Chicken breasts sauteed with butter, cremini mushrooms and a touch of white wine, then mixed with sour cream for a rich and satisfying sauce. Serve over rice or potatoes. Do you need this Chicken Stroganoff recipe? Absolutely!! Creamy, dreamy and all around delicious!
For another creamy chicken breast recipe, check out my Chicken and Chickpea Paprikash.
Loving all things creamy is not surprising when one comes from an Eastern European background. We love things cozy, and you friends would too if you had to face long, cold winters!
But I feel like we are not alone in our passion for rich and velvety dinners since my recipe for Best Beef Stroganoff is the most popular dish on my blog to date! Well over 200 readers’ reviews to date!
We share this love, my friends and that makes me very, very happy! So happy that I wanted to show you more ways to enjoy Stroganoff.
Can I use chicken for Stroganoff?
It’s true that outside of Russia it’s mostly known as Beef Stroganoff but in the country of its origin the recipe if often made using other types of meat as well.
It evolved into more of a method of cooking meat in gravy than an actual recipe.
Meat that is often used other than beef is pork and chicken mostly because they are more economical!
No doubt that beef is delicious but you will need rather high quality steak to achieve best results and that puts Stroganoff in a pricey meal category. Not great since it’s too tasty to enjoy only once in while!
With that in mind I decided to develop a chicken stroganoff recipe, which would be similar yet distinctly different. I have to say that I was quite pleased with the end result and my whole family agreed that this Chicken Stroganoff recipe is blog worthy.
Once in while I create a dish that is intended for the blog but upon tasting it realise that something is lacking and it is only average or in other words “not blog worthy”. Well…not this time!
What is the difference between Chicken Stroganoff and Beef Stroganoff?
This Chicken Stroganoff recipe is not just a pale cousin of Beef Stroganoff. It is its rival!
I knew that a few more ingredients were needed to set off the delicate taste of chicken breasts and I think a splash of white wine and a tablespoon of tomato paste did that job beautifully.
How to make best Chicken Stroganoff recipe:
- Take your time browning mushroom. Not steaming, they need to get a good colour on them, so turn your heat up and make them look golden!
- Use a combination of olive oil and butter for extra delicious flavour or used clarified butter to avoid burning!
- Cook your sauce over low heat to prevent sour cream from separating!
- Use half sour cream and half double cream if you find the taste of sour cream too strong! I don’t.
What to serve with Chicken Stroganoff
- Serve over a combination of white and wild rice for extra fibre. That suggestion is optional. Obvi.
- Other side dishes that are excellent with this chicken recipe are mashed potatoes and egg noodles!
Now you are ready to make Chicken Stroganoff. You can see that it’s good till the last drop!
What is Stroganoff Sauce made of?
The main ingredient for the sauce in chicken stroganoff is sour cream. Sometimes double/heavy cream is used in place of sour cream. I personally prefer using creme fraiche as it’s the next closest thing to Russian smetana (sour cream).
Whatever cream you choose to use, make sure to flavour it with a touch of dry white wine, tomato paste, whole grain or dijon mustard and a bay leaf.
Can you freeze Chicken Stroganoff?
Sour cream sauce tends to separate after freezing. If you want to freeze chicken stroganoff and keep the sauce texture smooth, I would recommend using double/heavy cream instead of sour cream.
More creamy chicken recipes:
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup/125g chestnut mushrooms
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 onion small, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lbs chicken breasts skinless, boneless
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup/70 ml white wine dry
- 1/3 cup/85 ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp whole grain mustard
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup/250ml sour cream or smetana
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large and deep pan and brown sliced or halved if small chestnut mushroom over medium heat until golden, stir once in a while to avoid burning. This will take approximately 5-7 minutes, do not rush that process. Add chopped onion and garlic and cook over lower heat for 5 minutes longer. Remove to a separate plate and set aside.
- To the same pan add bite-sized sliced chicken breasts with a pinch of salt and brown on all sides over high heat for 5-7 minutes. When the chicken is browned pour the white wine all over and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release the brown bits. Then add the chicken stock, mustard, tomato paste and bay leaf.
