Creamy Paprika Chicken

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Juicy chicken drenched in a rich, smoky, creamy paprika sauce. The perfect easy one pan dinner for any day of the week!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Western

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

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

a) Chicken thighs - I used 4 large thighs for this recipe, but you could use 5-6 smaller ones for the same total weight. Timings will depend on the thickness of the thighs, so just be vigilant (safe internal temp for chicken is 165F/74C).

b) Chicken breast - I much prefer thighs because they add so much flavour to the sauce, but you could use breast. I recommend halving 2 large breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized cutlets. From there the recipe is the same, except they'll take 3-4mins to cook on each side (a little quicker than thighs).

c) Finely dicing - I recommend dicing the onion and sun dried tomatoes very finely, just so they blend into the sauce with more ease.

d) Paprika - I like to use regular paprika for the chicken (named just 'paprika' i.e. not smoked or hot etc). Most stores should have standard 'paprika' but if not it might be named 'sweet paprika' (that's the closest thing). I then like smoked paprika in the sauce. I highly recommend using the two different types for the best balance of flavour. Also, just a note to say that it is important that you fry the smoked paprika in the sauce (doing it with the garlic and tomatoes is fine).

e) Consistency - It'll be a little watery at the start, but it will thicken; just keep simmering away. You'll want to give it a good stir to help emulsify the fats in the sauce and make sure it doesn't split.

f) Calories - Whole recipe divided by 4.

Nutrition