Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and Seasoning
- 600 g chicken breast, boneless, skinless, sliced horizontally into 4 thin cutlets
- 5 g fine sea salt, dry
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 30 ml olive oil, extra virgin
Vegetables and Pan Sauce
- 4 garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 200 g cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved
- 120 ml chicken broth, low-sodium liquid
- 150 g spinach, fresh baby spinach, washed and spun dry
- 1 g dried oregano, crushed dried leaves
- 40 g parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated
- 10 g fresh basil, fresh whole leaves, gently torn
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 314 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 6 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 715 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 116 mg
- Potassium
- 778 mg
- Calcium
- 182 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 80 mg
- Phosphorus
- 425 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 217 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 mcg
- Water
- 182 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 0 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Developer? Use this recipe and nutrition data via the Recipe API
Method
Pat the boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets thoroughly dry on both sides with paper towels on a cutting board, then immediately wash hands, knives, and prep surfaces thoroughly to prevent cross-contamination from raw poultry.
Season both sides of the chicken cutlets evenly with 4g of the fine sea salt, the freshly ground black pepper, and the dried oregano.
Place the 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil, heating until the oil shimmers and reaches approximately 180°C (356°F) without smoking.
Lay the seasoned chicken cutlets into the hot skillet in a single layer using tongs, searing undisturbed for 4 minutes until deeply golden brown underneath.
Flip the chicken cutlets with tongs and sear the reverse side for 3 to 4 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest center registers at least 74°C (165°F).
Transfer the seared chicken cutlets to a clean plate with tongs and leave uncovered to rest while making the sauce.
Lower the skillet heat to medium, add the sliced garlic to the residual pan fat, and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly blond.
Pour the chicken broth into the skillet and scrape the bottom vigorously with the wooden spoon to release all caramelised browned fond into the liquid.
Add the halved cherry tomatoes and the remaining 1g fine sea salt to the skillet, simmering over medium heat for 3 minutes until skins soften.
Add the fresh spinach into the skillet in two batches, folding gently with the wooden spoon for 2 minutes until completely wilted and bright emerald.
Return the rested chicken cutlets along with any accumulated plate juices back into the skillet, spooning the warm spinach and tomato sauce over the chicken for 1 minute.
Remove the skillet from the heat, sprinkle the finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and torn fresh basil evenly over the top, and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Slicing the chicken breasts horizontally into cutlets cuts cooking time in half and provides maximum surface area for Maillard browning.
- Do not skip deglazing; the browned fond stuck to the bottom of the skillet holds concentrated glutamates that give this quick sauce deep restaurant quality flavour.
- Always grate Parmigiano-Reggiano from a block with a fine grater rather than buying pre-shredded cheese, as commercial cellulose coatings prevent smooth melting in pan juices.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Cool leftovers rapidly within two hours of cooking and store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Store in a freezer-safe container. Spinach texture will soften slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in a microwave until the internal temperature reaches at least 74°C (165°F).
Troubleshooting
Chicken breast is tough, dry, or stringy
Cause: The cutlets were cooked past the safe internal threshold of 74°C (165°F)
Fix: Spoon extra warm pan sauce and melted Parmigiano-Reggiano over sliced chicken to restore moisture
Prevention: Slice breasts into even cutlets and check internal temperature early at the 3-minute mark after flipping
Pan sauce is watery and separates
Cause: Spinach was not spun dry or the chicken broth was not reduced sufficiently before adding greens
Fix: Simmer the sauce over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 extra minutes before adding cheese, or stir in an extra 10g of finely grated cheese to emulsify
Prevention: Dry the spinach leaves thoroughly and let broth and tomatoes simmer briskly before adding spinach
Garlic burns quickly and tastes acrid
Cause: The skillet remained excessively hot after searing chicken when the garlic was introduced
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Discard burned garlic and scorched fat, wipe skillet with paper towel, and restart garlic step with 15ml fresh oil
Prevention: Remove pan from heat for 30 seconds to drop the surface temperature before adding sliced garlic
Cultural Context
This skillet meal draws inspiration from traditional Italian padella cookery, where tender poultry is swiftly seared and combined with seasonal garden vegetables in a single pan. Pairing bitter or earthy greens like spinach with garlic, olive oil, and aged cheese mirrors culinary traditions found throughout Lazio and Tuscany.
