IndiaAIFounders — Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Skillet

If you’re looking for a filling, comforting dinner that hits all the right marks without leaving you with a sink full of dishes, this Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Skillet is about to become your new weeknight obsession! Tender, seasoned chicken, plump cheese tortellini, sweet onions, and aromatic garlic come together in a velvety Parmesan cream sauce. Packed with lean protein and a healthy dose of spinach, it’s a complete, satisfying meal that goes from skillet to table in under 30 minutes. My husband even asked me to make an extra batch so he could bring some to his buddies at work!

From the Freezer to Creamy Comfort Food

The real beauty of this creamy chicken tortellini is its one-skillet convenience and how it delivers maximum flavor with hardly any effort (minimal cleanup? Count me in!). I season the chicken before coating it in a little flour, which helps thicken the broth and pan juices into a creamy sauce without making a separate roux. Even the frozen tortellini goes straight into the skillet without precooking. I add the cream when the broth is a little cooler to keep the sauce smooth, and I leave it slightly loose because the tortellini keeps soaking it up as it sits (which makes it even better for leftovers!).

Frozen spinach is another budget-friendly shortcut I love here. It goes straight from the freezer into the skillet with no chopping, making this a restaurant-worthy dinner without the expensive ingredients or extra prep! Prefer a meat-free alternative? Just leave the chicken out of this dish and swap the chicken broth, or try our spinach tortellini skillet next.

Recipe Success Tips

Butter and olive oil are better together here! I use both because the olive oil helps coat the skillet for sautéing, while the butter adds a rich flavor that carries through into the creamy sauce. Keep the heat at medium, though, as butter can still burn when mixed with oil.
Don’t cut the chicken too small! Aim for evenly sized, generous bite-sized pieces (check out my step-by-step photos below for reference). Chicken shrinks as it cooks, and tiny pieces can dry out quickly. Giving the chicken some room to make contact with the hot skillet also helps develop a little golden color and extra flavor. Just make sure the chicken reaches 165°F internally before serving.
Keep the tortellini FROZEN until you’re ready to use it. No thawing or boiling beforehand! This recipe is designed for tortellini straight from the freezer, so thawing it first can throw off the cooking time and leave you with mushy pasta. Different brands may cook a little faster or slower, so check that the tortellini is tender all the way through before serving.
A gentle simmer is your friend. Once the heavy cream and Parmesan go in, I keep the heat at medium-low. You only want small and gentle bubbles. Too much heat can reduce the sauce too quickly or cause the cheese to turn grainy instead of melting smoothly. Stir everything gently, too, so those little cheese-filled tortellini stay intact!
Customize your skillet! I think adding peas or substituting them instead of spinach would be delicious. Asparagus or broccoli florets would also be delicious choices for substitutes or additions.

Print Add to Collection Go to Collections Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Skillet This Creamy Chicken and Tortellini Skillet cooks everything together in a garlicky Parmesan sauce with spinach. No need to boil the pasta separately! Course Main CourseCuisine AmericanTotal Cost $13.94 recipe / $2.32 serving Prep Time 10 minutes minutesCook Time 20 minutes minutesTotal Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 6 servings (1.5 cups each) Calories 595kcal Author Jess Rice

Equipment

Large Sauté Pan

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken breast I used just over that- 1.31lbs, $6.31*
1 small yellow onion diced, (5.79 oz) $0.42
3 garlic cloves minced, $0.18
½ tsp salt $0.01
½ tsp black pepper freshly cracked, $0.03
½ tsp garlic powder $0.03
½ tsp Italian seasoning $0.04
¼ cup all-purpose flour $0.05
1 Tbsp olive oil $0.09
2 Tbsp salted butter $0.20
2 cups chicken broth $0.26**
19 oz. frozen cheese tortellini not thawed, $3.75***
¾ cup heavy cream room temp, $1.11
1 cup frozen spinach $0.32
½ cup Parmesan cheese $1.14

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Gather ingredients.
Dice chicken breast into bite-size pieces. They will shrink up a little as they cook.
Mince onion and garlic. Set aside for now.
Add salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to the diced chicken. Toss so every piece of chicken is seasoned.
Then, add the flour to the seasoned chicken. Toss until fully coated on all sides.
In a large sauté pan, add olive oil and salted butter over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted, add the diced onion. Cook the onions until glossy and softened, about 4 minutes.
Nudge the onions to the edge of the sauté pan and pour the chicken into the pan, giving each piece of chicken some surface contact with the hot pan.
After 5 minutes, flip the chicken and sear on the opposite side, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, stirring the onions and the chicken together. Let that simmer on medium-low for 4 minutes.
Add the entire package of frozen cheese tortellini to the simmering chicken and broth mixture. Stir the frozen tortellini until well-combined.
Then, add the heavy cream. The frozen tortellini has lowered the temperature of the broth mixture which will lessen the chances of a curdled sauce.
Stir everything together and add the shredded Parmesan and frozen spinach. Stir to combine and simmer over medium-low heat for 2 more minutes.
The sauce will remain loose but will thicken slightly due to the starch from the cooked tortellini and the shredded cheese. I like the sauce to remain a little loose, because the tortellini will continue to soak up the sauce as it sits. (And I find it’s better for leftovers!) It should lightly coat the back of a spoon.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. This is delicious hot, warm, or cold!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs should work well here too. For food safety, check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), measuring the thickest pieces. **To keep costs low, we use Better Than Bouillon to make our broth. Making it from scratch will help you control the sodium in your recipe, but I recommend tasting the dish before adding additional salt, as bouillon does tend to be on the salty side. ***Keep your cheese tortellini frozen until the step where they hit the pan. If they are defrosted, they will likely overcook and become mushy. The amount of time required to cook them in this recipe from a frozen state results in perfectly cooked tortellini.

