These Spanish Chicken Breasts are packed full of flavor and make a great one-pan meal for those busy weeknights when you want something hearty and flavorful without spending hours in the kitchen.
The delicious sauce is a mixture of tomato, onion, and bell pepper with plenty of seasonings like, garlic, smoked paprika, bay, and parsley. These are simmered gently together to make a delicious sauce. Potatoes and chicken breasts complete this one pan meal.
Serve it with some rice or crusty bread to soak up all the delicious juices, and you've got a meal that will have everyone at the table asking for seconds.
Ingredient Notes
These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients; for a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.
Chicken: The recipe uses two chicken breasts cut horizontally into chicken cutlets. But you can buy four cutlets or escallops from the grocery store instead.
Onions: You can use red, brown, or yellow onions for this recipe.
Bell Peppers: I like to use a mixture of colors, so I buy red, yellow, and green peppers/capsicum. But use whatever color you want.
Broth: I use a low-sodium chicken broth, but you can use vegetables instead.
Baby Potatoes: Also known as new potatoes or creamers, baby potatoes are just that - potatoes that have been dug up when they are small. The skin is much thinner, and the flesh is less starchy. They retain their shape well, making them great for this one-pot dish.
Cutting your chicken into cutlets
- Place the chicken breasts onto a chopping board and use kitchen paper to pat them dry to help prevent them from slipping when you cut.
- Use a long sharp knife and, keeping it parallel to the chopping board, cut through the middle of each chicken breast.
- Repeat with both breasts to make four cutlets.
- Cover the fillets with some plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a heavy skillet or meat mallet to bash the plumper ends down until they are an even thickness.
Recipe Tips
We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you, have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!
- Cutting the chicken breasts into cutlets helps them stay tender and moist, but being thinner, they can overcook. Fry them for 3 minutes a side to ensure they stay juicy.
- When you remove the chicken from the skillet, place it on a plate and tent it with foil.
- Cut the potatoes in half so they cook evenly.
- Cut the pepper into chunky pieces so they retain a little crunch.
- When returning the chicken to the pan, add any juices that have collected on the plate.
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Why You'll Love These Spanish Chicken Breasts
- It's a one-pan dish.
- It is ready in under 45 minutes.
- It is economical as two breasts serve four people.
- Everything is easy to find at even a small grocery store.
- Kids love this dish, especially with rice.
Recipe Adaptions
These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.
- Swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs; they can be left in the pan and cooked in the sauce with the potatoes.
- Swap the chicken breasts for boneless pork loin chops, beef steaks (tri-tip or NY strip steaks), or even some cubed steaks.
- If you don't have baby potatoes, you can swap them out for chunks of larger potatoes, but be careful not to stir the sauce too much, as they can fall apart.
- Swap the potatoes for a drained tin of white beans. Butter beans, navy beans, great northern beans, or cannellini beans will all work.
- For even more flavor, fry some ground or chorizo chunks with the vegetables.
Serving Suggestions
Sides For Spanish Chicken: This is a one-pot meal; the veg, carbs, and protein are all there! So you can add a side salad and be done. Or a good loaf of crusty bread. We often go double carbs and serve the chicken with garlic rice.
Wine for Spanish Chicken: The smoky tomato sauce can carry a rosé (called rosada in Spain). A Spanish rosé would work exceptionally well as they are darker, richer, and fruitier than other rosés. You can also go for a young fruity Tempranillo or Rioja (often labelled as 'joven and crianza').
But my favorite pairing is a pink Cava 🙂
Enjoy x
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Get the Recipe
Spanish Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onions roughly chopped
- 3 small bell peppers chopped into large chunks
- 6 baby potatoes cut in half
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (400g/14oz can)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
To prepare the chicken
- Place the chicken breasts onto a chopping board and use kitchen paper to pat them dry to help prevent them from slipping when you cut.2 chicken breasts
- Use a long sharp knife and, keeping it parallel to the chopping board, cut through the middle of each chicken breast. (see the bulk of post for pictures)
- Repeat with both breasts to make four cutlets.
- Cover the cutlets with some plastic wrap or parchment paper and use a heavy skillet or meat mallet to bash the plumper ends down until they are an even thickness.
- Add the flour to a shallow dish, add the smoked paprika and garlic powder.¼ cup all-purpose flour2 teaspoons smoked paprika1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then coat them lightly in the flour.½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon black pepper
To cook the chicken
- Place a deep-sided skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil; once shimmering, add the butter and the chicken cutlets to the pan.2 tablespoons olive oil1 tablespoon butter
- Cook chicken fillets for 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove the fillets to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
To make the sauce
- Use the same pan you cooked the chicken in.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and bell peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil2 onions3 small bell peppers
- Add the potatoes and garlic and stir around in the hot oil. As soon as the garlic smells fragrant, add the broth.6 baby potatoes4 cloves garlic1 cup chicken broth
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, smoked paprika, salt, sugar, and black pepper.1 can crushed tomatoes1 tablespoon smoked paprika½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon sugar¼ teaspoon black pepper2 bay leaves
- Add the bay leaves and stir everything together. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and add the lid. Simmer gently for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked.
- Add the cooked chicken breasts to the pan, spoon a little sauce over them, and cook at medium heat for 3-4 minutes uncovered.
- Taste the sauce and add extra salt and pepper to taste, then serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition is per serving
Renee says
This dish was super yummy! My kids and my husband thought it was delicious! I added a bit more salt and I think rice would be appropriate for this dish. I followed the recipe as it was and it was great!
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Oh I am so happy you enjoyed it Renee.
We often serve it with Garlic Rice 🙂
Cx
Michele Sutera says
Recipe is fabulous!
L says
Absolutely gorgeous. Perfect taste, texture and very filling.
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Oh so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Cx
Marsha says
Very excited to find this recipe, but it is unclear to me what size can of crushed tomatoes you are using. Looking forward to your response
Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says
Hi Marsha,
I use a 400g/14oz can.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx