Juicy chicken breasts are stuffed with spinach, cheese, and toasted pine nuts. It’s held together with a layer of prosciutto then baked until warm and gooey on the inside and deliciously tender on the outside. Florentine Chicken is simple to make with just 10 minutes of prep time and it tastes AMAZING!
Florentine chicken breast is stuffed with spinach, pine nut, and cheese filling seasoned with plenty of seasoning including nutmeg. It’s wrapped in a thin layer of prosciutto and baked until slightly crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.
This was the main course at one of our couple’s Valentine’s parties. It is very simple to make, which is great for easy entertaining and because and still looks super impressive and delicious, I had all the wives asking for this recipe after dinner!
It’s a way to ramp up your everyday chicken recipes and serve something different throughout the week. Make a simple pasta side dish and some veggies like grilled asparagus or sautéed Brussel sprouts and dinner is served.
What is Chicken Florentine?
The dish originates in France and is typically made with pan-seared (and flour-coated) chicken breast or skinless chicken thighs which are simmered in a garlic and spinach cream sauce. Since the beginning, it has been altered and recreated into many different versions.
Some people will add mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, and capers to their heavy cream sauce. Sometimes it’s made with chicken broth and other times it’s made with dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio.
And then there are those of us who love stuffed chicken breast and prefer to enjoy it this way!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s delicious! Buttery toasted pine nuts combined with ricotta cheese and Parmigiano-Reggiano is a great balance to the salty prosciutto.
- It’s a 30-minute meal. With just 10 minutes of prep time, it can also be made ahead, making it even easier!
- Pairs well with plenty of side dishes. From potatoes to pasta, rice, and veggies, you can’t go wrong.
Ingredients
- Frozen spinach: Defrost the spinach and wring it out with a kitchen towel to get rid of the excess water.
- Pine nuts: Toast the nuts in a skillet without any oil until they turn slightly golden and become fragrant. Watch they don’t burn!
- Cheese: We’re using both ricotta and grated Parmigiano-Regianno. Ricotta is a mild creamy cheese whereas the Parmigiano is sharp and briny. They pair so well together.
- Aromatics and seasonings: Fresh garlic (chopped or grated), ground black pepper, and grated nutmeg.
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of any extra fat, and pat them dry.
- Prosciutto di Parma: This is a very particular type of prosciutto that isn’t always easily found. If you can’t find “di Parma” any prosciutto will do.
How to Make This Florentine Chicken Recipe
Step 1: Combine the toasted pine nuts, spinach, cheese, and seasoning in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything making sure the mixture is well incorporated.
Step 2: Use a sharp knife and carefully slice the chicken in half crosswise, but be careful not to cut all the way through. You want to be able to unfold the two halves and lay the one chicken breast open like a book.
Step 3: Scoop a small amount of filling and place the small mound onto one half of the flattened breast. Close the other half over the stuffing.
Step 4: Wrap each stuffed chicken breast with prosciutto, covering the whole breast. No need to use a toothpick, the thinly sliced cured pork does a great job of sealing everything in.
Step 5: Brush the outside with extra virgin olive oil and place each of the stuffed breasts onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 18-20 minutes until they’re cooked all the way through.
Recipe Tips
- If using previously frozen chicken breasts, it’s sometimes easier to slice them while they’re still a bit frozen.
- Because the chicken is wrapped, it’s going to be harder to tell if the inside is fully cooked. Use a digital thermometer to test. The internal temperature should be 165 degrees before it’s safe to come out of the oven.
- I highly recommend using freshly grated Parmigiano for the best flavor!
Variations
- Swap the Parmigiano for regular Parmesan cheese. Again, freshly grated if you can.
- Use fresh baby spinach in place of the frozen spinach.
- If you can’t find prosciutto, use regular strips of bacon instead.
- You can use already butterflied chicken cutlets and roll them up. Since they are thinner, they won’t take as long to bake.
FAQs
Since ours isn’t a creamy florentine chicken, it would be great with a side of pasta tossed in a homemade alfredo sauce. Garlic mashed potatoes are usually a safe bet.
A refreshing side salad is always a good idea. You could go with a simple garden salad with Italian dressing, or go for something like spinach salad with onion poppy seed dressing or cranberry almond spinach salad.
Keep leftovers covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s easy to reheat in the microwave, especially for single servings. You could also reheat a couple of breasts at a time in the air fryer or the oven. Just be careful not to dry it out!
More Chicken Breast Recipes
Chicken Florentine Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 box frozen spinach, defrosted
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
- Salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- nutmeg, A few grates
- 6 chicken breasts
- 6 slices prosciutto di Parma, 1/3 pound
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wring out defrosted spinach in clean kitchen towel.
- Toast nuts and combine with spinach in a bowl, mix in cheeses, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Cut into and across but not all the way through the chicken breasts, opening them up like a book with a sharp knife. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Fill each with a small mound of stuffing.
- Fold chicken breasts back over stuffing and wrap each breast with prosciutto to seal them, carefully covering the whole breast.
- Brush chicken all over with some extra-virgin olive oil and bake 18 to 20 minutes until cooked through.
This does look very good! And as a spinach lover, I’m an even bigger fan. 🙂
Wow this truly looks amazing!
Thanks for the recipe
This looks to die for!! My husband is tired of the same old food for dinner and wants me to start trying new things so………..this will definitely be on the menu soon. Thanks for posting. 🙂 I added you to my blog list a few days ago. Feel free to stop by my blog. Have a great week!