Chicken Stroganoff

This Ultimate Chicken Stroganoff recipe is silky and creamy with an incredibly delicious depth of flavor….everything a chicken stroganoff should be!  It’s easy to make, quick enough for a week night meal, and is something the whole family will love!  

We all do it – we find ourselves in a rut, making the same old weeknight dinner recipes over and over again. If you’re looking for a trusted, tried and true dinner recipe to introduce to your weekly routine, look no further than chicken stroganoff! It’s an irresistibly creamy and flavorful variation of the original beef stroganoff. And if you like traditional beef stroganoff, you’ll love this chicken version!

Where Did Stroganoff Originate?

The origin of stroganoff isn’t entirely clear but the prevailing story among historians is that it originated in the late 19th century at the hands of a French chef living in St. Petersburg, Russia.  The chef was employed by Russian aristocrat Count Pavel Alexandrovich Stroganov who had an appreciation for French food, having been born in Paris.  The French chef is said to have created beef stroganoff in his employer’s honor and named the dish after him.   

Both stroganoff became widely popular in the United States in the 1950’s and 1960’s.  Unfortunately with the help of marketing dollars it soon became the mainstream mode of preparation to make stroganoff with canned condensed cream of mushroom soup and the quality of the original dish was lost for many people.  As with everything, chicken stroganoff included, absolutely nothing beats homemade and from scratch.  Once you’ve tasted this heavenly sauce you’ll find it hard to resist devouring it directly out of the pot with a spoon!

Made from scratch, ingredients like fresh white button mushrooms, onion, garlic, and white wine all come together to create a mouthwatering medley that you’ll love bite after bite.  And then there’s our “secret ingredient”, the ground porcini mushrooms, that create so much depth of flavor and that wonderful element of umami, that your taste buds will be singing the whole meal through. 

Chicken Stroganoff is a sophisticated dish made with relatively simple ingredients that presents beautifully, tastes phenomenal, and won’t break the budget!  

How to Make the BEST Chicken Stroganoff

• One of the best ways to really elevate the flavor in this dinner is to include ground porcini mushrooms, our “secret ingredient” for so many dishes!  These mushrooms provide an incredible burst of umami that helps develop the deep, savory flavors of the sauce. 
• Give the chicken a good browning.  That will contribute a lot of flavor to the sauce, so don’t become impatient and skip that step.
• Don’t skimp on the sour cream or heavy cream! Those are key to creating the extra smooth and luxuriously silky texture of the sauce.  Along with texture, the sour cream also provides the signature mild tanginess that stroganoff needs.
• When cooking the mushrooms, be sure to really give them a good browning too. Once browned, the mushrooms have a deep caramelized flavor that’s simply irresistible.  The flavor the browned mushrooms contribute to the sauce will take this dish from good to fabulous!

Can I Make Gluten Free Chicken Stroganoff?

Yes!  Skip the step where you add the flour and instead, at the end, stir in a cornstarch slurry of 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons of water and simmer until the sauce is thickened.  Add more if you prefer it thicker.

For serving, serve it over gluten free noodles or a low carb option like zucchini noodles or mashed cauliflower.

How to Serve Chicken Stroganoff

Traditionally stroganoff (beef or chicken) is served over wide egg noodles and that is the way I personally like it best.  However, you can also serve this chicken stroganoff over potatoes or rice if you prefer.  I’ve also eaten it over zucchini noodles when I’ve been on a low-carb diet.  

And speaking of low carb, in addition to serving it over zucchini noodles it’s also great over mashed cauliflower or cauliflower rice.

Healthy sides include grilled, roasted or steamed vegetables of your choice (you can never go wrong with broccoli) and you’ll have a complete meal that everyone will love!

Chicken Stroganoff Recipe

Let’s get started!

Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in a pan and lightly brown the chicken (be careful not to overcrowd the pan and work in batches if necessary).  Browning the chicken is critical to the flavor of the sauce, so don’t become impatient on this step.  Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Melt the butter in the same pan and add the mushrooms.

Saute for 6-8 minutes or until their water is released and cooked off and the mushrooms begin to brown nicely.

Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes.

Add the garlic and Dijon mustard and cook for another minute.

Add the white wine and bring it to a boil for one minute, scraping off any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, paprika, ground porcini mushrooms, onion powder, thyme, and Worcestershire sauce and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Next slowly add the chicken broth and whisk continually to prevent the flour from clumping.

Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover with the lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Note:  Use a good quality broth.  If you’re using store-bought, our very favorite is ANETO.  Based just outside of Barcelona, Spain, their broth is 100% all-natural and is made from real, whole ingredients – not from powders or extracts and they contain no fillers,  preservatives, or added flavors.   Just real, whole bone-in chickens, fresh vegetables, sea salt and olive oil.  These ingredients are slow-simmered for hours in gigantic pots.  We toured their factory a few years ago and watched the whole process from start to finish and it was such an inspiration!  We’ve been solid fans ever since.  Their broths can be purchased in select stores across the U.S. or here on Amazon (their 6-pack is the best deal).

Next stir in the sour cream.

Then stir in the heavy cream.

Stir in the parsley, return the chicken to the sauce, and heat through.

Add salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard to taste.

If you prefer a thinner sauce, add little more chicken broth.  If you prefer it a little thicker either stir in a flour slurry or cornstarch slurry.

Serve either on top of the egg noodles or stir the egg noodles into the sauce to evenly coat them (your choice), and served garnished with a sprinkling of chopped fresh parsley.

Enjoy!

Be sure to also try our popular Slow cooker Beef Stroganoff!

And for more delicious chicken dinners, be sure to try some of our favorites:

• Mongolian Chicken
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Coq Au Vin
• Jerk Chicken
• Thai Peanut Chicken
• Smothered Chicken
• Chicken Salad
• Chicken Meatballs
• Chicken Tikka Masala
• Chicken Paprikash

Originally published on The Daring Gourmet November 19, 2021