Chicken Breast in Spanish Paprika Recipe

By
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa & Tony Sierra
Lisa and Tony Sierra are freelance writers and Spanish food experts who lead culinary tours of the country.
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Updated on 01/19/23
Bittersweet smoked paprika or pimenton from La Dalia - Extremadura
Oliver Strewe/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
545 Calories
35g Fat
20g Carbs
36g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 545
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g 45%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 105mg 35%
Sodium 660mg 29%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 36g
Calcium 78mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chicken breasts in a rich Spanish paprika sauce make a wonderful main course or a tapa. This dish is also known as pechuga de pollo salsa pimenton.

To make it, simply sauté the chicken breasts, then sauté and whirl paprika, onions, and pepper to make a boldly flavored sauce. The paprika is a ground spice made from the red air-dried fruits of the bell pepper. Though linked to Hungarian cuisine, it was brought to Spain in the 16th century where it is known as pimentón.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. This chicken recipe makes approximately eight servings as a tapa or four servings as a first course.

  2. Pat the chicken breasts dry. Cut the chicken breasts in half. Pour flour into a paper or plastic bag and add 1 tsp. of salt. Place several pieces of chicken into the bag and shake it to coat them. Repeat until all pieces of chicken are coated in flour.

  3. Pour approximately 1/4-inch of olive oil into a large frying pan and heat on medium. Brown the chicken on both sides, then set them aside for later.

  4. Finely chop the onion. Remove the stem, seeds, and membrane, then finely chop green pepper. Pour the olive oil into a medium frying pan and sauté vegetables on low heat until onions are translucent and peppers are soft. In the same frying pan, raise heat to medium and add flour. Fry flour, stirring constantly. Slowly add chicken broth while continuing to stir until sauce thickens. If necessary, add more flour to thicken. Add paprika and salt and continue to stir.

  5. Pour mixture into a bowl and process with a stick blender until sauce is smooth. Alternately, whirl in food processor.

  6. Return chicken breasts to the frying pan and pour the sauce over chicken. Simmer until chicken is fully cooked, about five to seven minutes. Serve with fried potatoes, pasta or rice.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

  • Since this dish keeps well, make it ahead for a dinner party or a casual celebration, your guests will thank you. In about 40 minutes, you have a colorful, very Spanish main course.
  • Many people serve this over pasta or rice.
  • To make this recipe into a tapa, cut the chicken breasts into small pieces and serve with the paprika sauce atop baguette slices.