Chicken Stroganoff

If you love classic Beef Stroganoff, you have to try this version made with chicken! This recipe features golden-seared chicken bathed in a rich, creamy mushroom and onion gravy. The key to its incredible flavour is searing the chicken whole to create a deep, savoury base in the pan before you even start the sauce. This makes for an irresistibly rich and satisfying meal that comes together in just 20 minutes.

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken on both sides with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the skillet, smooth side down, and press down lightly with a spatula.

3. 3

   Cook for about 4 minutes until the chicken is a beautiful golden brown on the bottom. Then, flip the chicken, press down lightly again, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.

4. 4

   Turn the heat up to medium-high. Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt. Add the chopped onions and cook for 1 minute, then add the sliced mushrooms.

5. 5

   Continue to cook the mushrooms until they are golden brown. Use your spatula to scrape up all the flavourful brown bits from the bottom of the pan—this is the key to a great sauce!

6. 6

   Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and onions and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

7. 7

   Slowly pour in half of the beef broth, stirring continuously until it’s fully incorporated and smooth. Then, add the remaining broth, stirring until it combines with the mixture.

8. 8

   Stir in the sour cream and Dijon mustard until they are fully incorporated. Don’t worry if the mixture looks a little separated at first; the sour cream will "melt" and smooth out as it heats up. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

9. 9

   Let the sauce simmer for about 3 minutes, or until it has thickened to the consistency of a pouring cream. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

10. 10

    Return the chicken to the skillet, along with any juices that have collected on the plate. Simmer for just 1 minute to warm the chicken through, then remove from the heat.

11. 11

    Serve the chicken and gravy immediately over your favourite pasta or egg noodles. For an extra touch, garnish with chopped parsley or chives.

Recipe Notes

• This recipe works best with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. However, you can easily use chicken breast or tenderloins. If you’re using chicken breast, I recommend either slicing it horizontally to create four thinner "steaks" or cutting it into bite-sized pieces. Just be sure to brown it thoroughly before you remove it from the pan, as described in the instructions.

• Any regular all-purpose or plain wheat flour works for this sauce. If you want to make the recipe gluten-free, you can use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this slurry in with the beef broth in step 8.

• While this dish is fantastic served over pasta or egg noodles, it’s also delicious with other sides like mashed potatoes, rice, or polenta—anything that can soak up all that wonderful, creamy gravy.

• To make this a bit lighter, you can use a low-fat sour cream and reduce the butter to 2 tablespoons. Using a non-stick pan will also help. The mixture might seem a bit drier when you add the flour, but don’t worry, it will still turn out great!

• The nutrition information provided is for one serving and does not include any side dishes like pasta or rice.