This creamy paprika chicken is an indulgent, but oh-so easy to make comfort food dinner! Full of flavour, and so quick to make, all the family will love this skillet chicken recipe.
Much like my creamy sage chicken and brown butter chicken, this recipe is just what you need for a busy weeknight dinner! Minimal ingredients? Check. No need to turn the oven on? Check. Pair with sides of your choice? Check.
Skillet chicken is quick and easy, and you only use one pan, meaning less clean-up. Which is always a win I think! Fragrant from spice, we make a creamy sauce that feels so indulgent. Just as good for entertaining as for a quick dinner!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Creamy paprika chicken deliciousness. Cream sauces always feel quite indulgent and as though you have a restaurant dish for dinner I think!
Fragrant flavours. Personally I use sweet paprika in this recipe, which has a unique flavour. Not 'hot' or spicy, but fragrant and very tasty.
Quick and easy. It all comes together in your skillet in less than 30 minutes.
🐓 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken - you want plain skinless chicken breast or fillets. If using chicken breasts I suggest slicing into 2-3 pieces before cooking.
- Paprika - this gives a nice fragrant kick of flavour to the sauce. I use the Szeged sweet paprika.
- Flour - personally I use spelt flour, but you can use 'regular' flour too.
- Heavy cream - just a note that my UK readers will want to use double cream (single cream doesn't work too well and will likely curdle).
📖 Swaps and variations
Use 'regular' paprika rather than sweet paprika. If using paprika, then you may wish to reduce the quantity a touch as it is more spicy than sweet paprika. Only sweet paprika is suitable for a low histamine diet (per the SIGHI list).
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this creamy paprika chicken couldn't be easier, and it comes together so quickly. The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but some photos to help guide you:
Step 1
Season the chicken. Slice the chicken breasts into smaller pieces, around 2-3 depending upon their size. Then sprinkle with salt, black pepper and dried thyme (image 1).
Step 2
Dredge in flour. Add the flour to a bowl and then dredge each chicken piece so they are lightly coated in the flour (image 2).
Step 3
Fry the chicken. Drizzle olive oil into your skillet and use tongs to place the chicken. Fry for 4-5 minutes, turning so each side is cooked and browned (image 3). Set the chicken aside on a plate.
Step 4
Heat the stock. If the skillet is on the dry side, drizzle in a little more oil. Add the sliced garlic and cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and increase the heat a touch so it is very lightly bubbling (image 4). Cook for a few minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to lift any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Step 5
Add the spice. Tip in the paprika and stir well so that it dissolves into the chicken stock (image 5).
Step 6
Add the chicken and cream. Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine with the spiced chicken stock. Use tongs to return the chicken to the skillet (image 6). Cook for 4-5 minutes on a low to medium heat with slight bubbling to reduce the sauce a touch.
Check the internal temperature of the chicken at the deepest points for a reading of 165F.
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- Slice the chicken into smaller pieces. It will give you a much more flavourful dish rather than larger chicken breasts (and quicker to cook too!).
- Keep the heat fairly low when cooking the garlic as it can easily burn if the skillet gets too hot.
- Adjust the amount of paprika to taste preference.
- Check that you have a temperature reading of 165F at the deepest points of the chicken pieces.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Sweet paprika has an earthy, slightly sweet flavour with a hint of bitterness. It isn't 'hot' or spicy as regular paprika is.
It isn't a necessity but it helps prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan and gives a little crispiness.
There isn't an exact equivalent, but you can use double cream in this recipe.
🍽 How to serve creamy paprika chicken
Creamy chicken dishes work so well with sides that can 'soak up' the tasty sauce.
- Mash is always a winner in my home and goes perfectly with this chicken. Choose from my potato cauliflower mash, or for a lower carb option, my cauliflower mash is delicious.
- Love potatoes? My roasted zucchini and potatoes are simple to prepare and kid-friendly too I find!
- Couscous is a great option that takes very little time to prepare, and basmati rice is always good as a side for creamy sauces.
🥣 More tasty chicken recipes
Find so many chicken ideas here, including my popular pesto chicken risotto and blueberry herb chicken. Some recent recipes to try out:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐ or comment if you have tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Creamy Paprika Chicken
Equipment
- Skillet
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon paprika 'regular' or sweet paprika*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves finely sliced
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup flour 'regular' or spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
- parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts into 3-4 pieces, depending upon their size. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper and dried thyme.
- Add the flour to a bowl, then dredge the chicken fillets so they are evenly coated. You will likely not use all the flour.
