I Tried Joanna Gaines’ One-Pan Creamy Chicken
I was once a chef-instructor at a local culinary school. It was one of the most fun, but also hardest, jobs I’ve had (and I’ve worked some pretty challenging jobs). Many of the students were eager to learn, but several of them were not — their eyes were often glued to their phones or rolled in exasperation at every instruction I gave. How does my experience as a culinary school instructor relate to Joanna Gaines’ chicken Florentine? Well, I learned from teaching that in order to get my students fully engaged, I needed to adjust my approach. Instead of seeing obstacles, I had to find opportunities. You like your phone that much? Great, let’s use it to research recipes or to snap beautiful photos of your finished dishes.
The same tactic applies to cooking — especially when it comes to chicken. Each part can be delicious, but you have to know what you’re working with. That’s why when people say to me that “chicken is boring,” I respond with, “Maybe you need to adjust your approach.”
Get the recipe: Joanna Gaines’ Chicken Florentine
How to Make Joanna Gaines’ Chicken Florentine
I agree that a chicken breast isn’t the most exciting cut of poultry, but luckily there are cooking methods that can change that — and Gaines’ chicken Florentine is a good example.
She begins the recipe with seasoning the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. After a quick coating of all-purpose flour, she adds the chicken to a skillet and browns it on both sides in olive oil. This step is crucial because it’s creating flavor as the base layer of the sauce. Browning the chicken in oil leaves little bits and pieces of fond (just a fancy word for the stuck-on bits) on the bottom of the skillet. These are flavor goldmines that only get better as the process continues with the addition of butter, shallots, and garlic. White wine is added next for flavor, but to also deglaze the pan, which lifts those bits from the bottom and incorporates them into what will become the sauce.
After cooking the wine down a bit, Gaines adds heavy cream which gets reduced until it’s just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Finally, she adds fresh spinach, folding it in until it’s just wilted, and makes any final adjustments to the seasoning. The chicken is sliced and served with sauce and garnished with fresh parsley and lemon.
My Honest Review
I liked this dish, and I’d definitely make it again. I appreciated the simplicity and minimal ingredients. The sauce was rich and flavorful, and the chicken came out tender and juicy. That being said, I do see some places for change or adjustments to the approach.
First, if you’re looking to stretch the dish, consider slicing the chicken breasts in half into cutlets. You’ll have to reduce the cooking time a bit, but that might be a bonus if you’re looking for ways to shave time to get dinner on the table faster.
Second, if you don’t want to use the wine, then try low-sodium chicken broth instead. You could even add a tablespoon or two of distilled or white vinegar for a bit of acidity.
Finally, fresh spinach can be expensive, so save that for a salad. Instead, head to the freezer section and pick up a bag of frozen whole or chopped spinach. Thaw and drain it before adding it to your skillet — it’ll taste just as delicious.
Tips for Making Joanna Gaines’ Chicken Florentine
Skip the nonstick. To brown your chicken perfectly and to create delicious fond, you should avoid using a nonstick pan. A heavy skillet, like cast iron, works great, but so does stainless steel.
Add more spinach. If you’re a fan of spinach like I am, consider adding a cup or two more to the finished sauce.
Extend the sauce. To get more bang for your buck when it comes to the sauce, consider adding a half-cup of low-sodium broth (or water if you don’t have broth) and a few extra tablespoons of cream.
Get the recipe: Joanna Gaines’ Chicken Florentine
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