- Return the onions and mushrooms back to the pan, bring everything to a boil and then lower the heat, add the sour cream and chopped parsley and let it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened to a desired consistency.
Video
Notes
Amber Rogers says
December 30, 2019 at 9:12 pmMade this with leftover Christmas turkey.. it was a winner
vikalinka says
December 30, 2019 at 10:11 pmWhat a great use of leftover turkey, Amber! Glad you enjoyed it!
Chris Sandiford says
December 29, 2019 at 7:21 pmThis is a stunning dish. Simple and packed with flavour. Thanks for sharing. One thing though, it always ends up a lot redder than your photos, like a deep salmon pink rather than brown. I always add a dash of soy which adds colour and depth of saltiness instead of seasoning with salt and that brins it round. Thanks again.
vikalinka says
December 29, 2019 at 7:51 pmHi Chris, I am so glad you love this recipe. I honestly wouldn’t worry about the colour. I think it depends on the concentration of the tomato paste and perhaps how much the sauce is reduced. I like the idea of adding a touch of soy sauce. I am sure it adds another dimension of flavour.
Angela says
November 15, 2019 at 6:05 pmJulia, this recipe was amazing!
It took me 20 min to prepare and the whole family loved it! Even Matteo ( 2years old) asked for seconds!
My kids asked for this recipe to be added to our routine meals 😉 and I’ll make sure to keep it in mind as a recipe to make when I have guest and I don’t feel like cooking for a long time!!
Thank you for sharing this… next I’m trying the rye bread 🙂
vikalinka says
November 16, 2019 at 9:10 amI am so happy to hear it, Angela!! Thank you for sharing this with me!
Jayne Matthews says
October 22, 2019 at 6:27 pmHaving tried a chicken stroganoff before and not thinking that much of it, I was very surprised with how delicious this is. This will definitely remain one of my ‘go to’ recipes for ease and speed as well as taste
vikalinka says
October 22, 2019 at 9:36 pmSo happy to hear it, Jayne!
Marium says
August 11, 2019 at 7:04 pmWhat can we use instead of wine as a substitute?
vikalinka says
August 11, 2019 at 8:17 pmHi Marium, there is really no substitute for wine. You can deglaze with chicken stock but it won’t have the same flavour.
Lee Paris says
September 15, 2019 at 2:57 amWine does not need to be a concern I do not think since the alcohol cooks off at a very low temp?
Jeremy Prior says
January 15, 2020 at 10:33 amIf you don’t want alcohol then i would use fairly tart apple juice not too sweet. An alcohol containing substitute would be dry sherry or Chinese rice wine. Failing that I suppose alcohol-free lager would work from a taste point of view. Most of the alcohol boils off but recently I was told it doesn’t completely disappear so if you have a specific need not to imbibe alcohol then there are good substitutes that don’t spoil this excellent recipe.
vikalinka says
January 15, 2020 at 10:35 amThanks for your tips, Jeremy!
Liz Mc says
July 6, 2019 at 9:38 pmGreat recipe. Easy to do. Everyone loved it. I followed the recipe exactly as posted. Thanks for sharing!
vikalinka says
July 7, 2019 at 7:45 amThat’s so great to hear, Liz! Glad you loved this chicken stroganoff recipe.
Matilde says
June 14, 2019 at 2:19 amI made the recipe tonight for my family. It turn out really, really good. I added green peppers and added an extra tablespoon of the tomato paste. I did use Marsala wine and poured a little extra. It’s now on our family favorite list. Thanks for the recipe.
vikalinka says
June 14, 2019 at 10:53 amI am sure Marsala added a nice sweet touch to this chicken stroganoff. I must try it myself, sounds delicious, Matilde!
Wendy Van den Bergh says
April 13, 2019 at 6:34 pmThank you SO much for this fabulous recipe. I’ve just made it and it’s unbelievably good. I used creme fraiche and one third cream, big juicy brown mushrooms and I added some green pepper. Glorious! Such a beautifully explained recipe too.
vikalinka says
April 13, 2019 at 7:31 pmWendy, this just made my day. No joke! I am thrilled you loved it.
