Creamy Chicken Paprika

A serving of creamy chicken with sauce and herbs over rice on a white plate, with a pan of the same dish in the background.

5 from 2 votes

This one-skillet, 30-minute 🧡🍗🧅 Creamy Chicken Paprika with Caramelized Onions features chicken that's lightly crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, and seasoned to perfection with paprika and more. The cream sauce is silky smooth and takes this EASY chicken recipe to the next level!

See Tip in Step 4 if you don't care about the caramelized onions - you can omit them.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Course: 30-Minute Meals, Dinner

Cuisine: Chicken

Keyword: chicken paprika, chicken with caramelized onions, paprika chicken

Servings:

Calories: 387cal

Equipment

Ingredients

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder plus more if desired
1 teaspoon onion powder plus more if desired
2 teaspoons paprika smoked paprika may be substituted
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional and to taste
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional and to taste
2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise (select chicken breasts that are about 3/4 to 1 pound each and then halve them; or use 4 breasts that are about 1/3 to 1/2 pound each; boneless skinless chicken thighs may be substituted)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion sliced into thin rings (sweet Vidalia onion may be substituted)
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream (you can add more, up to 1 cup total, if you prefer more sauce)
Fresh parsley finely minced for garnishing; optional to taste (or your favorite fresh herbs)

Instructions

Chicken - To a large bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes, and optional cayenne pepper. Mix lightly with a fork to combine.
Transfer and set aside 3 tablespoons of this mixture, which will be used later in the recipe (Step 5).
Add the chicken to the bowl, and dredge to coat it on all sides with the flour mixture.
Cook Chicken - To a large skillet, add the oil, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 8-10 minutes or until chicken is done. Flip once midway through cooking. Chicken is done with a thermometer reads 160F degrees, allow it to rest on a plate while you continue with the recipe, the temp will increase to 165F which is when it's safe to consume.
Onions - Add the butter to the skillet (do not wipe it out - that's where the flavor is) and allow the butter to begin to melt for about 30 seconds and add the onions.
Turn the heat to medium-low or low, and saute the onions for about 20 minutes, or until caramelized. Stir and toss very frequently.
Tip - Caramelizing onions is a labor of love but worth it! However, if you don't care about having onions in the dish, you can skip them. Still melt the butter, and them move onto the next ste and add the flour for the roux.
Roux - Add 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture you set aside to the skillet and cook for 1 minute over medium to medium high heat; whisk continuously. Tip - This is how you make a roux, which helps the sauce to thicken later on, so don't shortcut this step. You also want to cook the flour long enough so there's no raw flour taste in the finished dish.
Broth - Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes over medium to medium-high heat. Whisk continuously.
Cream - Add the heavy cream to the skille and whisk for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until combined and thick. Tip - If you want more sauce, add additional cream, as desired; up to about 1/2 cup additional.
Taste - Taste and check for seasoning balance and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne, paprika, etc. Flavor Tips - If it tastes at all flat, it likely needs more salt so don't be afraid to add it. I usually add another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. The dish shouldn't be overly spicy but should have a slight amount of heat so add red pepper flakes and/or cayenne carefully but appropriately for flavor.
Combine - Add the chicken back into the skillet, toss around in the sauce, flipping a few times, and cover with the onoins, before optionally garnishing with parsley and serving.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.

Nutrition