This Creamy Tuscan Chicken has the most amazing creamy garlic sauce and is made in an Instant Pot with fresh spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and bacon. A restaurant-worthy dinner, these Instant Pot chicken thighs are easy to make and ready to eat in 30 minutes!
Instant pot chicken thighs are absolutely delicious and super easy to make. And super versatile...you can practically create any recipe using chicken thighs. I've never made a recipe in the Instant Pot that I didn't fall in love with and this one is no exception.
I have to be honest though...I do go back and forth between making Instant Pot recipes and one-pan dinners, like this Lemon Butter Chicken, but I'm still amazed at how easy it is to use an Instant Pot when I need a quick dinner.
Hence...this NEW yummy dinner!
What's Tuscan Chicken?
It's a rustic dish that originated in the Italian region of Tuscany. It's made with simple ingredients like chicken breasts, spinach, garlic, and fresh rosemary. Traditionally, it's served with fresh bruschetta, but in today's world you'll see it served over pasta, mashed potatoes, and served as a main dish.
The Best Instant Pot Chicken Thighs
I love a good traditional dish, but this recipe is killin it in so many new ways. Here's why:
- it's quick and easy to make
- full of flavor with some amazing ingredients
- super easy to clean up
- the easiest "fancy meal" you'll ever make
What Goes In Tuscan Chicken?
I'm bringing some extra flavor to this already popular recipe. I use boneless, skinless thighs because they are so tender and juicy. A lot of tuscan chicken recipes use chicken breasts, which is fine, but the extra juice from the thighs pairs extremely well with the garlic cream sauce. And you can't forget the bacon! You'll saute the bacon with garlic and onions which brings out the most amazing aroma that will fill your kitchen.
Dijon mustard is the key ingredient. I'm a lover of all things dijon and when you mix dijon mustard with whole grain mustard, sour cream, garlic, and white wine, you get the most flavorful creamy dijon sauce.
The sun-dried tomatoes add a subtle tangy flavor and gives this recipe "pop" of extra flavor. And I throw in fresh spinach, sliced mushrooms, smoked paprika, and fresh thyme to really bring the flavors home.
Is your mouth watering yet? Let's dive in and make this delicious recipe!
How To Make Tuscan Chicken - At Home!
- First, add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and sauté the minced garlic.
- Next, chop up the bacon and add in the Smoked Paprika and onions and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the thighs on top of the garlic, onions, and bacon and sauté until each side is lightly browned, turning over once to sauté each side.
- Add in the fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes on top of the sautéed thighs.
- Continue to saute the ingredients for just another 2-3 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the dijon mustard, sour cream, and whole grain mustard and mix well.
- Remove the chicken and take a basting brush and coat each piece in the creamy dijon mustard cream sauce. This is one of the BEST and most savory sauces! The flavor combination is intense...in a REALLY good way!
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- After basting on the sauce, place each piece of chicken back into the Instant Pot.
- Then, pour in the white wine and place in the thyme springs.
- Close the lid to seal.
- Let the Instant Pot do its magic from here.
- Set it to the Poultry setting and after a few minutes it will start to lightly steam.
- After the cooking time is over and it starts to beep, release the pressure and let it depressurize naturally.
- Once the depressurizing is completely done, release the seal and remove the top.
Grab a plate because it's now ready to serve! Instant Pot chicken recipes are just the best. Convenient, easy, simple dinners are ready and on the table in no time flat!
Stove Top Version
If you're looking to make this on the stovetop, here's how to do it:
- Season each piece of chicken with Smoked Paprika, salt, and pepper.
- In a bowl, combine ¼ cup dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon of sour cream, and ½ Tablespoon of whole grain mustard. Baste each piece with the sauce.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet. Finely chop the bacon and saute over medium heat along with the chopped onions and garlic. Once done, remove the bacon pieces and place them on a paper towel. Don't drain the skillet.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet and allow it to cook for 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any golden bits of leftover bacon, onion, and garlic. Add in the remaining dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and sour cream.
- Return the bacon and chicken to the skillet and top with sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
What Goes with Tuscan Chicken?
Oh my gosh...so many things!
- The white wine sauce in this dish is amazing over pasta.
- Personally, I love serving this over homemade mashed potatoes.
- It's also ridiculously delicious over rice, especially my Ono Rice.
- If you're going the low-carb route, serve with a Romaine Salad.
- And...a piece of fresh baked crusty bread is perfect for soaking up the sauce.
Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Thawed or Frozen Chicken? - thawed is best but you can use frozen. In the Instant Pot, it should cook for 8 minutes if the chicken is thawed, 15 minutes if the chicken is frozen. You can use breasts or thighs.
