hands-off, giving me extra time in the kitchen to attend to other things.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ▢ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ▢ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
- ▢ ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
- ▢ 8.5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped (1 jar)
- ▢ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ▢ 1 cup baby spinach chopped
- ▢ Fresh parsley or basil optional, for garnish
Video
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Once hot, add in the butter and olive oil. Add in the chicken, in batches if needed, and cook until both sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn off the Sauté function. 4 cloves garlic, ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Return the chicken to the pot, secure the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
- Set the chicken aside and set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Stir in the heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and the parmesan is melted. 1 cup heavy cream, 8.5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup baby spinach, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Turn off the Instant Pot, return the chicken to the pot, and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with herbs and serve. Fresh parsley or basil
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Becky’s Tips
- Use an equal amount of half-and-half for a lighter, thinner sauce.
- For extra flavor, use the oil the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in instead of the olive oil.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts without any changes to the recipe. If using bone-in chicken thighs, increase the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes.
- For a crockpot version, try my crockpot Tuscan chicken recipe .
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Step by Step
Prep the Chicken: Pat 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry and season both sides with 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, plus salt and pepper to taste.
Sear the Chicken: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Once hot, add in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the chicken, in batches if needed, and cook until both sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside.
Cook the Chicken: Add in 4 minced cloves of garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in ½ cup of low-sodium chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn off the Sauté function. Return the chicken to the pot, secure the lid, and pressure cook for 4 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
Make the Sauce: Set the chicken aside and set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream, 8.5 ounces of sun dried tomatoes, ½ cup of grated Parmesan, and 1 cup of baby spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and the parmesan is melted.
Garnish and Serve: Turn off the Instant Pot, return the chicken to the pot, and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with herbs and serve.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover instant pot Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish, because the heavy cream in the sauce will change in texture.
Serving Suggestions
You’ll want to serve this creamy Tuscan chicken with something like pasta to make sure not a single drop of that sauce goes to waste! Plain pasta noodles of any variety work well with this recipe. Some veggie sides that I love with this chicken include crispy garlic roasted asparagus and lemon parmesan roasted broccoli .
More Tuscan Chicken Recipes To Try
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken
Crockpot Tuscan Chicken Soup
Tuscan Chicken Soup
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (⅛ stick)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8.5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped (1 jar)
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup baby spinach chopped
- Fresh parsley or basil optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté. Once hot, add in the butter and olive oil. Add in the chicken, in batches if needed, and cook until both sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the Instant Pot and set aside. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add in the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Turn off the Sauté function. 4 cloves garlic, ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Return the chicken to the pot, secure the lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes. Let natural release for 10 minutes before releasing any remaining pressure.
- Set the chicken aside and set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Stir in the heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and spinach. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted and the parmesan is melted. 1 cup heavy cream, 8.5 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, 1 cup baby spinach, ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Turn off the Instant Pot, return the chicken to the pot, and spoon over the sauce. Garnish with herbs and serve. Fresh parsley or basil
Video
Notes
- Use an equal amount of half-and-half for a lighter, thinner sauce.
- For extra flavor, use the oil the sun-dried tomatoes are packed in instead of the olive oil.
- You can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts without any changes to the recipe. If using bone-in chicken thighs, increase the pressure cooking time to 7 minutes.
- For a crockpot version, try my crockpot Tuscan chicken recipe .
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