- Drizzle olive oil in your skillet and use tongs to place the chicken. Fry for around five minutes, turning so they are almost cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- If the skillet seems dry add a touch more oil, then reduce the heat and cook the sliced garlic for a few minutes. Be careful not to let it burn. Pour in the chicken stock and increase the heat to medium so that it is lightly bubbling. Use your tongs or a spatula to lift any bits of chicken from the skillet.
- Sprinkle the paprika into the skillet, and stir well so that it dissolves into the stock.
- Pour in the cream and stir again. Use tongs to add the chicken back to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes to reduce the sauce, and check for an internal temperature of 165F at the deepest point of the chicken pieces.
- Serve with sides of your choice, sprinkling with fresh parsley to preference.
Notes
- Slice the chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces. This will help them become more flavourful as well as giving you a quicker cook time.
- If using paprika rather than sweet paprika you may wish to reduce the quantity a touch as it has more spice.
- Always check that you have a reading of 165F at the deepest part of the chicken to ensure it is cooked through.
- For my UK readers, you can use double cream in the recipe.
- Please note that nutritional information is offered as a courtesy. It is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate not a guarantee.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- chicken stock will depend upon ingredients used.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
- cream scores 0, but with additional notes that you may wish to check.
- paprika - I suggest using sweet paprika which scores 0, rather than paprika which is higher histamine.
- spelt (for the flour), which scores 0 but has a ? as a liberator.
Marieka says
This is a quick and easy meal that our whole family enjoys and it’s safe for my husband to eat without repercussions. Thank you 😊
Claire says
So glad you all like the skillet chicken Marieka - always love to hear when it's a family friendly recipe!
Stephanie says
I know chicken stock can be higher histamine based on freshness and ingredients- what kind do you use? Really hoping there is a good store bought variety out there!
Claire says
Hi Stephanie, I don't know of a store bought brand that is suitable I'm afraid. It's usually best to make your own and then freeze in portions.
Stephanie says
Ah, I thought that may be the case. Little time for making stock with 3 kids and a baby, but I may have to attempt it! Lol. So for making chicken stock, I think I read that you should use meat and not bones, is that right? Do you have a good recipe?
Claire says
Hi Stephanie, I can see why that would be tricky as you have your hands full! I don't have a recipe unfortunately, but I'm sure there are plenty online that would be OK if you check the ingredients. Hope it goes well!
Sue says
My family LOVES this recipe and request it often.
Claire says
Aww, love to hear when a family enjoys one of my meals together!
Mcasfood says
You did it again!,This is a tasty sauce, easy to adapt it needed and we loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Claire says
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to comment on the recipe - always love hearing when people enjoy the recipes!
Hilary says
Ooh, this one is delicious! It's an MCAS-friendly comfort food. My husband and I couldnt get enough of it. This one will definitely be added to our recipe book!
Claire says
Hi Hilary, so glad you both like it! Lovely to hear that you will both continue to enjoy it - we all need some comfort food in our lives don't we!
Sheryl says
Okay, I definitely need to try making this for my family and myself. It is too simple to not try, and sounds like it will make an excellent dinner. I often get bored or run out of ideas on how to cook chicken, and end up making the same variations. I love that this is low histamine as well, and creamy sounds like it will be a treat!
Claire says
I think it makes a really good family dinner idea! So I hope you all enjoy. I'm sure Talisker would like a bite too haha!
Shruti says
This recipe felt so homely and of course, so was the taste. I've been little concerned over some of my MCAS flareups recently so I've not been eating as well as I can - this recipe just made me feel better - it felt good to eat something flavourful and not have a reaction. Thank you, for this, and all that you share. In case you didn't know already, but you make living with MCAS more manageable. 🙂
Claire says
So glad you liked it Shruti, and that it worked so well for you! Thank you for the kind comments and for being in touch. It's always lovely to hear that people enjoy the recipes 🙂
Tracey says
Wow! I tried this tonight and the whole family loved it. Thank you so much!
Claire says
So glad you all liked it Tracey!
Carrie Kellenberger says
Hi Claire,
It's been a while since I've stopped by, so I thought I'd make sure I leave a comment so you know I'm still here and supporting you. This recipe looks perfect for fall and we're going to give it a go next week! I'm tired of my boring, old chicken recipes!
Claire says
Hi Carrie! Thanks so much for thinking of me, your support is always appreciated. And I hope you enjoy the chicken!