Literally my new favorite dinner. Chicken sits in a bubble bath of dairy-free cream sauce that is bursting with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. The sauce is so rich and so creamy you’ll almost die. Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut and tree nut free. Free of the top eight allergens.
There are some original recipes that are so laden with dairy, that I wonder if I’m a pure lunatic to even try replacing them. But, try I do! And, this one seriously blew me out of the water. Yay for an easy, dairy-free chicken dinner. You can never have enough of those!
I think my husband is a bit accustomed to my cooking, so when I was basically moaning at how good this was he was giving me little to no feedback. I finally bursted out, “I seriously need a high five for how good this is! I have to put this on the blog!” So, will you all do me a favor and give me an Internet high-five? Thanks! Men just aren’t as dramatic as women, and most of the time that’s a good thing. 🙂
Time Saving Tips
What to serve with creamy Tuscan chicken
Tuscan chicken can be a dish all on its own if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time for side dishes. It has protein, carbs, and veggies all included. (Remember, the veggie can be romaine, kale, or spinach, so use up what you have.) If you want to stretch the meal, you can always serve it with some gluten free breadsticks or even some roasted veggies. I always love to serve asparagus with my Italian-themed dinners. I have a great oven roasted balsamic asparagus you will love. And if you have time, don’t forget dessert! I have tons of delicious allergy-friendly bakes to end your night on a sweet note.
How to store Tuscan chicken
To store any you have left, put the cooled leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge. Leftovers should keep 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave when you’re ready to eat again.
Why I Love this Recipe
I was super excited for my parents to come in town because I wanted to make them this to show it off. I ended up not being able to and I was super bummed. I only see my parents twice a year (tears! I could seriously write a book on my feelings of living away from family when you have medically challenging children–ug! I’ll save that for another post) so I guess this dinner recipe will have to wait until I see them at Christmas. Sigh.
Onto happier things–can I just take a moment to declare my love for sun-dried tomatoes? These are pretty much a vegetable candy. They are so bursting with flavor that I look forward to any bite I get that has them in it! Whoever thought to sun-dry tomatoes should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. I salute you, whoever you are!
This dish is quick and easy to make, yet so decadent. I know what I’m going to make the next time we have company over!! And yet, it’s fast enough to make on a weeknight. Thirty minutes is probably even being generous, but that’s in case you have thicker cut chicken breasts. Remember, if you ever want to decrease the cooking time, have thinner cut chicken breasts so they cook even faster.
It’s on my bucket list to go to Italy, but until that day, this dairy-free Tuscan chicken will certainly appease me.
Be sure to make it when you’re not so sure what to do with all that chicken in your freezer! #ThisIsNotAnotherPlainChickenDish Because, if you’re like my house, chicken dinners are a staple, and we need all the variation we can get on allergy-friendly chicken dinners.
**Also, if you need this to be grain free or paleo friendly–it’s great on it’s own, you don’t need gluten-free pasta underneath it. Or, you could do zoodles too!
LOOKING FOR MORE GLUTEN AND DAIRY FREE CHICKEN DINNER RECIPES? CHECK OUT ALL OF MY OTHER FAVORITE CHICKEN DINNER RECIPES HERE:
30 Minute Dairy-Free Creamy Tuscan Chicken (GF, DF, Egg, Soy, Peanut, Tree nut Free, Top 8 Free)
Literally my new favorite dinner. Chicken sits in a bubble bath of dairy-free cream sauce that is bursting with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. The sauce is so rich and so creamy you'll almost die. Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut and tree nut free. Free of the top eight allergens.
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
- 2 Tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes with herbs jar
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup chicken broth (or, 1/2 cup water + 1/2 teaspoon allergy-friendly chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 cup romaine, chopped*
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes with herbs, diced
- One 12-oz box of gluten-free spaghetti, cooked according to directions
Instructions
Open the jar of sun-dried tomatoes with herbs, and measure out 2 Tablespoons of the oil that they're packed in. Add it to a large skillet and heat over medium heat.
Add the chicken and cook 3-5 minutes on each side until browned. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and nutritional yeast to the pan and turn up the heat to medium high. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
Turn down the heat to medium and add the romaine (or spinach), sun-dried tomatoes and chicken. Allow the chicken to simmer in the sauce until the romaine (or spinach) has wilted and everything is heated through (being sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly).
Serve plain, or over gluten-free noodles of your choice.
Stores wonderfully for leftovers too--just be sure to store the noodles separate so they don't get too soggy.
Notes
If you need more gluten and dairy free chicken dinner ideas: I have 35 others!
I also have a printed cookbook that has raving reviews on Amazon full of easy dinner ideas.
*When I developed this recipe my son couldn't do spinach, so we used romaine hearts instead. I've done it with both and both are fabulous. Do whatever you have in the fridge, or whichever one you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 514Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 285mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 43g
Adapted from: The Recipe Critic
DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOSE IT! ALSO, CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS!
Do you need other easy allergy-friendly chicken dinner ideas? If so, here are some of my favorites, or check out my recipe index.
