The Best Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff (Estrogonofe de Frango)

Ready in an hour, this Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff recipe is an easy and ridiculously delicious one-pan dinner. Loaded with juicy chicken thighs, button mushrooms, tomatoes, and cream (or coconut cream) this low-carb meal is perfect for the keto diet, as well as having a paleo option. You will love this Brazilian twist on the classic Russian dish!

🇧🇷 The Brazilian version of Stroganoff

Let’s dive a little into the origins of this dish. The original recipe, Beef Stroganoff, is a Russian 19th century dish, named after one of the members of the Stroganov family. It has increased in popularity since then and has traveled all over the world taking on unique twists depending on the region and its food culture.

In Brazil specifically, they call this dish estrogonofe. They not only make it with chicken (estrogonofe de frango) but also with pieces of beef and shrimp, and they usually use table cream (which is difficult to find here in the UK). Unlike the original Stroganoff recipe, Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff has a delicious tomato-based creamy sauce. If you haven’t tried Brazilian food before, I think you’ll appreciate this South American style of Stroganoff!

I’ve made this Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff recipe a few times and the sauce is always just incredible – my absolute favorite part! It’s addictively creamy, tangy, and seasoned perfectly with a hint of paprika (red pepper) and black pepper.

❤️ Why you will love this recipe

• It’s quick to make: ready in just one hour.
• Only one pan is needed: less clean-up <3
• It’s keto friendly. Just 8.2g net carbs per portion for this dish, making it perfect for any low-carb dieter.
• It’s paleo-friendly. Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and you have an amazing healthy chicken stroganoff, perfect for a paleo dinner dish! The first time I made it was with coconut cream and it was SO good!

🗝️ Key ingredients for Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff

• Chicken: I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for the extra oomph of flavor in this delicious recipe. Feel free to use cubed chicken breast or boneless skinless thighs.
• Cream: The traditional Brazilian way of making this dish is adding table cream which is an ingredient I have yet to find over here in the UK. Instead, heavy cream and coconut cream work well (I’ve tried them both), and sour cream is also suggested. I haven’t tried sour cream but I think it would be very tasty in this dish.
• Ketchup: Yes, this is one of those dishes that calls for ketchup. Luckily, my Keto Ketchup is perfect for this dish and it is both keto and paleo-friendly. If you don’t want to make ketchup you can use store-bought but most are not suitable for a paleo diet. Reduced sugar will reduce the carb count for keto though!
• Tomatoes: I added in a can of diced tomatoes, however, tomato sauce would also work perfectly.
• Garlic: I added 4 garlic cloves to this recipe. It is absolutely addictive! You can add in a couple more cloves of garlic if desired.
• Onion: Feel free to add any color of onion: red, yellow, or white onion all taste great. White onion is traditional to the recipe, however, I usually have red onions on hand so that’s what I added this time.
• Mushrooms: I used brown button mushrooms, but white will work as well.
• Cognac: Brazilians traditionally use a couple of tablespoons of cognac in their Chicken Stroganoff. Brandy would work too (it’s pretty much the same as cognac, slight geographical difference) and in a pinch white wine is fine. Cognac or Brandy will keep your carb count lowest as they have 0 carbs.

🥣 How to make Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff

1. Brown the chicken: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chicken thighs until the skin is golden (about 5 minutes per side).

2. Remove the chicken thighs (leaving the fat & juices behind) and set them aside.

3. Sauté onions: Sauté the chopped onions in the same large pan with chicken juices for 2 minutes.

4. Add ingredients: Add garlic, mushrooms, paprika, dijon mustard, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

5. Add sauce ingredients: Stir in the diced tomatoes, cream, and cognac. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

6. Return and simmer: Return the chicken thighs and any extra juices on the plate to the pan and simmer over medium-low heat for 30 minutes, or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Stir occasionally.

7. Serve: Garnish this Brazilian dish with chopped chives if desired and serve.

🪄 Recipe Notes and Tips

• Cream: Heavy cream or canned coconut milk are both delicious in this recipe if you can’t find table cream.
• Cognac: Cognac is usually added to this dish, however, feel free to add brandy or even white wine instead.
• Store: Any leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat: To reheat, place the leftovers in a pan over medium heat, and add around 1/4-1/2 cup of water, depending on how much food is there. Serve when the chicken thighs are piping hot all the way through.

🍽️ What can I serve with Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff?

• White rice
• Brown rice
• Cauliflower rice
• Broccoli rice
• Shoestring potatoes
• Potato sticks
• Spiralized vegetables/vegetable noodles
• Pasta
• Egg noodles

😋 More delicious family dinners

• Greek Cabbage Rolls
• Gluten-Free Beef Stew
• Instant Pot Gumbo
• Keto Instant Pot Vegan Chili
• Tom Kha with SHrimp

Have you made this recipe? I’d love to know <3 Tag me on Facebook and Instagram, Pin it on Pinterest, or leave a star rating review below! Don’t forget to subscribe to the email list for sparkly new recipes in your inbox =]