- Freezer Friendly? Nope - because of the ingredients used to make the cream sauce, fresh is best.
- Flavored olive oil - using garlic or rosemary-infused flavored olive oil really brings out the flavor.
- To thicken the sauce - if you like a thicker sauce, add a little bit of arrowroot or cornstarch. Remove the chicken thighs add in 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot or cornstarch and set to sauté mode. Let the sauce boil a little until it thickens to your liking. Then, add it back in and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Bacon - you can use either turkey bacon or pork bacon in this dish. Both are delicious.
- White Wine - use a dry chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. I love using Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc in this dish.
- Toppings - talk about extra flavor...when serving, I pour a Tablespoon of the cream sauce over the chicken and top it with the cooked mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Looking For More Chicken Thigh Recipes?
Check these out!
- Baked Chicken with Dijon Lime Sauce
- Air Fryer Chicken Thighs
- Pesto Chicken Thighs
- Lemon Thyme Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary
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Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- ½ cup Dijon Mustard
- ½ teaspoon Paprika, smoked
- 4 slices Bacon, pork or turkey
- 1 cup white wine, dry
- 1 Tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 Tablespoon sour cream
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup spinach, fresh
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup onions, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. After it gets hot, pour in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the chopped garlic and onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Chop the bacon and add the bacon and the Paprika to the Instant Pot. Saute with the garlic and onions for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken thighs and saute until each side is lightly browned, turning over once to saute each side.
- Next, add in the fresh mushrooms, fresh spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes on top of the seared chicken thighs and continue to saute the ingredients.
- In a bowl, combine the dijon mustard, sour cream and whole grain mustard. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and take a basting brush and coat the chicken thighs in the creamy dijon mustard cream sauce.
- Pour the white wine into the Instant pot and stir ingredients well.
- Place the chicken thighs back into the Instant Pot. Add in the fresh thyme springs and lock the lid to seal. Close the steam valve.
- Set the Instant Pot to the Poultry setting and set the timer to cook for 8 minutes if the chicken is thawed, 15 minutes if the chicken is frozen. Note that during this cooking process, steam will start escaping the Instant Pot. This is a normal part of the process.
- After the timer runs out, move the valve to release the pressure. Once the steam has stopped and it has completely depressurized, remove the chicken and place onto a plate.
- Set the Instant Pot back to Saute mode. Once it gets hot and the sauce starts to lightly boil, add 1 Tablespoon of Arrowroot or Cornstarch to 1 Tablespoon of water in a small bowl and mix well. Then, pour the liquid mixture and whisk until the sauce becomes thicker.
- Add the chicken back to the Instant Pot so the sauce covers the chicken and mix lightly to combine. Turn Your Instant Pot off and you are now ready to serve. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Thawed or Frozen Chicken? - thawed is best but you can use frozen chicken. In the Instant Pot, it should cook for 8 minutes if the chicken is thawed, 15 minutes if the chicken is frozen. You can use chicken breasts or thighs.
- Freezer Friendly? Nope - because of the ingredients used to make the cream sauce, fresh is best.
- Flavored olive oil - using a garlic or rosemary infused flavored olive oil really brings out the flavor.
- To thicken the sauce - if you like a thicker sauce, add a little bit of arrowroot or cornstarch. Remove the chicken thighs add in 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot or cornstarch and set the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Let the sauce boil a little until it thickens to your liking. Then, add the chicken back in and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Bacon - you can use either turkey bacon or pork bacon in this dish. Both are delicious.
- White Wine - use a dry chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. I love using Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc in this dish.
- Toppings - talk about extra flavor...when serving, I pour a Tablespoon of the cream sauce over the chicken and top it with the cooked mushrooms, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes.
Stove Top Version
If you're looking to make this on the stove top, here's how to do it.- Season each piece of chicken with the Smoked Paprika, salt, and pepper.
- In a bowl, combine ¼ cup dijon mustard, 1 Tablespoon of sour cream, and ½ Tablespoon of whole grain mustard. Baste each piece of chicken with the sauce.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet. Finally chop the bacon and saute over medium heat along with the chopped onions and garlic. Once done, remove the bacon and place on a paper towel. Don't drain the skillet.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet and allow it to cook for 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Pour the wine into the skillet and scrape up any golden bits of leftover bacon, onion, and garlic. Add in the remaining dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, and sour cream.
- Return the bacon and chicken to the skillet and top with sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
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Lonnie
This dish was so good and easy to make! My husband and I loved it. I used chicken breast instead of the thighs and it still turned out great. Thank you for sharing!!!
