Treat yourself to a bowl of creamy paprika chicken pasta - the ultimate comfort food. Tender chicken pieces are coated in a smoky, paprika-spiced cream sauce and stirred through pasta for a hearty, fuss-free meal.
Rich, warming and wonderfully satisfying, it's the sort of dish that feels indulgent but is simple enough for a busy weeknight. Serve with roasted Tenderstem broccoli or air fryer asparagus and clean plates are guaranteed!
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With everyday ingredients such as double cream, garlic, parmesan and a sprinkle of paprika, this pasta dish comes together in around 30 minutes - making it ideal for a midweek supper or a relaxed weekend dinner.
The creamy sauce balances the gentle heat of the paprika beautifully, giving you a dish the whole family will enjoy.
Love easy pasta recipes? Try my Cajun chicken pasta or creamy chorizo and prawn pasta!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Smoky paprika flavour - adds depth without being overpowering
- Lusciously creamy sauce - coats the pasta perfectly
- Quick and straightforward - on the table in half an hour
- Easy to adapt - swap in your favourite pasta shape or add vegetables
🥘 Ingredients
Chicken Breasts - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces. Use free-range chicken if you can.
Bacon - smoked streaky bacon for the best flavour.
Olive Oil - a light olive oil for frying the chicken and bacon
Pasta - penne or another short pasta such as rigatoni.
Garlic - fresh cloves and granules for an extra garlicky hit!
Wine - a good quality dry white wine gives the dish a wonderful depth of flavour and cuts through the creaminess of the sauce.
Flour - helps to thicken the paprika sauce.
Paprika - a combination of hot paprika and smoked paprika gives the dish a delicious flavour boost.
Stock - 500ml of chicken stock from a stock pot or cube. Use fresh stock if you have it.
Cream - double cream (heavy cream) for a silky smooth finish.
Lemon - a squeeze of lemon juice helps to cut through the richness of the sauce.
Parmesan cheese - finely grated for extra flavour.
Parsley - freshly chopped parsley for a colourful garnish.
Sea Salt and Pepper - for seasoning.
🔪 How to make chicken paprika pasta
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, drain and set aside.
Two: Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a shallow casserole and fry the chicken pieces and chopped bacon for three minutes until the chicken starts to brown.
Three: Turn down the heat, add the fresh garlic and stir for one minute before adding the wine (100ml). Stir until the wine has almost evaporated.
Four: Add in the plain flour, hot and smoked paprika and garlic granules.
Five: Mix everything together so that the chicken is coated in the paprika spices.
Six: Pour in the stock and cream and simmer for 10 minutes, then add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Seven: Stir through the cooked pasta, half the Parmesan and chopped parsley. Season and serve with the remaining Parmesan and parsley.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Serve with green vegetables such as air fryer broccoli Parmesan, air fryer asparagus, or peas. A crispy green salad with a lemony dressing would also work well.
Freshly baked focaccia is another tasty accompaniment and can be used for mopping up that delicious paprika sauce.
📖 Variations
- Spice it up - Add a chopped red chilli or chilli flakes with the garlic.
- Protein swaps - Try turkey, pork, or chicken thighs for extra flavour.
- Meat-free - Use Quorn, tofu, or chickpeas; skip the bacon.
- More veg - Stir in peas, sweetcorn, peppers, spinach, courgettes, or mushrooms.
- Herbs - Swap parsley for basil, oregano, thyme, or a mix.
- Cheese & cream - Add crème fraîche or sour cream for tang; finish with extra parmesan or pecorino.
- Paprika mix - Combine sweet, smoked, and hot paprika to taste.
- Sauce fix - Loosen with pasta water or stock if too thick; use single cream for a lighter version.
🥡 Storage
Store - The paprika pasta is best eaten fresh, but it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat - In the microwave until piping hot.
❓ FAQS
Paprika is a ground spice made from a mixture of dried peppers in the Capsicum anuum family, including hot chilli peppers, cayenne peppers, poblano peppers, aleppo peppers, and sweet peppers. There are 3 different types of paprika - regular sweet, hot and smoked - and they are all quite distinctive in taste, heat, and colour.
Paprika chicken pasta can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. Defrost thoroughly in the microwave before reheating in the microwave until piping hot.
😋More pasta recipes
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Recipe
Easy Paprika Chicken Pasta
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Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Pasta Pan
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 250 g Pasta use a short pasta like penne or rigatoni
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Chicken Breasts cut into bitesize pieces
- 4 Streaky Bacon Rashers chopped into small pieces
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 100 ml Dry White Wine
- 1 tablespoon Plain Flour
- 1 teaspoon Hot Paprika
- 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Granules
- 500 ml Chicken Stock
- 150 ml Double Cream
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice from a fresh lemon
- 50 g Parmesan grated
- 2 tablespoon Parsley finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper to season
Instructions
- Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.250 g Pasta
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a shallow casserole or frying pan and fry the chicken pieces and bacon for 3 minutes on a high heat, stirring all the time.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 2 Chicken Breasts, 4 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- Turn down the heat to medium and add the chopped garlic cloves. Stir for one minute.2 Garlic Cloves
- Pour in the wine and cook until nearly evaporated (it should only take a minute or two).100 ml Dry White Wine
- Add the flour, hot and smoked paprika and garlic granules and stir for one minute.1 tablespoon Plain Flour, 1 teaspoon Hot Paprika, 2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika, 1 teaspoon Garlic Granules
- Pour in the stock and cream, give everything a good mix and simmer on a low to medium heat for ten minutes. After ten minutes stir through the lemon juice.500 ml Chicken Stock, 150 ml Double Cream, 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Add the cooked pasta, half the grated cheese and half the chopped parsley and stir to combine.50 g Parmesan, 2 tablespoon Parsley, Salt and Pepper to season
- Season and serve with the remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Notes
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Michelle
This was such a delicious chicken pasta dish! I added a little chili to make it even spicier 🙂 Yum!
Kechi
This looks amazing and creamy! I will like to try it for a dinner this weekend! Can’t wait!
Melissa Ann Dukes
What does the lemon do? Is it OK without, if I don't have any?
Beth
Oh wow! This pasta looks so delicious and very tasty! My family is going to love this for dinner! Very excited to give this a try tonight!
Alisa Infanti
This dish did not last long in my house. So good it was gobbled up in minutes... absolute silence at the table.
Dannii
I love paprika pasta. So much delicious smokiness to it.
Louise anderson
Really delish! Added some coriander on top to garnish.