This Healthy Tuscan Chicken is Dairy Free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly and is so easy to make. Substitute dairy cream with coconut cream for a healthier version of creamy Tuscan Chicken with sun dried tomatoes.
You can also pour this creamy sun dried tomato sauce over pasta for tuscan chicken pasta.
This recipe for Tuscan Chicken is also a great option for Whole30iers. If you have no idea what Whole30 is, that's ok. If you are interested to learn more, read up with my Whole30 information post series.
Whether you are on a round or not I guarantee that you will love the salty, sweet and tanginess of this creamy Paleo recipe for Creamy Tuscan chicken recipe!
Jump to:
- Coconut Cream vs Coconut Milk vs Creamed Coconut
- Is coconut milk the same as coconut Cream?
- Ingredients Needed to make Healthy Tuscan Chicken
- Instructions on How to Make Dairy Free Tuscan Chicken
- Top Tips for Making Creamy Coconut Sauce with Chicken
- Substitutions and Variations for a Creamy Healthy Chicken
- Equipment Recommended to Make Creamy Garlic Tuscan Chicken
- Storage Recommendations
- Food Safety
- Other Whole30 Recipes
- Recipe Details
- Comments
Coconut Cream vs Coconut Milk vs Creamed Coconut
What's the difference between coconut cream and coconut milk? The difference is the fat content. Coconut cream is much higher in fat and has a thicker consistency. They are both made from the same ingredients except coconut milk has more water and has a more milk like consistency.
If you are shopping for coconut cream, look for the words "full-fat". If you can't find coconut cream, you can substitute it for coconut milk, except you will need more than one can depending on what you are using it for.
Simply refrigerate the coconut milk overnight. Turn the can over and open it up. Drain out the water and the coconut cream will be on the bottom. All you need to do is scoop out the coconut cream from the the can.
You can also reserve some of the coconut water to thin out the cream if needed.
Is coconut milk the same as coconut Cream?
No, coconut milk has less fat and is a great substitute for milk if you want to live a dairy free lifestyle.
You can use coconut cream as coconut milk by just diluting it with water. Just shake it before using it as the cream because the water will separate from the fat when it settles.
What is creamed coconut?
The difference between coconut cream and creamed coconut is that creamed coconut comes in a package and coconut cream comes in a can. Creamed coconut is dehydrated fresh coconut pulp and most of the water has been removed. It is a dry product and can be used in place of fresh coconut in dishes.
Healthy Tuscan Chicken can be made at any time of the year and if you are making it for two it's a one pot meal. Grated parmesan cheese is substituted with ground cashews in this dish to convert it to a Paleo Chicken recipe.
This dish was inspired by my journey on Whole30, where I learned to eat without dairy and grains. You will find other Whole30 inspired meals here as well.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients Needed to make Healthy Tuscan Chicken
Here is a list of ingredients that you will need to make a dairy free Tuscan Chicken recipe:
- Full Fat Coconut Cream
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Garlic Cloves
- Cashews
- Sun dried Tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Chicken broth or bouillon
- Salt and Pepper
- Kale
- Potato Starch
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Apple Cider Vinegar
See recipe card for details
If you don't have fresh garlic you can substitute it with garlic powder, but fresh is always tastier.
Using frozen chopped kale and boneless chicken breast or chicken breast pieces in this creamy Tuscan chicken recipe will make prepping this meal even quicker.
Instructions on How to Make Dairy Free Tuscan Chicken
In a large skillet, sauté garlic in olive oil until golden. Brown chicken on both sides.
Remove chicken and transfer to a plate. De-glaze pan with apple cider vinegar. Add sun-dried tomatoes and sauté for about 1 minute. Add Kale or spinach and continue to cook for 1 minutes.
Add chicken broth or 1 bouillon cube and water, bring to a light simmer. Add ground cashews, coconut cream and add gluten free starch to pan and mix well.
