Savor tender bites of chicken with spinach and mushrooms, a quick and easy dish that’s healthy, tasty and perfect for busy weeknight dinners. Enjoy it over rice or pasta for a complete meal.
This savory chicken with spinach and mushrooms dish is the perfect balance of tender chicken, vibrant spinach and earthy mushrooms, making a deeply satisfying and nutritious meal. While this chicken does give the impression of a dish that took both time and energy to make, it’s actually super quick to throw together. Whether served over a bed of rice, added to a garlic pasta base or served with a simple side of greens, this is an excellent weeknight meal to have in your repertoire.
Ingredients for Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms
- Olive oil: Use a mild EVOO for this recipe for the best results.
- Veggies: Fresh mushrooms, green onions and a few cups of fresh baby spinach all work together to create an earthy vibe to this dish.
- Chopped pecans: Coarsely chopped pecans are added with the spinach, helping to create a rich, nutty sauce-like topping for the grilled chicken.
- Chicken: We recommend using boneless skinless chicken breast halves, about 4 ounces each.
- Rotisserie chicken seasoning: This helps to give the entire meal a delicious boost in flavor.
- Provolone cheese: This recipe calls for reduced-fat provolone cheese; feel free to sub it out for any cheese that you prefer.
Directions
Step 1: Saute the veggies
Preheat the grill or broiler. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and saute the mushrooms and green onions until tender. Stir in the spinach and chopped pecans until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat; keep warm.
Step 2: Grill the chicken
Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning. Grill the chicken, covered, on an oiled grill rack over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 165°F, four to five minutes per side. Top with the cheese, then grill until the cheese is melted. To serve, top with the mushroom mixture.
Test Kitchen Tip: Alternatively, you can broil the chicken 4 inches from the heat on a greased broiler pan. The rest of the directions stay the same.
Recipe Variations
- Marinate the chicken: For added flavor, consider marinating the chicken overnight.
- Fry the chicken: Instead of grilling, make a crispy breaded chicken recipe, but keep everything else the same.
- Swap in steak: Sub a steak for the chicken if you’d prefer a heartier protein.
How to Store Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms
Once cooled, store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can store the chicken smothered in the spinach and mushroom sauce, or store everything separately. If stored properly, this meal is best enjoyed within three days.
How do you reheat chicken with spinach and mushrooms?
To reheat, heat oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and then combine everything in the skillet. Heat everything, covered, until the chicken is warmed through.
Chicken with Spinach and Mushroom Tips
How do I keep chicken from drying out?
Chicken that’s dried out is chicken that has been cooked for too long. It’s a common problem—everyone is so scared of undercooking chicken that it’s easily overcooked. To avoid this, cook the chicken until a thermometer reads 165° or even slightly under, as the chicken will continue cooking once removed from the heat. Avoid slicing the chicken to check for doneness until the thermometer reads 165°. Keeping the juices inside the meat is key to keeping the chicken tender.
What can I use in place of spinach?
Tender, wilted baby spinach is absolutely delicious on this grilled chicken, but if you’d prefer a different green, sub in kale or tender, crunchy Asian greens, such as tatsoi or bok choy.
What can I do with leftovers?
This recipe makes for yummy chicken, mushroom and spinach leftovers, but if you want to switch it up a bit, we recommend dicing the chicken up and adding it to buttery pasta. Top it with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh cherry tomatoes for a twist on the original dish that’ll have you second-guessing how to make it next time.TEST KITCHEN APPROVED
Spinach and Mushroom Smothered Chicken
Yield:4 servings
Prep:15 min
Cook:15 min
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1-3/4 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons chopped pecans
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
- 1/2 teaspoon rotisserie chicken seasoning
- 2 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese, halved
Directions
- 1Preheat grill or broiler. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute mushrooms and green onions until tender. Stir in spinach and pecans until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat; keep warm.
- 2Sprinkle chicken with seasoning. Grill, covered, on an oiled grill rack over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat on a greased broiler pan until a thermometer reads 165°, 4-5 minutes per side. Top with cheese; grill or broil until cheese is melted. To serve, top with mushroom mixture.
Nutrition Facts
1 serving: 203 calories, 9g fat (2g saturated fat), 68mg cholesterol, 210mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (1g sugars, 2g fiber), 27g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.
Also Read : Nutritious Cabbage Stew for Blood Sugar Balance
