Chicken Florentine Pizza

The beautiful city of Florence, located in the Italian region of Tuscany, is known for white beans, freshly pressed olive oil and thick steaks seared over fire. You’ll find plenty of those in the shops and restaurants that line the narrow cobbled streets, but you probably won’t find chicken Florentine pizza. Why? Because it’s actually an American invention with a French name!

In French cuisine, à la Florentine refers to dishes covered with a rich, gooey spinach sauce: think artichoke Florentine pasta or tilapia Florentine. We bring this flavor combo to pizza by spreading dough with a layer of ricotta, then adding spinach and two kinds of cheese.

Recipe creator Phil Corder of Monroe, Louisiana, started making  chicken Florentine pizza as a way to switch up pizza night. But this pizza recipe works as a quick weeknight dinner or a party appetizer, too. For the latter, cut it into small squares instead of whole slices, making it easier to snack on.

Ingredients for Chicken Florentine Pizza

• Italian seasoning: Italian seasoning—a blend of aromatic dried herbs including basil, oregano and parsley—is easy to find in the spice aisle, but can also be made from scratch if you have a good collection of dried herbs at home.
• Garlic powder: This powdered allium adheres well when tossed with chicken cubes, and adds pungent garlicky flavor. If your Italian spice blend includes garlic, you could dial down the amount of garlic powder.
• Cooked chicken breast: Whether you’re using store-bought rotisserie chicken or your own leftovers, having the meat already cooked makes this pizza recipe a snap. The recipe calls for white meat, but you can use dark meat or a mix of both.
• Ricotta: You can easily find whole-milk ricotta at most grocery stores. However, homemade ricotta is lovely and should earn you some sort of culinary merit badge!
• Prebaked pizza crust: Ricotta spread is moist; using a prebaked crust helps ensure the bread doesn’t get soggy in the oven.
• Spinach: Squeezing the liquid out of frozen spinach is an important step. If cooking down spinach from scratch, the same principle applies: Let the greens cool, then press out the liquid. Save the juices for a soup!
• Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes: Dried tomatoes packed in oil will be pliable; those not stored in oil may be leathery or hard to bite into. If you only have the latter, simply soak them in a few splashes of water or broth for 30 minutes to rehydrate them.
• Mozzarella cheese: Smooth, melty mozzarella is one of the best pizza toppings. Cheese shred from a block will always melt better than bagged shredded cheese, but either works.
• Parmesan: Parmesan sold in blocks and grated at home will taste better than preshredded or canned versions.

Directions

Step 1: Construct and bake the pizza

Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a bowl, combine the Italian seasoning and garlic powder, then toss them with the cubed chicken. Spread the ricotta cheese on the pizza crust and top it with the chicken, spinach and tomatoes. Sprinkle the pizza with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake the pizza until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Chicken Florentine Pizza Variations

• Try a cream sauce as the base: A rich garlic cream sauce would be a great replacement base for the ricotta. White pizza sauce is similar, but just a touch lighter.
• Bump up the toppings: Get creative with additional toppings like marinated artichoke hearts, black olives, chopped fresh tomatoes, caramelized onions or strips of roasted bell pepper.
• Use leftover chicken: You don’t have to cook chicken just for this dish. Leftovers from previous meals, like country-roasted chicken, make perfect pizza toppings.

How to Store Chicken Florentine Pizza

Once cool, store leftover pizza slices in an airtight container. You can put pieces of parchment between the layers to keep things tidy. Pop on a lid, and store the pizza in the fridge. It will last three to four days.

Can you freeze chicken Florentine pizza?

Because of its moist ingredients like spinach and ricotta, chicken Florentine pizza isn’t the best candidate for freezing before baking. However, if you have leftover slices, you can wrap them in storage wrap and foil and store them in the freezer for three months.

What’s the best way to reheat pizza?

To reheat pizza, place slices in a cold skillet with a lid, and cook them over medium-low heat until you hear the cheese sizzle. You can also reheat pizza in a 375° oven, which will take around 10 minutes. A toaster oven or air fryer also work! If the slices come straight from the freezer, reheat them at 425° for 6 to 10 minutes.

Chicken Florentine Pizza Tips

Can you use homemade pizza dough for chicken Florentine pizza?

Using homemade dough is a great idea. If you’ve got time the day before you want your pizza, mix up a quick batch of homemade pizza dough and let it chill in the fridge overnight. Make sure you leave time to parbake it before adding toppings.

What can you serve with chicken Florentine pizza?

Vegetables are a great side to counteract the richness—just like they are with chicken Florentine. Since it’s a white pizza, a dish like eggplant with tomato sauce is a nice addition to the menu, and baked zucchini would be super, too. Other great options include roasted broccoli and cauliflower or green beans amandine.