Amanda Mason
I'm so glad you loved it!!! Yes, tastes great with chicken breasts, for sure!!
Sarah
This was good, however just a few suggestions for modifications.
Garlic burns in the InstaPot sauté mode, and will taste bitter. I moved the adding of the garlic to just before the wine was added (about a minute).
Spinach should never cook under pressure. It turns super dark, falls apart/disintegrated and loses all nutrients. Add the spinach just before serving instead, it will be fresh and vibrant and will still cook slightly.
Amanda Mason
Hi Sarah - thanks for your input. I've never experienced the burn of the garlic. Thanks for the tip on the spinach.
Mike
Made the stovetop version, another fabulous dish! Everyone loved it! I did have to add a ridiculous amount of spinach to satisfy the spinach lover’s here. Thank you for sharing this dish with us.
Amanda Mason
Yeah!! So glad this one turned out so well for you guys! I know - this is one of my favorites!!! Keep letting me know which ones you are trying and all your honest feedback is so helpful!
Cynthia Beckwith
I do not like mustard so I was hesitant to try this - turns out I only dislike that yellow stuff they put on hotdogs!!! The sauce is excellent and am planning to prepare this again tonight! We have another anti-mustarder (if that's a word!) so I'm going to tell him it's chicken in a wine and mushroom cream sauce (which is true....)
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Amanda Mason
Thanks, Cynthia! Yes - Dijon Mustard is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with!! I'm not a fan of regular mustard either! So glad you loved this!! You'll have to let me know how your friend likes it!!!
TCooper
Hello! I am new to the IP tool. I am hoping to attempt this recipe - but it states only 1 cup of white wine. My IP, Ultra 60 4th edition, states at least 2 cups of liquid for safety. Any recommendations on how I should modify this recipe? Maybe add 1 cup of chicken broth?
Amanda Mason
That's interesting that it's recommending the 2 cups of liquid. Yes, I'd try adding 1 cup of Chicken Broth. If it's too liquidy once it's done, just add more cornstarch and put it on saute mode so it thickens. Let me know how it turns out!!
Jennifer
Your recipe doesn't mention when to add the thyme? I just added the whole sprigs with thewine. I hope it works that way.
Also, I see that there are quite a few UP newbies wanting to make this recipe. As with all instant pot cooking, if you are sauteing in the pot before using pressure functions, always be sure to thoroughly deglaze the pot when you add the liquid! This will help you to prevent ingredients from burning to the bottom.
Amanda Mason
Hi Jennifer! I put the fresh thyme spring in during step 7! I'll add that to the notes now! Good cooking tip on deglazing the IP!!!
Jennifer
Great! Thank you for updating the recipe. This is DELICIOUS. I shared some leftovers with a friend for lunch, and she asked me to make it again. Thanks for a great recipe!
Amanda Mason
Hi Jennifer! I'm SO glad you guys loved this dish! It's one of my favorites!! Thank you for following me and I hope you try more of my yummy recipes!!
Staci Loser
I love this recipe. However I adjusted the steps to make it flow a bit better for me.
I browned the chickenin batches in olive oil first and then removed to a bowl.
Next browned the bacon and then added garlic and onion.
Next added mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and sautéed for a bit. Deglazed pot with splash of wine. While adding rest of wine to mustard mix to make sauce
You didn’t mention when to add the paprika so I included it with the sauce.
Put chicken back in pot with juices added sauce and stirred to combine. Adding thyme at the end.
After cooking removed chicken stirred in cornstarch and spinach (didn’t want it to mush up under pressure)
Everything tasted delicious! Thank you for a great recipe! I just need to streamline it a bit to save more time.
Amanda Mason
Hi Staci! I'm so glad you left me a comment saying you loved the recipe!! Looks like you made this one your own!! I love it!! In regard to the Paprika, it's in step 3 here: "Chop the bacon and add the bacon and the Paprika to the Instant Pot and saute with the garlic and onions for 1 minute". Sounds like it turned out AMAZINGLY the way you did it though!! Enjoy!!!
Staci
Ah!! So sorry I didn’t see the paprika part! Lol. Skim reading.
You really came up with a fabulous recipe. My whole family loved it. Will share with my mom to cook too!
Amanda Mason
Thank you so much!!!
Amanda Mason
Thanks!
billylolers@gmail.com
I've never tried the instant pot before, but it looks so straight forward and simple! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I love that you used Dijon Mustard in the recipe!
Amanda Mason
I hope you enjoy it!!!
Sara
This looks really great! An instant pot is on my wishlist for recipes like this!
Amanda Mason
It's worth the investment!