Juicy chicken drenched in a rich, smoky, creamy paprika sauce. The perfect easy one pan dinner for any day of the week!
All you need is a handful of simple ingredients and 30 minutes to make this incredible dinner. Follow me…
Creamy Paprika Chicken Ingredients
For how simple this selection of ingredients are, I think you’re going to be surprised at how delicious this recipe is. The full recipe is in the recipe card, but I’ll just quickly explain each ingredient.
- Chicken – I love using boneless skinless thighs, but you could use chicken breast if you’d prefer.
- Seasoning – the chicken seasoning is paprika-based, with some onion & garlic powder, salt & black pepper and some optional cayenne for spice.
- Onion – I like using red onion as it’s a little sweeter than white. I find it balances the smoky, spicy flavour a little better.
- Garlic – adds some savoury depth to the sauce.
- Smoked Paprika – this is to go in the sauce and is of course the star ingredient in the creamy ‘paprika’ sauce.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes – these add lovely pops of flavour and take on the smokiness really nicely.
- Stock – chicken stock is used to create half of the sauce.
- Cream – heavy/double cream is used for the other half. Make sure you’re not using low-fat; it needs to be heavy/double for the thickest consistency and richest flavour.
- Dijon – a small amount of Dijon mustard helps cut through the rich sauce. It also adds some complexity to the sauce. You won’t taste it, but it’s very much needed.
- Butter – to finish the sauce, I love stirring in a knob of butter to help create a gorgeous, glossy finish.
Recipe Tip
Using the two different types of paprika is important. The regular paprika seasons the chicken in a more subtle way, whereas the smoked paprika gives so much smokiness and body to the sauce.
Chicken Paprika
To prep the thighs, there are two sneaky tips you might find handy:
- Slice – if you lay the thighs smooth side down, you’ll likely notice some strands of meat that are preventing the thighs from lying completely flat. I recommend slicing these to ensure the thighs don’t curl in the pan as they fry.
- Pound – it’s a good idea to gently pound the thighs to even thickness, just so they cook through quicker and more evenly. For convenience, I simply do this with the blunt side of a knife.
Pan-fried chicken
They shouldn’t take too long to cook through – keep in mind they’ll carry on cooking slightly as they rest and when added back to the pan. Try to get a light charring on each side to increase the flavour and add to the smokiness of the dish.
Process shots: prep thighs (photo 1), season (photo 2), fry then remove (photos 3&4).
Creamy Paprika Sauce for Chicken
The sauce comes together very easily and doesn’t take much time at all. Here are a few tips for you to get the best out of the sauce:
- Fond – after you’ve fried the chicken, you’ll notice some build-up of flavour/char in the pan. This is flavour! As you fry the onion, it’ll release moisture, which helps ‘lift’ the flavour from the pan. You can then scrape any more from the pan with your wooden spoon when you add the stock.
- Paprika – it’s essential to fry the paprika. This helps the flavour ‘bloom’ and prevents a raw taste.
- Resting Juices – as the chicken rests, you’ll notice a pool of juices form. Do not discard this, it’s bonus flavour that you can incorporate into the sauce.
For more one pan chicken thigh recipes check out my Lemon Dill Chicken, Creamy Cajun Chicken and Creamy Chorizo Chicken!
Process shots: fry onion (photo 1), fry paprika, sun dried tomatoes and garlic (photo 2), simmer stock, cream and mustard (photo 3), stir in resting juices (photo 4), stir in butter (photo 5), baste chicken (photo 6).
How to serve Creamy Paprika Chicken
Once the thighs are drenched in the sauce and warmed back through, it’s time to serve. Here are my favourite options:
- Baked Potato and Broccolini (as pictured below).
- Crusty Bread and Side Salad (lighter but perfect for mopping up that sauce).
- Other Potato Sides such as Mash, Roast Potatoes, Chips or Wedges.
- Other Veg Sides such as Green Beans, Peas and Asparagus.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy paprika chicken shall we?!
How to make Creamy Paprika Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Creamy Paprika Chicken
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pan & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock/cream)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.4lbs / 640g boneless skinless Chicken Thighs (see notes)
- 2 tsp Paprika (see notes)
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Salt, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Black Pepper, Cayenne Pepper (reduce or omit cayenne if you don't like any spice)
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Creamy Paprika Sauce
- 1 small Red Onion, finely diced (see notes)
- 2oz / 60g Sun Dried Tomatoes, finely diced
- 2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 3/4 cup / 180ml EACH: Chicken Stock, Heavy/Double Cream
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tbsp / 15g Unsalted Butter
Instructions
- Place the thighs smooth side down on a chopping board and slice any pieces of connecting meat that prevent them from lying completely flat (or that would cause them to curl in the pan). Use the blunt end of your knife to gently pound any thicker parts of the thigh so they are even thickness. Season both sides with the seasoning mix.
- Add 1 tbsp oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the thighs and fry both sides until lightly charred and cooked right through the centre (4-5 minutes on each side depending on size). Remove and place on a plate to one side, leaving the excess fat in the pan.
- Lower the heat to medium and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic, sun dried tomatoes and smoked paprika and fry for another minute or so. Pour in the stock and cream, then stir in the mustard. Simmer for around 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the resting juices from the chicken, then swiftly stir in the butter until it melts into the sauce.
- Check for seasoning and adjust if needed, then add the chicken back to the pan and baste in the sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