Linda says
March 31, 2019 at 6:41 pmThis was fabulous. My kids said it was a “definite make again”. I used red wine instead of white because it’s all I had. It didn’t change the color because the tomato paste made it red anyway. Thank you for this recipe.
vikalinka says
April 1, 2019 at 1:27 pmI love it when my recipes get approved by kids!! Thank you for sharing that, Linda. 🙂
Graeme Edwards says
March 27, 2019 at 11:50 pmIve also just changed over from years of expensive beef to chicken. My family love it. While the breast is probably healthier the thigh is so tender. I’m head chef at home , and my son also loves to cook. Even when I was a boy I loved cooking and trying different recipes and then changing them around. I like your recipes a lot and hope dont mind if I share some of my variations. I love Paprika in this dish, a can of creamy mushroom soup and can of whole tomatoes. Then lots of boiled potatoes that you can smother in leftover sour cream. Thanks
Lee Paris says
September 15, 2019 at 3:02 amI bet low fat ground beef will work just as well for cost concerns.
DP says
March 27, 2019 at 5:07 amThis chicken stroganoff takes me back to my childhood. My mother made a creamy chicken in gravy very similar to this. We often served it over pasta or mashed potatoes. It’s truly the ultimate comfort food! Your recipe looks divine, Julia!
NatD says
March 26, 2019 at 11:12 pmWow, that clear plate says it all. We love eating chicken stroganoff with rice or noodles. I like that you have mushrooms in it, my hubby will be happy!
Katie says
March 25, 2019 at 6:04 pmMy mom always made creamy kyritsa v smetane and this chicken stroganoff reminds me of that. I love that you kept the mushrooms semi chunky and all your tips, including adding cream to the sauce. Wow…never thought of doing that.
vikalinka says
March 25, 2019 at 6:36 pmI prefer smetana to cream but some people find it too tangy.:-)
Val says
March 25, 2019 at 3:30 pmSo good! Your empty bowl describes the dish well. You just cannot stop yourself. I loved the unexpected pop of wow the mustard gives! YES!!!.
vikalinka says
March 25, 2019 at 4:27 pmThank you so much! No one complains when creamy chicken stroganoff is on the menu!! And yes, the plates are always clean at the end of dinner! 🙂
Beth says
March 17, 2019 at 1:10 amIf you don’t like mustard a dash of Worcestershire sauce works well.
A dash of smoked paprika takes it to another level, in my opinion.
Gwen says
March 11, 2019 at 11:30 amLooking for a chicken & mushroom stroganoff recipe I found this. Made it and was very impressed. The flavours were lovely. I followed the recipe fully but used Djon mustard as I didn’t have whole grain and I used Creme fraiche which worked well. My kids ate it all too. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
vikalinka says
March 11, 2019 at 2:50 pmThank you for your feedback, Gwen. I am thrilled everyone enjoyed this recipe. I often use Dijon mustard myself. 🙂
JJJones says
March 6, 2019 at 10:21 amTried this, my sauce always splits and hey ho, it was the best I’ve ever made, I used semi skimmed Milk for sauce, perfect.!!! Also did a layer of sweet potato part boiled under regular potato slices. Thankyou.
vikalinka says
March 6, 2019 at 10:42 amI am so glad you enjoyed it, Julie! Using full fat milk products make a difference. I think the sauce needs fat to stabilise it. 🙂
Nikki says
February 26, 2019 at 11:45 amIs this suitable for freezing? If not do you have a suggestion to substitute whatever cannot freeze 🙂
vikalinka says
February 26, 2019 at 5:52 pmHi Nikki, it should freeze well, however soured cream sometimes splits when frozen and reheated, so I would recommend reheating it over low heat to avoid that.
Esra Kanat says
February 25, 2019 at 10:43 amHi Julia,
I have tried your recipe yesterday with everything you have suggested, only the Smetana wasn’t available, I used double thick cream. The result was impeccable! I think this was the best chicken slow-cook dish I have ever made it! I am originally Turkish and my other half is Greek, it did work out so well with our appetite! Thank you very much for your lovely blog and tasteful dishes!