Dairy & Gluten-free Creamy Lemon Chicken
30 Minute Moo Goo Gai Pan (Gluten, dairy, egg, peanut & tree nut free)
Chicken Enchilada Pasta (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free)
Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free)
Teriyaki Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry (Gluten, dairy, egg, peanut & tree nut free)
Hi! I’m Megan, a mom to four kids, two with multiple food allergies & one with EOE. I’m a published cookbook author that constantly tweaks recipes to make them allergy friendly–it’s an addiction. I share every recipe & tip with the hope that they help you as you manage your food allergies & dietary restrictions. You can still be awesome, even with food allergies!
Related Recipes:
Gluten Free One Pot Green Chili Chicken & Rice
Gluten Free Fried Chicken Recipe (Dairy and Egg Free)
Vegan & Gluten-free Mushroom Stroganoff (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free; top-8-free)
Gluten Free Black Pepper Chicken & Green Beans
Grilled Spicy Honey Chicken
Stir Fry Chicken Recipe
Kathy
This looks yummy and something I’d like to consider for my night of cooking on our family vacation. My daughter is breast feeding and can’t have dairy as her baby boy has a potential allergy. You mentioned using rotisserie chicken as a time saver and since it’s vacation, I’m looking for directions on how to substitute.
Megan Lavin
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for stopping by. What a thoughtful mom to make sure your daughter’s new diet is included. I’m not sure what your question is. Are you asking which rotisserie chicken to use? The last time I checked, Costco’s was dairy free, but make sure to check it at the time of purchase to make sure. If you can’t do a rotisserie chicken, 2 large chicken breasts should do. Otherwise, if you can use it, I’d make the pasta, shred the chicken and then add as much chicken as you see fit, stir it altogether and serve. Enjoy!
Haley
Would this freeze and reheat well? If so, what do you recommend for reheating? Thanks!
Megan Lavin
Hey Haley! I never recommend reheating gluten-free pasta. If you want to freeze the cooked chicken and sauce, allow it to cool, freeze in a freezer safe container. When ready to serve, thaw in the fridge. Reheat via microwave or stove top until heated through. Boil your gluten-free pasta until it’s al-dente and then add to the newly warmed sauce. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by.
Jason Baum
I’m making this wonderful recipe for the first time tonight but your “chicken breasts, thinly sliced” has me confused. From the pictures, it appears you’ve halved breasts for the most part?
Thanks! Love your recipes.
Jason
Megan Lavin
Hey Jason. I’m so glad you stopped by and are interested in this recipe. There’s really no right or wrong way. Halved is fine, or thinly sliced works too. The only difference it will make is how many pieces you want/and how fast you want it to cook (the thicker the longer).
Shelby
Hi!! Tried this last night and was so
Good!!! We’re new to coconut milk so my husband wasn’t a fan but I love love the tomatoes!!! Do you have any other recipes with them?
Megan Lavin
Sun dried tomatoes are the best! If you’re not a coconut fan, you can try this in place: https://www.countrycrock.com/our-products/plant-cream
Also, here’s another sun dried tomatoes recipe: https://allergyawesomeness.com/roasted-cauliflower-pasta-salad-gluten-dairy-egg-soy-peanut-top-8-free-vegan/
AMomOnTheWeb
We recently found out my daughter is allergic to dairy and so I’ve been searching for recipes that are not only healthy alternatives to dairy but also tasty. I ran across this and thought it looked delicious so I decided to give it a try.
Instant win. My daughter even asked me if I was sure it didn’t have any dairy in it, saying she never would have guessed. She even asked me if I could make it again sometime soon. This is coming from an incredibly picky eater (stemming from most foods causing her pain). We will undoubtedly be making this a staple in our household!
Megan Lavin
Oh, I’m so glad to hear that. It’s so nice to find a recipe that even picky eaters like, especially ones that have limited diets. Way to go mom for searching and finding a good recipe. Here’s hoping you have many more delicious recipes for her. Here are some more of our favorite dairy-free chicken recipes: https://allergyawesomeness.com/35-dairy-free-chicken-recipes/
Melissa
You are getting a high five from me, that was really good!! Thank you for making it allergen friendly.
Megan Lavin
I love high fives, thanks Melissa!
Stevie Cornell
This has become a staple go-to meal at our house! So easy and soooo delicious!
Megan Lavin
I’m so glad to hear that. Thanks for letting me know, Stevie!
Amber
Can you add xantham gum to thicken the sauce?
Megan Lavin
Hi. I usually use cornstarch whenever I need to thicken something, but I would assume xantham would work too.
Jackie
Do you know the calories or macros on this recipe?
Megan Lavin
Jackie–where I am not a nutritionist or a dietitian, I don’t feel comfortable calculating that. I do have an app that calculates it the best it can for me, and you can find the details in the recipe card, at the bottom, below the notes. It doesn’t do marcos though. Thanks!
Ali
Good flavor, but his never thickened, even with the yeast. Usually when things don’t thicken like the recipe author says, I find they used coconut milk with guar gum in it, which helps emulsify and thicken the mix. Did you by any chance use coconut milk that has guar gum in it? I have to buy the kind without the gum, because it gives me stomach pains. It’s something to keep in mind when sharing recipes with coconut milk so folks who don’t use the version with gum know they need to add another thickener. Thanks!