Place chicken on top of kale mixture and season chicken with salt and pepper. Add cherry tomatoes and lower temperature to a simmer for 40 minutes covered.
Top Tips for Making Creamy Coconut Sauce with Chicken
Wait until you have added most of your ingredients before seasoning the chicken to ensure that the chicken isn't already to salty with the addition of the broth or bouillon cubes.
If you have more liquid in the pan than you prefer, simmer the chicken uncovered for a while so that the liquid evaporates.
HINT: If you don't have sun-dried tomatoes on hand you can substitute them with a few more cherry tomatoes.
Using frozen kale makes putting together this recipe much quicker and easier. Frozen kale and spinach is something I always have on hand for recipes like this one.
Substitutions and Variations for a Creamy Healthy Chicken
This Tuscan Chicken recipe is a one pot meal that is low carb and gluten free. Spice up the dish by considering one of these variations or substitutions:
- Kalamata Olives - add salty kalamata olives to this dish for a salty kick
- Spinach - substitute spinach for kale in this healthy chicken dish
- Pasta Sauce - serve over pasta
- Chicken Legs - Substitute skinless chicken legs for chicken breast
- Dairy Cream - if you are not Paleo or Whole30 or eating dairy free, you can substitute 35% cream for the coconut cream.
Whether you use fresh or frozen chicken, consider removing the skin from the chicken. This makes eating it a lot healthier and easier than having to cut away the chicken skin while you eat.
Equipment Recommended to Make Creamy Garlic Tuscan Chicken
Equipment plays an important part in the cooking results. Make sure that you have a good quality large non stick skillet. Wooden spatulas are especially important to use when cooking in a skillet because they will not scratch your skillet coating. Also thongs come in handy for transferring larger items, like chicken, from skillet to dinner plate.
This page contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Storage Recommendations
Store leftovers in a microwave safe bowl in the refrigerator for not longer than 3 days.
I've never frozen Tuscan Chicken using coconut cream, so I can't recommend freezing it. Freeze at your own risk.
Food Safety
Note that the storage guidelines provided on this page and site are estimates from personal experiences. We are all adults and as an adult you are responsible to ensure that the food you eat is safe to eat. Since, I'm not a food safety expert, you are responsible to review your local guidelines on food storage prior to storing any food left-overs.
Remember to:
- Not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
For Canadian Guidelines check Government of Canada's Food and Safety Guidelines, see more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Other Whole30 Recipes
Pin for Later here
Recipe Details
Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 398 ml coconut cream or 35% dairy cream if you are not on Whole30
- 700 grams skinless chicken breast 4 pieces
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 5 sundried tomatoes cut in strips
- 1 cup of cherry tomatoes
- 3 tbsp olive oil or fat of your choice
- ½ teaspoon of Italian Seasoning
- 1 cup of chicken broth or 1 bouillon cube and 1 cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups of kale or green peas or any green vegetable
- ½ cup cashews (ground finely
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in pan and sauté garlic.
- Place chicken in pan and brown on both sides. Transfer to another plate.
- Deglaze pan using apple cider vinegar.
- Sauté sun dried tomatoes, add kale and broth and bring to a simmer.
- Add ground cashews, coconut cream and potato starch and stir.
- Return chicken to the pan, add cherry tomatoes and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping chicken occasionally.
- If you are not on Whole30 and using regular cow's cream and parmesan cheese - add it after step 4 and omit step 5.
- Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Kristen says
What a delicious dish and a nice, flavorful way of spicing up boring old chicken.
Terri says
I love this even more because it's dairy-free and I can make it for my daughter! She is going to LOVE it!
NANCY says
thanks for the dairy free version. Pinned to make this this week!! yummy!!
Vijitha says
Gosh! Am I lucky I have all the ingredients with me now! I am not following whole30 but I'm trying to eat healthier - so, this looks like a great idea for dinner! Gonna make this tonight. Thanks for this recipe, Amy!
Bernice Hill says
This looks like such a great dairy free version of a French classic. I bet it's quite tasty!