Chicken Stroganoff – Slimming Friendly
, Updated Sep 07, 2025
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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.
You will also love this Slimming Beef Stroganoff or my Easy Pork 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 Slimming World 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!
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!
This slimming-friendly chicken version takes the creamy essence of Stroganoff but makes it lighter and easier, showing how classic recipes can be adapted for modern, healthier cooking.
So how do we make this rich creamy sauce diet-friendly? It’s easy peasy! Most of the ingredients remain the same – simply replace butter with a low-calorie cooking spray, leave out the brandy and swap the sour cream for fat-free Quark cheese.
Here’s What You’ll Need
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:
- Chicken Breast – Lean protein that keeps the dish light but satisfying.
- Mushrooms and onions – Classic Stroganoff aromatics, adding savory depth.
- Garlic – Boosts flavor with minimal calories.
- Paprika – Adds gentle warmth and that signature Stroganoff color.
- Low-Fat sour cream or Quark – A slimming-friendly way to achieve creaminess without heavy cream.
- Chicken Stock – Builds a savory base for the sauce.
- Fresh Parsley – For freshness and a pop of color.
How To Make Chicken Stroganoff
- 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.
- Spray a large skillet or frying pan with low calorie cooking spray. Heat the pan and cook the chicken for 3 minutes per side over medium heat. If the pan gets dry, add a small splash of the stock. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef stock and turn heat down to medium high. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until golden about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute. Pour in the remaining beef stock and stir to combine.
- 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.
- Bring to simmer again and cook over low heat for 3 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. Add chicken back in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Add chopped parsley and check the seasoning – add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta or rice, sprinkle with more fresh parsley.
How to Butterfly Chicken
This recipe uses chicken tenders (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.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Top Tip Quark might split and look curdled when added to the sauce. Make sure the pan is not too hot when adding and keep mixing until the sauce 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-fee Creme Fraiche or reduced fat sour cream for a few additional calories (only 7.5 syns so I think it’s worth it). For a slightly richer sauce add 25g of Philadelphia Extra Light cream cheese along with the Quark.
- Leftovers and Storage Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave until piping hot — adding a splash of water if the sauce thickens too much.
Serving Suggestions
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.
This Slimming World Chicken Stroganoff recipe proves that comfort food and slimming-friendly cooking can go hand in hand. I’d love to know if you try it — please leave a comment and rating below! Follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and don’t forget to tag me on @Instagram or TikTok so I can see your creations.
Chicken Stroganoff | Slimming Friendly
Make sure to read my step by step tutorial above.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (675g) chicken breasts chicken tenders or mini chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- low calorie cooking spray or olive oil
- 1 onion , finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 cups (300g) white mushrooms , sliced
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 cups (500ml) beef stock , from a stock cube
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup (120g) fat-free Quark cheese or reduced fat sour cream
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- Chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.1 ½ pounds (675g) chicken breasts, Salt and pepper
- Spray a large skillet or frying pan with olive oil or use a low calorie cookinglow calorie cooking spray
- 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.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of beef stock and turn heat down to medium high. Add the onions and cook for 5 minutes.1 onion
- Stir in the garlic and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms, stirring, until golden about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for a minute.2 garlic cloves, 3 cups (300g) white mushrooms, 1 tbsp flour
- Pour in the remaining beef stock and stir to combine. Lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and add the Quark cheese or sour cream. Stir until combined, I used a small balloon whisk to do this.2 cups (500ml) beef stock, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ cup (120g) fat-free Quark cheese, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Bring to simmer again and cook over low heat for 3 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced.
- Add chicken back in and continue to simmer for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Add chopped parsley and check the seasoning – add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta or rice, sprinkle with more fresh parsley.2 tbsp chopped parsley, Chopped parsley to garnish
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- This simple chicken recipe is wonderful over pasta, especially tagliatelle. But I also love it over rice or mash which absorbs the yummy sauce. Make sure to add some extra speed foods to fill up your plate, such as broccoli, wilted spinach or any steamed veggies.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
So simple to do. I love this Chhicken Strogannooff any time, but as an alternative i sometimes make the Beef. Stroganoff . ❤️❤️❤️❤️