Becki Rasmussen
Any recommendation on a coconut milk alternative? I’m allergic to dairy and coconut unfortunately. Do you think cashew milk would be creamy enough? It sounds amazing thanks
Megan Lavin
Hi. We’re allergic to cashews, so I’ve never been able to try it. Best of luck!
Amanda
Did you try this with cashew milk? That’s is all I have in my fridge. I think it will be ok. The milk is basically to add creaminess to the sauce anyways. I’m not sure how much of a difference it will really make. I’m going to try this tonight with the cashew milk.
Megan Lavin
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out.
Anna
After my son was diagnosed with multiple food allergies, I began to use many recipes from your site (and cookbook!) – they are all great, but this one is FANTASTIC. It’s one of my favorite dinners and I make it over and over. My son has mostly outgrown his milk allergy now, but I will continue to make this delicious dairy-free dish! It is rich and flavorful, and it comes together so quickly. I always make it with spinach, double the sauce ingredients because YUM, and serve over spaghetti. Love love love it!
Megan Lavin
That’s so exciting your son is outgrowing his milk allergy! I’m so glad that you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let me know!
Frankie
I made this for dinner tonight for me and my boyfriend! Went down a treat and will definitely be making it again.
Thank you!
Megan Lavin
You’re welcome! I’m glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed it!
Michele Rentz
Made this tonight for dinner. Sooo tasty!! Will definitely make again.
Megan Lavin
I’m soo glad to hear it! Thanks Michele. If you haven’t already, please take a second to click the stars in the recipe card to rate it. Thanks!
ashton
OMG sooooo good! I added a pinch of kosher salt and red pepper flakes for some kick and was absolutely fantastic!
[email protected]
Yes, you can never go wrong with some crushed red pepper! Glad you enjoyed it.
Amanda
I have everything to make this except the nutritional yeast, if I leave out would you recommend thickening with corn starch? I understand I’ll be missing the cheesey flavor but didn’t know how important the yeast was to thicken the sauce. Thanks!
[email protected]
You’re welcome to try it! I prefer it with.
Roshni
This one is a keeper! Thank you !
Made this for a Dinner Party!! Got rave reviews. Followed the recipe , just added some mushrooms and 1 tbsp of cornstarch to it.
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So glad it worked for your party. You can never go wrong adding mushrooms!
Jenna Edwards
Hi. I’m new to using canned coconut milk.
Since so much of it in the can has solidified, how do you get one cup liquid?
[email protected]
Hi Jenna,
Cans of coconut milk will only separate (fat on top, and liquid on bottom) when it’s chilled or cold. So, I always recommend keeping them room temperature (unless you’re needing to separate the cream to whip it.) If you don’t have time for it to come back to room temperature to mix, you can always put it in a blender and blend the total contents of the can, and then measure out what you need. Enjoy!
Jim N
I have a person visiting from Spain who is lactose intolerant. I have 20 pounds of cheese and 5 of butter when I went into panic. This is delicious so glad I found this site as this will be a regular on our table
Thank you
[email protected]
You’re very welcome!
Jodi Lawler
Why do you add the nutritional yeast? – Is it for flavour or some other reason – I’mlooking to leave out yeast amnd wondering what difference it will make
[email protected]
Hi Jodi–good question. The nutritional yeast is a dairy-free parmensan cheese substitute, plus in this recipe it thickens the sauce, so it has a dual purpose.
Jayme
This sounds so good! However, I can’t have dairy or yeast. Is there something I can use in place of the nutritional yeast? Will the sauce work without it?
Megan Lavin
It should be fine without it. The nutritional yeast also thickens it a bit, so if it’s too runny for your taste, you can try adding a cornstarch slurry.
Lui
Any recommendations for how much pasta to use? I have used this recipe before & could have sworn it included instructions for the pasta but can’t seem to find them now. I know last time I had leftovers too but do think I should increase ingredients if I’m making for party of 6?
[email protected]
Yes, I’d increase it. This recipe is more for 4 people. I usually use one box of barilla pasta, which I’ve now added the link to 🙂 Enjoy–those are lucky six people that get to have you cook this for them!
Abby
This was delicious, I’m adding it into our biweekly rotation! I might even double the sauce next time because it was amazing 🙂
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Thank you so much! Please be sure to click the star ratings if you have a moment. Here’s to many more great dinners 🙂
Karen
This is absolutely fantastic and delicious! Now one of my favorites?
[email protected]
Yay! That makes me so happy. I’m so glad you like it. It’s one of my favs too. Thanks for stopping by and letting me know 🙂
Megan @ MegUnprocessed
I love dairy free sauce!
ashley - baker by nature
Sounds delicious!
Chrystal @ Gluten-Free Palate
This chicken looks amazing! Definitely rotating this into the dinner menu.
Michelle Palin
This looks so good! I love your idea of using coconut milk to make a dairy-free sauce!
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Thanks Michelle!