Sauteed Chicken Paprika

This chicken paprika keeps things lean without sacrificing flavor. Boneless breasts get coated in a matzo meal mixture spiked with paprika and dry mustard, giving them a light crust that browns nicely in just a teaspoon of peanut oil per piece.

The smart move here is using the leftover coating mixture to thicken the sauce. After the chicken browns, onion and garlic go into the same pan, then broth and white wine deglaze all those browned bits. The reserved matzo meal stirs in and pulls the sauce together without needing butter or cream.

A chopped tomato goes in right at the end, just long enough to warm through but not break down, adding brightness and a fresh pop of color against the paprika-stained sauce.

Kitchen Tips

• Pound the breasts to even thickness before coating. Uniform pieces cook evenly and prevent dry edges while the center catches up.
• Don’t crowd the skillet. If your pan isn’t large enough, brown the chicken in two batches. Overcrowding steams instead of sears.
• Use Hungarian paprika if you have it. The flavor difference between generic paprika and good Hungarian sweet paprika is dramatic. It’s the star here, so give it the spotlight it deserves.
• Passover-friendly: With matzo meal as the coating, this works beautifully for Passover menus when flour is off the table.

Variations

• Smoked paprika version: Swap regular paprika for smoked (pimentón) for a deeper, smokier flavor profile.
• Creamy paprika chicken: Stir 2 tablespoons of sour cream into the finished sauce off-heat for a richer, more traditional Hungarian-style dish.