Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 06/13/23
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
instant pot tuscan chicken

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Pressure Build/Release: 7 mins
Total: 42 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 chicken breasts

Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken is an easy, flavorful one-pot meal. It’s full of juicy chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach, all in a creamy garlic sauce. Everything is made right in the electric pressure cooker, so it's a simple clean-up with limited dishes.

Serve Tuscan chicken over rice, pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes. Any starchy side that absorbs the luscious sauce, including crusty bread, will work well. You can also serve with roasted vegetables if you're looking for a lower-carb dish.

What To Serve With Tuscan Chicken

  • Serve with a baguette or Italian bread to sop up the creamy sauce.
  • Add a tossed salad with Italian dressing or a simple vinaigrette.
  • Tuscan chicken is saucy and makes a hearty, flavorful meal with pasta. Serve the chicken and sauce over a long pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine.
  • You might choose rice, risotto, polenta, or roasted or mashed potatoes instead of pasta.
  • For a low-carb meal, serve the chicken and sauce with roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, or spaghetti squash.

Tips for Making Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken

  • Use cold water—Whisk cold water into the flour when making the slurry. Hot water will cause the flour to clump and not properly disperse in the cooking liquid.
  • Reduce steam—Place a kitchen towel over the steam release valve before opening it. This will keep the vapor to a minimum.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes—Use reconstituted dry or well-drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. The color of the sauce may vary depending on which you choose.

"Tuscan chicken is one of my favorite ways to prepare boneless chicken breasts, and I've made it many times. This Instant Pot version was perfection. The creamy sauce was loaded with garlic and sun-dried tomato flavor, and the chicken was perfectly cooked. " —Diana Rattray

Recipe Test: Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken in a Serving Dish
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 medium

  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, store-bought or homemade

  • 1 teaspoon fine salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

  • 1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced

  • 1 small onion, diced

  • 6 medium cloves garlic, minced

  • 3/4 cup chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup packed sliced sun-dried tomatoes, divided

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream

  • 2 packed cups baby spinach

  • 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for Instant Pot Tuscan chicken

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Season the chicken breasts with the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

    chicken seasoned with salt and pepper

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  3. To the Instant Pot insert, add the oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Heat on sauté until the butter is melted and the oil is hot. Add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes total (it does not have to be cooked through, as it will finish cooking during the pressure cooking portion of the recipe).

    cooked chicken in instant pot insert

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.  Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pot along with the mushrooms and onions. Sauté until the mushrooms are lightly browned, and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.

    mushrooms and onions sauteed in instant pot

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Add the garlic, chicken broth, and half of the sun-dried tomatoes to the pot. Stir and scrape the bottom to release any brown bits. Continue to sauté for 2 to 3 minutes longer.

    sauce for tuscan chicken in the Instant Pot

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  6. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot. Close the lid and cook on the manual/high-pressure setting for 6 minutes. After the timer goes off, use a quick release to release the pressure. 

    chicken cooked in an instant pot

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  7. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a clean plate. Whisk together the flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture into the liquid in the pot.

  8. Whisk in the heavy cream and add in the remaining half of the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan cheese. Heat on the sauté setting until the spinach is wilted and everything is heated through. 

    sauce for tuscan chicken

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  9. Add the chicken back to the pot, coat with the sauce, and serve immediately.

    tuscan chicken in instant pot

    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

How To Store and Reheat Tuscan Chicken

  • Refrigerate leftover Instant Pot Tuscan chicken in an airtight container within 2 hours and enjoy it within 4 days.
  • To reheat the Tuscan chicken, place it in a saucepan or sauté pan with a splash of broth or cream and place it over medium heat. Cover the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  • To freeze leftover Tuscan chicken, place it in an airtight container or freezer bag. Label the container or bag with the name and date and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost frozen Tuscan chicken in the fridge overnight.

Recipe Variations

You can vary this recipe by adding or omitting some ingredients:

  • Leave out the mushrooms.
  • Sauteé diced bacon in the Instant Pot, then brown the chicken in the bacon fat. Stir in the crisped bacon at the very end of cooking. 
  • If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil, replace the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the oil drained from the tomatoes.
  • Use half and half instead of heavy cream for a slightly lighter sauce. 
  • Replace the flour with gluten-free cornstarch for a gluten-free Tuscan chicken.
  • To lower the carbs in the dish, omit the flour and water mixture.
  • Use Wondra flour instead of the flour-water paste. Wondra can be stirred directly into the liquid.
  • Substitute chicken thighs for the breasts and increase the pressure-cook time to 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
677 Calories
39g Fat
20g Carbs
64g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 677
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g 49%
Saturated Fat 20g 100%
Cholesterol 230mg 77%
Sodium 1207mg 52%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 64g
Vitamin C 16mg 81%
Calcium 317mg 24%
Iron 7mg 40%
Potassium 1418mg 30%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)