Name: Chicken Stroganoff | Slimming Friendly
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 600 g / 1.2 lb chicken breasts ((mini chicken breasts/chicken tenders)); Salt and pepper; Low calorie cooking spray ((I used Fry Light)); 1 onion (, finely diced); 2 garlic cloves (, minced); 300 g | 10oz white mushrooms (, sliced); 1 tbsp flour; 500 ml | 2 cups beef stock (, from a stock cube); 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 150 g | ⅔ cup fat-free Quark cheese; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 tbsp chopped parsley; pasta, rice, mashed potatoes; Chopped parsley to garnish

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Everyone will fall in love with this Chicken Stroganoff – easy, quick and thoroughly yummy. No one will know that this is actually a Slimming chicken recipe that’s suitable for popular weight loss diet plans! Ready in 30 minutes so wave goodbye to boring midweek meals.

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You will also love this Slimming Beef Stroganoff

Who loves Beef Stroganoff? 🙋‍♀️ The rich creamy mushroom sauce, the tender strips of beef… it’s totally yummy! But I actually love Chicken Stroganoff even more, it’s right in my comfort food sweet spot.

If you thought that you would have to forever forget about creamy chicken casseroles while you are on a weigh loss mission then think again! This simple chicken recipe in the rich Stroganoff sauce is actually easy to ‘healthify’ and it tastes every bit as delicious, I promise!

A often-heard refrain at slimming meetings is “my husband/ girlfriend/ kids don’t like my ‘diet’ food”. Well forget about cooking separate meals to please everyone, this Chicken Stroganoff recipe will be adored by one and all.

Stroganoff Origins

Legend has it that this recipe is named after the Russian Count Pavel Stroganov. Don’t think that the aristocrat spent time in the kitchen. That credit for the recipe goes to his chef, while the Count made it popular through entertaining.

Beef Stroganoff eventually became popular around the world and with good reason: it is freaking delicious! You can find many versions of this recipe, most are made with beef but there’s Chicken Stroganoff, Mushroom Stoganoff and even vegan Stroganoff versions.

What are the ingredients in Stroganoff

You only need a handful of ingredients to make this rich creamy sauce which is quite similar to that of Steak Diane. As you can see most of the ingredients are slimming friendly with a few notable exceptions. See below on how I have adapted this classic Russian recipe

Butter
Beef or Chicken
Onion and (sometimes) garlic
Sliced mushrooms
Brandy, to deglaze the pan
A little flour, to thicken the sauce
Mustard
Beef stock (broth)
Sour cream

You will also need

A skillet, such as this Staub one used in the video which is fabulous but a bit pricy. This far more budget friendly skillet is also highly recommended.
Cutting boards – always a good idea to have separate cutting boards for handling raw meat.
A sharp Chef knife that’s a good all rounder – I recommend Wusthof brand

Slimming Chicken Stroganoff

So how do we make this rich creamy sauce diet friendly? It’s easy peasy! Most of the ingredients remain exactly the same – simply replace butter with a low-calorie cooking spray such as Fry Light, leave out the brandy and swap the sour cream for fat-free Quark cheese.

I have kept the flour as it helps to thicken the sauce and at only one tablespoon it’s negligible.

One serving of this healthy chicken recipe is only 250 calories (not including for any extras like pasta or rice etc)

How to make Chicken Stroganoff

STEP 1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. I used mini chicken breasts (also called chicken tenders) which cook really quickly and are very lean. If you use whole chicken breasts you will need to butterfly them (see tips).

STEP 2. Spray a large skillet or frying pan with low calorie cooking spray (Fry Light). Heat the pan and cook the chicken for 3 minutes per side over medium heat. If the pan gets very dry add a small splash of the stock. Set the chicken aside.

STEP 3. Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef stock and turn heat down to medium high. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.

STEP 4. Stir in the garlic and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until golden about 5 minutes.

STEP 5. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute. Pour in the remaining beef stock and stir to combine.

STEP 6. Lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and add the Quark. Stir until combined, I used a small balloon whisk to do this.

STEP 7. Bring to simmer again and cook over low heat for 3 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced.

STEP 8. Add chicken back in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

STEP 9. Add chopped parsley and check the seasoning – add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta or rice, sprinkle with more fresh parsley.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

This Cajun Chicken Pasta ticks ALL the boxes: quick, easy, delicious and slimming friendly! A simple chicken pasta recipe that the whole family will love - on the table in under 30 minutes.

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Cajun Chicken Pasta in a large casserole dish

Close up on a skillet of Slimming World Chicken Stroganoff with mushrooms and parsley garnish

Chicken Stroganoff tips and FAQs

This recipe uses mini chicken breasts which cook very quickly. If you are using whole chicken breasts you will have to butterfly them. Place the chicken on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to slice into the side of the breast, not cutting all the way through. Open the breast up to flatten (this is the ‘butterfly’ part) and then cover with clingfilm and gently flatten using a rolling pin.
You can cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces before adding back into the sauce if you like.
The Quark might split and look curdled when added to the sauce. Make sure the pan is not too hot when adding and keep whisking/mixing until it comes together. It helps if the Quark is at room temperature rather than straight out of the fridge.
What can I use instead of Quark? You can use Fat Free Creme Fraiche or Fromage Frais but they have a tendency to split. A better option would be reduced fat sour cream for a few additional calories.
For a slightly richer sauce add 25g of Philadelphia Extra Light cream cheese along with the Quark.
To make a Vegerarian Stroganoff replace the chicken with an extra 600g (1.2 lb) of mixed mushrooms, maybe some wild ones for more taste, and replace the beef with vegetable stock.

How to serve Chicken Stroganoff

This simple chicken recipe is wonderful over pasta, especially tagliatelle. But I also love it over rice or mashed potatoes – perfect for absorbing the yummy sauce.

Make sure to add some vegetables to fill up your plate, such as broccoli, wilted spinach or any steamed veggies.

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Be sure to check out the step-by-step tutorial up in the post.

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Overhead shot of spaghetti carbonara served in a shallow pasta bowl garnished with grated parmesan and chopped parsley

Chunky Beef Casserole

This Chunky Beef Casserole couldn’t be easier! Tender slow cooked beef simmered with carrots and squash in a rich gravy – a flavour-packed beef stew the entire family will love. This healthy and hearty stew is easy to cook in your oven, slow cooker or the Instant Pot!

This Slimming World Beef Stew is completely SYN FREE, gluten free and suitable for freezing too! 10 SmartPoints on Weight Watchers.

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