Creamy Paprika Chicken

Name: Creamy Paprika Chicken
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil, (divided); 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces; ½ teaspoon salt, divided; ¼ teaspoon pepper, divided; 1 tablespoon flour; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; ½ cup low sodium chicken stock; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced; 1 tablespoon sweet paprika; ¼ cup dry white wine or sherry (optional); ¼ cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt); 8 ounces enriched egg noodles, cooked and drained; ¼ cup chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)

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This Creamy Paprika Chicken is my kind of comfort food, and you can make it in 30 minutes! This easy skillet chicken dish features juicy chicken simmered in a creamy sauce that's packed with rich flavor and color from sweet paprika. Serve it over a bowl of egg noodles for a delicious and hearty meal that the whole family will love.

People are always asking me for easy chicken recipes. I love a good skillet chicken dish like my Marry Me Chicken and Quick and Easy Chicken Cacciatore. Everything comes together in one dish, which means less mess and easy clean-up. Perfect for busy weeknights!

This creamy paprika chicken is a comforting and delicious meal that's perfect for any occasion. Whether you are cooking for your family, a date night, or simply looking for a cozy meal to enjoy at home, this recipe is sure to impress. The combination of tender chicken and a rich and creamy sauce is sure to become a new favorite in your recipe collection.

Jump to:

What is Paprika Chicken?
Why You'll Love This Dish
Doctor's Tip
Ingredients
How To Make Creamy Paprika Chicken Step-By-Step
Chef's Tips
What To Serve With This Dish
Recipe FAQs
More Chicken Dinners
Recipe
Reviews

What is Paprika Chicken?

My creamy paprika chicken is a simple and delicious chicken recipe that you can make in one skillet on the stove. I cook juicy, tender chicken and mushrooms in a rich and creamy paprika sauce. This easy chicken dish is my take on a classic Hungarian dish, chicken paprikash.

Chicken paprikash is a hearty stew typically made with bone-in skin-on chicken cooked in an earthy paprika-infused sauce. It's traditionally served with nokedli, a dumpling-like egg noodle, similar to German spaetzle.

My creamy paprika chicken is a quick and easy version of the classic dish that's perfect for weeknight meals. I use boneless chicken breast, which cooks quickly. I also add sliced mushrooms to add a boost of nutritious veggies.

The creamy sauce gets its characteristic red color from paprika. Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers.

Think of paprika as a gentler, sweeter relative of hot chili peppers. It boosts the flavor of your favorite dishes with fruity notes and a toasty red color without overpowering the other ingredients.

Paprika can range from mild to hot. The flavor also varies from country to country. Sweet paprika is a classic ingredient in Hungarian recipes like goulash and chicken paprikash.

The creaminess in the sauce comes from sour cream. If you like, you can substitute Greek yogurt or heavy cream.

I like to serve this creamy paprika chicken over egg noodles but you can serve it with any type of pasta, mashed potatoes or rice. If you want to try making homemade spatzle, check out my Mushroom Paprikash post.

Why You'll Love This Dish

Easy skillet recipe- everything comes together in one pan- easy to make, easy to clean up!
Delicious- tender chicken cooked in a creamy, paprika-infused sauce- yum!
Nutritious- I add nutritious mushrooms to add a boost of nutrients to the dish.
Family-friendly- both kids and adults will love this dish.

Doctor's Tip

Did you know that besides fortified foods, mushrooms are one of the few non-animal food sources of vitamin D? Mushrooms synthesize vitamin D when exposed to UV light, just like humans do! Many commercially grown mushrooms are exposed to UV light after harvest to boost their vitamin D content. This is especially important since 42% of Americans and about 1 billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes and substitutions (see recipe card below for full ingredient list):

Chicken- I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces, but you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead.
Flour- I use a little flour to thicken the sauce but you can omit it (or substitute cornstarch) to keep the recipe gluten free.
Paprika- I typically use sweet paprika but you can use any type of paprika including hot paprika if you prefer a kick.
Wine- I use a dry, white wine (like a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Riesling) or sherry; you can substitute a squeeze of lemon juice or just leave it out.
Sour cream- sour cream is classic but you can also substitute plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream.

How To Make Creamy Paprika Chicken Step-By-Step

Steps 1-4 how to make creamy paprika chicken.

See recipe card below for full recipe details and instructions.

Step 1- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and toss them with flour.
Step 2- Heat oil in a large skillet like a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken to the pan. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan.
Step 3- Heat remaining oil and add the yellow onion. Cook 2-3 minutes until softened.
Step 4- Add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.

Steps 5-8 how to make creamy paprika chicken.

Step 5- Add the chicken back to the pan along with the paprika and stir to combine well.
Step 6- Turn the heat up to high and add the wine. Cook until reduced.
Step 7- Whisk the tomato paste and chicken stock together in a measuring cup or bowl. Add the mixture to the pan.
Step 8- Simmer until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through. Then, turn the heat off and stir in the sour cream.

Serve the chicken over egg noodles or other cooked pasta. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

So go ahead and dive into a bowl of this hearty chicken dish. It's my kind of comfort food. Your family will thank you!

Chef's Tips

I like to add mushrooms to this creamy paprika chicken but you can substitute other veggies like red bell pepper or baby spinach.
The kind of paprika you use will affect the final flavor of the dish. I typically use regular sweet paprika. If you like a little kick, use hot Hungarian paprika or add a little cayenne pepper.
I use a little flour to thicken the sauce but you can omit it (or substitute cornstarch) to keep the recipe gluten free.
Use a dry, white wine (like a Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Riesling) or sherry. If you don't want to use wine, you can leave it out or add a squeeze of lemon juice.

What To Serve With This Dish

I like to serve this creamy paprika chicken over egg noodles to soak up all the delicious sauce. However, if you have more time, you can make homemade nokedli or spaetzle.

This dish is also delicious served with mashed potatoes or rice. If you're keeping low carb, you can serve it with cauliflower rice or my cauliflower mac and cheese or cauliflower cheesy bread.

Have you ever wondered how long chicken can sit out before you need to toss it? Read my post all about how to properly handle and store chicken to help ensure that it's always safe to eat!

Recipe FAQs

What does paprika do to chicken?

Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. Think of paprika as a gentler, sweeter relative of hot chili peppers. It lends mild, sweet flavor to your food without overpowering the other ingredients in the dish. In this paprika chicken, the paprika adds lovely flavor and color to the creamy sauce.

What is paprikash sauce made of?

Paprikash sauce is a classic Hungarian sauce that's typically made with Hungarian peppers, onions, garlic, water or broth, and Hungarian paprika. The sauce also sometimes has tomatoes as well as cream or sour cream to thicken it.

Is creamy paprika chicken gluten free?

I toss the chicken with a little flour so as written, the recipe is not gluten free. However, you can make this recipe gluten free by using gluten-free flour or cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour. Or you can leave it out altogether. Serve it over gluten-free pasta.