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How would you like a delicious Chicken Paprikash recipe that’s been made a tad leaner? Made with chicken breasts instead of the traditional thighs and legs, this recipe is not only lower on calories, it is also so much quicker.
Serve this chicken with our Baked Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Bread.
Traditional Chicken Paprikash is one of my favourite meals to sit down to as a family. It’s delicious and comforting. Chicken braised in a rich sauce flavoured with paprika and enriched with sour cream is a delight.
It can be a bit heavy and calorie-laden. So I was determined to lightened it up. And after a few trials I ended up with something incredibly delicious even though not entirely authentic.
Lighter Version of Chicken Paprikash
Traditionally chicken paprikash is made with chicken legs and thighs that need to be fried first in order to crisp up the skin, which means ….more fat. Then it’s braised in a rich paprika sauce.
I wanted to avoid frying the chicken, so I chose boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead. And to make things even lighter I used half the amount of chicken. Then I added red peppers for some needed vitamins.
I scaled down on the oil and sour cream to reduce the calories. Not only is this chicken paprikash healthy, it is also economical!
To bulk up the dish I added canned chickpeas. If you are a chickpea fan like myself, I don’t need to convince you what a great texture they add. Also being simmered in Hungarian paprika sauce makes them off the scale flavourful…little smoky nuggets of goodness.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Sear sliced chicken strips over high heat to brown the meat. This step adds extra flavour to the chicken and the sauce.
- Do the same with red peppers. We want to see some colour on them.
- Use paprika that is still potent and fragrant. Dried spices do go out of date, so make sure to check the expiration date.
- Use full fat sour cream as low fat tends to separate in sauces. Also stir in sour cream at the end and take off the heat immediate to keep the sauce from curdling.
Serving suggestions
Serve this creamy paprikash with rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. A salad or vegetables on the side can also be welcome to offset the creaminess of the main dish.
I’m also a fan of adding a sprinkle of fresh parsley before serving for a little colour and freshness. A pinch of black pepper can also be a great way to finish it off.
Storage and leftovers
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and enjoy within three days.
This paprikash also freezes beautifully—just place it in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container and keep it for up to three months. When ready to use, thaw completely, reheat, and enjoy within 48 hours.
To reheat, warm gently in a This is an affiliate link.saucepan on the stove or pop it in the microwave until heated through.
More chicken breast recipes
Better Chicken and Chickpea Paprikash
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless, sliced in strips
- 1 red bell pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp This is an affiliate link.sweet paprika, or This is an affiliate link.smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp flour
- 375ml/1 1/2 cups This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 400ml/14oz canned diced tomatoes
- 400ml/14 oz canned chickpeas, drained
- 125ml/1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche, full fat
- flat leaf parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cut chicken breast in strips and season with salt and pepper.
- In a large pan sear chicken strips in olive oil until just sealed but not completely cooked, approximately for 5-7 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Add sliced pepper and stir fry over medium-high heat until slightly charred but still crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to low and add chopped onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft, add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Add paprika and flour, stir to combine until you have a red paste.
- Whisk chicken stock in until the paste is completely blended into it. You might want to add 1/2 cup first and whisk, then the rest of the stock to avoid lumps.
- Add diced tomatoes.
- Return chicken to the pan and add chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes uncover your chicken paprikash, stir in sour cream, add red peppers and take off the heat immediately to avoid sour cream separating.
- Taste and add more salt if necessary.
- Serve sprinkled with chopped flat leaf parsley and steaming rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Im curious it calls for sweet or smoked paprika. I have both. I feel as if smoked paprika is over powering. Do you suggest using one over the other? Has anyone gone with the sweet? Any feedback is helpful and welcome! Thanks
Hi Julie, the ingredient list gives you an option to choose. I love smoked paprika and I tend to use it more. I find regular sweet paprika slightly lacking in flavour but it’s just a personal preference, however Spanish sweet smoked paprika is beautiful. If you can find it in specialty shops or online, you won’t be disappointed. You can use it in a variety of dishes, it’s a very fragrant spice.
Yumm-o! Just looking at this recipe makes my mouth water. Can’t wait to make this for my family. Your recipe for coq-a-vin was divine, by the way.
Thank you so much, Nicole! This recipe is definitely one of our favourites! So good with buttery mashed potatoes or rice!
I just made this delicious dish and love it! I come from a Hungarian background so I am very familiar with Chicken Paprikash. The adding of the chickpeas is a great idea! I also substituted the sour cream with Fat free Greek Yogurt. Yummy! Now I am trying to decide if I want to make egg noodles or dumplings to go with it! I am sure either will be awesome! 🙂
Made this for dinner last night with carrots instead of peppers, and it was amazing!
We started eating and I though, what is missing, it doesn’t taste right… and I realized I’d forgotten the sour cream, and that really makes the dish.
Thank you!
Yes, sour cream definitely balances out the spices and acidity plus that yum factor! Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Cobi!
Love this! Made it so many times now. Also tried it with Greek Yoghurt instead of soured cream which tastes great too.
That is awesome, Charlotte! I am going to try it with Greek yogurt!
AMAZING. I’ve been meaning to make this for a while; so glad I finally made it tonight! So good. If you’re reading this and are still on the fence about making it, do yourself a favor and make it tonight!
Oh thank you for the endorsement, Marnie! I am thrilled you loved it!
Is chickpea in a paprikash? I have never seen enything like this.
It’s not a traditional version but rather my own take on it as I’d mentioned in the blog post.
Oh no. Chickpea is good idea. I was thinking too conservative. This recipe is traditional witout chickpea therefore I was surprised. I cook it very similar ( little bit more sour cream, less flour). It is good to see hungarian foods from other countries.
I just cooked this. Amazing! My Fiance turned his nose up when I told him what was planning on cooking and ordered take out. When I was finished plating it up he was scraping the pan. Will be cooking this again for the both of us soon, thank you for sharing!!
Oh Jamie, that is hilarious! Sweet victory!! Thank you for letting me know and have a lovely weekend!
Found your recipe today while wondering what to do with some chicken breasts and an onion/green and red pepper mix I had. I looked in my pantry, fridge and spice cabinet and found I had all the ingredients! I had just gotten a beautiful smoked paprika (which I used even more liberally here) from my spice shop so I was really excited! It was incredibly easy to make, turned out amazing and so delicious this will now join my Go-To recipes. The chickpeas (I drained them) were not something my husband or kids were terribly excited about, even though I make a home-made hummus and they eat it up, but in this they had 0 complaints and scraped their bowls clean. Served over a thyme infused rice. Thanks for sharing it! Fabulous!
That’s just wonderful, Jamie! I am such a huge smoked paprika fan myself, just used it in my latest post and loved it! Thrilled to receive such great feedback!
Can I make this in the Crockpot?
I haven’t tried, Nicole, so I can’t be sure. The recipe was adapted for a quick 30 min. meal and that is why chicken breasts are used, which don’t benefit from cooking for long periods of time. I would use legs and thighs if I were to cook this recipe in a slow cooker and add sour cream at the end to avoid separation. Let me know how it goes if you do try!