Nutrition

Gather and prep your fresh ingredients. Keep the frozen tortellini in the freezer until you’re ready to add it.

Prep the chicken: Dice 1 lb. chicken breast into even, bite-sized pieces, keeping them slightly larger than you might think since they’ll shrink as they cook.

Prep the aromatics: Now dice 1 small yellow onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic.

Season and coat the chicken: Add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ tsp garlic powder, and ½ tsp Italian seasoning to the diced chicken. Toss until every piece is evenly seasoned.

Then sprinkle over ¼ cup all-purpose flour.

Toss again until the chicken is coated on all sides with the flour.

Sauté the onion: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp salted butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Once the butter has melted and begins to gently bubble, add the diced onion. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion looks glossy, softened, and slightly translucent.

Sear the chicken: Push the onions to the edges of the pan, then add the flour-coated chicken, spreading the pieces out so they contact the hot surface. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the undersides are lightly golden, then flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Avoid moving the chicken around too much while it sears. Let it sit against the hot pan to develop color and flavor.

Add the broth and garlic: Pour 2 cups chicken broth into the skillet along with the 3 cloves of minced garlic, stirring to combine everything with the chicken and onions. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan to release any flavorful browned bits. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let everything simmer gently for about 4 minutes. The broth should start to look slightly thickened as the flour coating incorporates into the liquid.

Add the frozen tortellini: Pour the entire 19 oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini directly into the simmering chicken and broth mixture. There’s no need to thaw or precook it. Gently stir to distribute the tortellini throughout the skillet without breaking the delicate pasta.

Make it creamy: Pour in ¾ cup room-temperature heavy cream and stir gently to combine. Adding the cream after the frozen tortellini helps because the pasta has slightly cooled the broth, reducing the chance of the sauce curdling. Keep the heat at medium-low so the sauce simmers gently rather than boiling vigorously.

Add the cheese and spinach: Stir in ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese and 1 cup frozen spinach. Continue simmering gently over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cheese has melted into the sauce and the spinach is heated through. The sauce should look smooth and creamy, with the spinach evenly distributed. Check that the tortellini is tender all the way through, simmering for longer if needed. Make sure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.

Check the sauce and serve: The sauce should remain slightly loose but still lightly coat the back of a spoon. Don’t worry if it looks a little thinner than a typical Alfredo sauce! The tortellini will continue absorbing the liquid as it sits, thickening the sauce naturally.

Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Serve and enjoy!

What to Serve with Creamy Chicken Tortellini

This recipe makes 6 generous servings of about 1½ cups each. It’s perfect for dinner tonight, with leftovers to look forward to at lunchtime tomorrow! I would pair this with a bright, fresh salad with a decent vinegary bite to cut through the richness of the oh-so-creamy sauce and cheesy tortellini. My go-to is our Greek salad, but this kale salad is another one of my absolute favorites! The subtle sweetness from the raisins and green apples really balances out this creamy chicken skillet.

For something warm, our air fryer Brussels sprouts have deliciously crispy edges and are ready in about 20 minutes, so you can whip them up while the tortellini cooks. Or if you love a little bread with your saucy pasta, our no-knead focaccia rolls can be made ahead of time, making dinner even easier.

Greek Salad

$11.37 recipe / $1.42 serving

Easy Kale Salad

$5.90 recipe / $1.48 serving

Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts

$3.75 recipe / $0.93 serving

No-Knead Focaccia Rolls

$1.20 recipe / $0.10 serving Storage & Reheating

Let any leftovers cool, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate within two hours of cooking. They’ll keep for up to 3-4 days. The tortellini will soak up the creamy sauce as it sits (which is why I especially like the sauce to be looser when I know I’ll have leftovers!), so expect it to thicken in the fridge.

Reheating

Warm leftovers in a skillet over medium-low heat. You may need to add a splash of chicken broth or milk to loosen the sauce if the pasta has absorbed a lot. Stir gently until heated through to 165°F. You can also microwave individual portions in short intervals, stirring between each one for even heating.

Freezing

I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one. The cheese-filled tortellini can lose its tender texture, and the cream sauce may separate once thawed. You’ll get much better results keeping any leftovers in the fridge and enjoying them over the next few days.

Love Tortellini? Try These Easy Recipes Next

Our Cheese Tortellini and Sausage Skillet brings together savory Italian sausage, marinara sauce, spinach, and plenty of melty mozzarella for a hearty one-pan dinner.
I love how our Creamy Spinach Tortellini Soup turns simple ingredients into a rich, creamy, veggie-packed bowl of comfort!
For potlucks or make-ahead lunches, I’d go with this colorful Tortellini Salad tossed with fresh veggies and a zesty Italian dressing.
Loaded with tender pasta, Italian sausage, and vegetables, our Sausage and Tortellini Soup is just the thing for a chilly evening!

More Chicken Pasta Recipes

Marry Me Chicken Pasta

$8.44 recipe / $1.41 serving

Chicken Pasta Primavera

$13.66 recipe / $3.42 serving

One Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

$9.41 recipe / $2.35 serving

Chicken and Broccoli Skillet Lasagna

$9.19 recipe / $1.53 serving

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