Tuscan butter chicken isn't actually Italian—it's a 1990s American invention using heavy cream that horrifies real Tuscans.
High Protein Meal Spicy Tuscan Butter Chicken
Dive into a bowl of pure deliciousness with our Spicy Tuscan Butter Chicken! This high-protein delight features tender chicken bathed in a luscious, creamy sauce infused with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach. Perfectly seasoned and irresistibly rich, this dish will have your taste buds dancing!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
5
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 5🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (15 ml)
- Chopped onion
- Spinach
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 600g raw chicken breast, diced into cubes (1.32 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 20g light butter (1.4 tbsp)
- 60g low fat cream cheese (2.12 oz)
- 200ml skimmed milk (6.76 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 200g uncooked rice (7.06 oz)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tablespoon cumin (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- Chili flakes
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken breast with garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and olive oil. Mix together and cook in a pan on high heat for 10-15 minutes or in the oven/air fryer for 15 minutes at 220 °C.
- 2
On low heat, add light butter, garlic paste, chopped onion, tomato paste, skimmed milk, low fat cream cheese, spinach, and the cooked chicken. Stir and let it simmer until rich and creamy.
- 3
Meanwhile, boil the uncooked rice until cooked.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken breast to 3/4-inch thickness before seasoning to ensure even cooking and prevent the outside from overcooking while the center reaches 165°F.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Add cream cheese in small cubes while whisking constantly to prevent breaking - the proteins in low-fat cream cheese are more prone to curdling at temperatures above 180°F.technique180°F threshold
- ✓Toast tomato paste in the pan for 60-90 seconds before adding liquids to develop deeper umami flavors through the Maillard reaction and eliminate raw metallic taste.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice and let it rest off heat for 10 minutes after cooking so residual steam finishes the cooking process without making it mushy.technique2:1 ratio, 10 minutes
- ✓Add spinach in the final 2-3 minutes of simmering since it contains 90% water and will release liquid that can thin your sauce if cooked too long.timing2-3 minutes
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
5
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Tuscan butter chicken isn't actually Italian—it's a 1990s American invention using heavy cream that horrifies real Tuscans.
High Protein Meal Spicy Tuscan Butter Chicken
Dive into a bowl of pure deliciousness with our Spicy Tuscan Butter Chicken! This high-protein delight features tender chicken bathed in a luscious, creamy sauce infused with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach. Perfectly seasoned and irresistibly rich, this dish will have your taste buds dancing!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 5🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste (15 ml)
- Chopped onion
- Spinach
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 600g raw chicken breast, diced into cubes (1.32 lbs)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 20g light butter (1.4 tbsp)
- 60g low fat cream cheese (2.12 oz)
- 200ml skimmed milk (6.76 fl oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(3)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
- 200g uncooked rice (7.06 oz)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (15 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tablespoon cumin (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder (15 ml)
- 1 tablespoon oregano (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- Chili flakes
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the diced chicken breast with garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and olive oil. Mix together and cook in a pan on high heat for 10-15 minutes or in the oven/air fryer for 15 minutes at 220 °C.
- 2
On low heat, add light butter, garlic paste, chopped onion, tomato paste, skimmed milk, low fat cream cheese, spinach, and the cooked chicken. Stir and let it simmer until rich and creamy.
- 3
Meanwhile, boil the uncooked rice until cooked.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pound chicken breast to 3/4-inch thickness before seasoning to ensure even cooking and prevent the outside from overcooking while the center reaches 165°F.technique3/4-inch thickness
- ✓Add cream cheese in small cubes while whisking constantly to prevent breaking - the proteins in low-fat cream cheese are more prone to curdling at temperatures above 180°F.technique180°F threshold
- ✓Toast tomato paste in the pan for 60-90 seconds before adding liquids to develop deeper umami flavors through the Maillard reaction and eliminate raw metallic taste.timing60-90 seconds
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of liquid to rice and let it rest off heat for 10 minutes after cooking so residual steam finishes the cooking process without making it mushy.technique2:1 ratio, 10 minutes
- ✓Add spinach in the final 2-3 minutes of simmering since it contains 90% water and will release liquid that can thin your sauce if cooked too long.timing2-3 minutes