приятного аппетита!
:))
vikalinka says
February 25, 2019 at 4:32 pmThanks so much, Esra!
Christine Agar says
January 19, 2019 at 12:38 pmCud this been done in a slow cooker an a dash o red wine instead of white and whole grain mustard .jus trying to use the stuff i already have .
Cheeers
vikalinka says
January 19, 2019 at 12:48 pmYour substitutions are fine, Christine. I’ve never made this in a slow cooker as it’s a quick meal and chicken breasts don’t really benefit from slow cooking, so I can’t be sure. I am afraid sour cream might split in a slow cooker.
Brian says
January 13, 2019 at 4:53 pmI made this dish with Swedish meatballs and added a tablespoon of smoked paprika. The results were fantastic!
vikalinka says
January 13, 2019 at 6:22 pmOh that sounds so tasty, Brian!
Ieva says
January 9, 2019 at 9:24 amThis sounds delicious and I’d love to try it. I was wondering if the mustard is prepared or dry?
vikalinka says
January 9, 2019 at 10:23 amIt’s prepared mustard, Leva. I usually use dijon.
Puja Bindal says
December 26, 2018 at 5:19 pmHi Julia, I followed your recipe to the word and when my 8 year old ate the stroganoff, he said “mamma this is the best chicken you have ever cooked” so I am a very happy mom today. Thank you so much for it, I wasn’t sure I should add mustard but then I finally added it. The only variation I did was to use fresh cream!and rose wine instead of white wine.
I will be trying more of your recipes:-)
vikalinka says
December 27, 2018 at 11:21 amThis is the sweetest review, Puja! Thank you for sharing!
Mike Cooney says
October 30, 2018 at 7:04 pmSour cream vs smetana. No contest — smetana wins. I have made stroganoff in the States many times using sour cream. Now living in Russia where smetana is in every store and refrigerator. Made this recipe this evening — the first taste made it once again obvious how much better is smetana than sour cream. And of course, chicken breasts w/o hormones, antibiotics, or pumped are readily available at reasonable prices.
vikalinka says
October 30, 2018 at 8:22 pmI absolutely agree, Mike. It’s so difficult to describe what smetana is like, so sour cream is the closest substitute but I would never eat crepes or blini with sour cream while smetana and jam are amazing companions. My personal favourite is creme fraiche if smetana is not available.
Carole says
October 19, 2018 at 2:40 pmCan I use rose wine instead of white wine
vikalinka says
October 19, 2018 at 2:59 pmAbsolutely, Carole. Rose wine and even vermouth will work beautifully here.
Ian Vardy says
August 28, 2018 at 3:39 pmHi. Should the 1/4 cup white wine be 1/2 cup because it says 125ml
vikalinka says
August 28, 2018 at 4:19 pm1/4 cup is the right amount. I’ve corrected the mesurement in ml. Thanks for noticing the descrepancy, Ian.
Natalia says
July 21, 2018 at 5:14 amHow necessary is the mustard? Can I omit it without compromising the flavor too much?
vikalinka says
July 21, 2018 at 10:29 amHi Natalia, the mustard balances out the creaminess of the sauce. Without it, the sauce might be a bit “one note” as the mustard and tomato paste add complexity to the flavour. I feel like it is necessary but it’s obviously your call, and if you don’t like mustard, you can omit it.
Julia says
April 27, 2018 at 4:31 amAbsolutely delicious!! I subbed canned coconut milk for the sour cream to make it dairy-free (and Paleo/Whole 30) and it was great! I added a bit more chicken stock as I like more sauce. I also chopped up the mushrooms fairly fine as I like the flavor of them but not so much the texture. Amazing recipe, thank you for sharing, Julia!
vikalinka says
April 27, 2018 at 8:27 amSO happy to know it works as a dairy-free version as well! Thank you for letting me know, Julia! I am so pleased you enjoyed it.