Paprika Chicken Recipe (Quick & Easy)

Need a quick and tasty meal? Try my paprika chicken recipe! It's juicy, flavourful, and perfect with salad (or fries... no judgement here). With minimal prep and a few ingredients, you'll have a yummy dinner ready in no time. Let's get cooking!

If you're a busy mum and the kids want chicken literally every night for dinner, then this is definitely a great recipe to throw into your meal plan! 

It's made with tender, juicy chicken breast and you can either air fry or pan fry. So it's a quick and easy dinner idea. And.. it's worth making extra, for meal-prep salad the next day. 

Making Juicy Paprika Chicken Is A Good Thing, Here’s Why! 

Quick and easy! - You can prep this chicken in 2 minutes. And if you air fry, it cooks in around 8-10 minutes! So it's great for a quick meal. 

It's not spicy - I know... kids can sometimes be a little picky when it comes to spice. This chicken is flavourful but without the kick of heat. And if you wanted fiery chicken, you can always add in some red pepper flakes.

Versatile - Now I love a versatile chicken recipe for dinner and this is great! You can serve the chicken up in so many different ways with so many different side dishes.

Tasty Paprika Chicken Recipe 

Serves – 4 people 

Prep Time – 2 minutes 

Cook Time – 10 minutes 

Total Time – around 12-15 minutes (depending on how you cook) 

Our Most Popular Alternative – air fryer chicken breast 

Equipment Needed

• large bowl 
• teaspoon 
• tablespoon 
• air fryer or saucepan -  we use a Ninja Foodi Max Dual Zone Air Fryer - the 9.5 litre two drawer cooking space is BRILLIANT when you're cooking for a family. And it makes cooking meat, chicken or fish and potatoes at the same time super easy!
• cooking spoon 
• Food thermometer – I totally recommend getting yourself a food thermometer, especially for air frying, it really gives me peace of mind when cooking. I like to know that food is cooked to the right temperature.

Grab our guide to Air Fryer Accessories You Actually Need (and will use) right here!

Paprika Chicken Ingredients 

To make our chicken paprika recipe you’ll just need six ingredients - plus whatever sides you want to serve it up with. 

• 650g diced chicken breast - chop any large pieces up smaller so it cooks quicker

• 1 tablespoon olive oil - you can use sunflower or rapeseed oil if you prefer

• 2 teaspoon paprika - the basic Hungarian paprika is the one I use - you can use smoked paprika if you prefer a smoky flavour 

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion granules 

• pinch of salt (optional) 

• black pepper (optional) 

• pinch of red pepper flakes (optional - add if you want a fiery twist with a kick of heat) 

How To Make Paprika Chicken 

It's super easy to make this delicious seasoned chicken - I'll give you the pan fried and air fried method and loads of tasty ideas for adding your own touch and yummy sides that go perfectly alongside. 

Step One - season the chicken breast pieces 

• Add the diced chicken to a bowl and pour over the olive oil, tip in the paprika, garlic powder, onion granules and pinch of salt. 

• Give everything a good mix together so that all the chicken is coated in the paprika flavors 

Step Two - cook the paprika chicken 

Air fryer method 

• Put the seasoned chicken into the air fryer basket - in a single layer, then cook on the air fry setting for around 10 minutes, turn the chicken over after 5 minutes cooking time, to ensure even cooking. Always check chicken is cooked properly before serving. 

Pan fried method 

• Add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Tip in the seasoned chicken pieces and stir fry for around 10-15 minutes. Toss and turn the chicken often to ensure even cooking. And check its cooked through properly before serving 

Cooks Note - you may need to adjust the cooking times and air fry or pan fry your chicken breast for longer if your chicken is in larger pieces to ensure that it cooks through properly. 

Step Three - serve the seasoned chicken 

• Serve up the cooked flavourful chicken alongside your favourite side dishes. I tend to scatter over some chopped fresh parsley as a garnish and serve with chips, coleslaw and salads. Sometimes I add vegetables on the side, like corn cobs or Nando's style peas.

Get more easy chicken dinner recipes here.

What To Serve With Paprika Chicken

Okay, so... because this chicken is just so juicy and flavourful it goes with loads of different side dishes, I've popped a few of my favourites below

Potatoes 

• Cheesy mashed potatoes 
• Air fryer frozen chips - these are great when you want a quick and easy dinner - I do the chicken in one air fryer basket and the chips in the other.
• Air fryer baked potatoes - this is especially good with a dollop of sour cream on top! 
• Creamy potato salad - good in the summer, when it's hot and you want picky bits dinner in the garden. 

Rice 

• Plain boiled rice 
• Savoury rice - with grilled red bell peppers
• Sachets of flavoured microwave rice - again these are great when you want a quick but flavourful dinner. 
• Cauliflower rice if you're trying to lower carbs.

Salad 

• Pasta salad - like our bacon pasta salad or ranch pasta salad 
• Garden salad 
• Tomato and cucumber salad 

Get all our air fryer chicken recipes here

Tasty Tips From Our Kitchen To Make Your Paprika Chicken Perfect Every Time !

We love the taste of our paprika chicken recipe just the way it is, great for a quick and easy, healthy meal idea. But there's lots of ways to really make it your own! 

I’ve popped some great cooking tips below – for adding in extra ingredients, more meal ideas and for storing and using up leftovers 

Use paprika chicken in meal prep - you can make up batches of this tasty chicken for use in meal prep salad bowls with grains and veggies. 

Make it creamy - sometimes I really want a creamy comforting paprika chicken in a tasty sauce, so I pan fry and I add a splash of chicken broth and a splash of heavy cream to the pan too. The result is a delicious creamy chicken that's great with mashed potatoes or rice. 

Cook it in the oven -  When I'm oven baking paprika chicken I tend to use chicken thighs instead of breast, as it stays much juicier when oven cooked, I season them and then roast on a baking sheet in the oven until they're cooked through.  However you can make the chicken breast version - I usually wrap the chicken in foil parcels, so it's part steamed, part baked and stays juicy! 

Store leftovers - leftover chicken can be cooled and stored in the refrigerator overnight and used next day - try using up in sandwiches or wraps. 

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More Delicious Chicken Recipes To Try 

• Baked Chicken Breast In Foil 
• Spicy Chicken Wings 
• Chicken And Waffles
• Air Fryer Peri Peri Chicken
• Easy Chicken Fried Rice