Paprika Chicken with White Wine Butter Thyme Sauce
As much as I lamented the end of summer in my last post, I have to admit that fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I got to buy a pumpkin scented candle the other day, I can turn off my air conditioner and open the windows, and finally (finally) cook something in my kitchen without turning my apartment into a furnace.
As the weather starts to cool and the familiar fall crisp enters the air, I find myself looking for new recipes to try that are a change from the bright, cool summer flavors.
My favorite recipes to make are ones that look impressive and taste like you spent all day in the kitchen developing flavors, yet couldn’t be more simple to make. This dish hits all of those points. It is beautiful to look at, tastes like it took hours to make, and can be whipped up, start to finish, in about 35 minutes.
The name for this paprika chicken with white wine butter thyme sauce is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s a bite worth taking. To start I made a seasoning mixture of paprika, salt and pepper, which was rubbed onto the chicken.
The chicken is browned in a tablespoon of butter in a skillet for 3 minutes on each side.
While the chicken is browning, chop up some garlic and fresh thyme. After the chicken is done on the second side, more butter is added to the pan, along with the garlic and fresh thyme, followed by a cup of white wine.
mmmhmmm, butter!
The mixture simmers on the stove top for about 30 minutes, until the wine has reduced and makes a lovely sauce. The alcohol cooks out, and you are left with a delicious, rich flavor. If your wine evaporates/reduces too much before the 30 minutes are up, you can add either more wine or some chicken stock. After 30 minutes, the chicken should be cooked, and it’s time to add some spinach!
A couple of handfuls will do, feel free to chop it a bit if your spinach is more toddler sized instead of baby spinach. It will wilt in the warm sauce quickly, so you can add this right at the end.
The flavor of this sauce along with the paprika coated chicken is sure to put you in the mood for fall! The best part is it’s simple enough to make any night of the week.
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 tbsp butter can use half butter, half olive oil, if desired
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme chopped
- 3 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup dry white wine I used a Chenin Blanc
- 2 handfuls spinach
- Combine paprika, salt and pepper in a small dish. Rub spice mixture evenly on both sides of the chicken breasts.
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 3 minutes until the chicken is crisp and browned. Flip the chicken and cook for 3 minutes on the second size.
- After chicken has cooked on both sides, add remaining butter, thyme and garlic.
- Cook, stirring the thyme and garlic, for about 2 minutes; then add the wine.
- Bring the wine to a gentle simmer, and cook for 25-30 minutes. Wine will reduce creating a sauce; add more wine (or chicken stock) if needed.
- Add the spinach and cook for a minute or two until it wilts.
**Cardinal Rule** When cooking with fresh thyme, you want to remove the woody, main stem. Don't waste your time picking off each leaf individually. Instead, hold the stem by the leaves on the top with one hand, and pull the the stem through your other hand, stripping the leaves as you go.
Recipe Source: The Kitchen Paper