Why You’ll Love This this Creamy Bacon-Kissed Chicken Stroganoff
This creamy, bacon-kissed chicken stroganoff turns weeknight dinner into something that feels fancy without all the fuss—because who doesn’t want bacon making everything better.
The tender chicken strips get snug with mushrooms and onions in a rich, velvety sour cream sauce that clings to every noodle like it’s giving them a warm hug.
Plus, you get to use bacon drippings instead of plain old oil, which honestly feels like cheating in the best possible way.
Ingredients List
This stroganoff keeps things simple with ingredients you can grab on any regular grocery run, though the bacon does elevate it from everyday to something that feels a little more special.
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 (4 1/2 ounce) jars sliced mushrooms, drained (or use fresh)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika
- Ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sour cream
- Hot cooked noodles
- Additional paprika for garnish
A few things to keep in mind about the ingredients:
- Fresh mushrooms definitely taste better than jarred ones, so swap them out if you have the time to slice them up
- You can use reduced-fat sour cream, though the full-fat version gives you that really luxurious texture
- The bacon adds quite a bit of sodium, so you might want to go easy on additional salt when seasoning
- Whole wheat noodles work great here if you want to sneak in some extra fiber without anyone noticing
Step by Step Directions
This creamy chicken stroganoff comes together in one skillet, making it perfect for busy weeknights when you want something comforting without a lot of cleanup.
- Cook the diced bacon in a large skillet until crisp, then drain and set aside, reserving 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the pan.
- Add the chicken strips, chopped onion, and mushrooms to the bacon drippings and cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through.
- Stir in the chicken broth, minced garlic, salt, paprika, black pepper, and the cooked bacon, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sour cream until completely smooth with no lumps.
- Add the sour cream mixture to the skillet and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Serve immediately over hot cooked noodles and sprinkle with additional paprika if desired.
For best results, use professional chef knives to ensure precise cuts of chicken and vegetables that cook evenly.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bulk it up with veggies – Frozen peas, diced bell peppers, or even some spinach wilted in at the end makes this feel a bit more virtuous.
- Different noodles, different atmospheres – Rice, mashed potatoes, or even cauliflower rice if you’re doing the low-carb thing all work as bases.
- Wine upgrade – Replace some of the chicken broth with white wine for a more sophisticated flavor, assuming you have wine that you’re willing to cook with instead of drink.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
This stroganoff is hearty enough to stand alone, but a few simple sides can really round out the meal.
- A crisp green salad – Something light and acidic cuts through all that creamy richness, and honestly, you probably need the vegetables after indulging in this comfort food masterpiece.
- Garlic bread or dinner rolls – Because if you’re going full comfort food, might as well lean into it completely, and there’s always extra sauce that needs sopping up.
- Steamed broccoli or green beans – The bright color looks pretty on the plate, plus it gives you permission to have seconds of the stroganoff since you’re being “healthy.”
- A simple cucumber salad – Thinly sliced cucumbers with a bit of vinegar and dill provide that fresh, palate-cleansing contrast that makes each bite of the rich stroganoff feel new again.
- Roasted asparagus – Quick to make while the stroganoff simmers, and those crispy tips are perfect for dragging through any leftover sauce on your plate.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
A few small tweaks can turn this good stroganoff into something that’ll have your family asking for the recipe.
- Don’t rush the bacon – Let it get properly crispy because soggy bacon in stroganoff is like putting ketchup on a perfectly good steak, technically possible but why would you do that to yourself.
- Pat that chicken dry first – Wet chicken won’t brown properly in the bacon fat, and you want those golden bits for flavor, not sad gray strips that look like they’ve given up on life.
- Save some bacon grease – If your bacon doesn’t render quite 2 tablespoons of drippings, don’t panic and start adding oil, just use what you’ve got and embrace the bacon-to-fat ratio the universe has given you.
- Fresh mushrooms are worth it – Those jarred ones work fine, but fresh mushrooms actually brown instead of just heating up, and browning equals flavor, which equals people thinking you’re a better cook than you actually are.
- Temper that sour cream – Mix a spoonful of the hot liquid into your flour-sour cream mixture before adding it all to the pan, because nobody wants to fish out chunks of curdled cream like they’re panning for disappointing dairy gold.
- Taste as you go – The salt content in chicken broth varies wildly between brands, so start with less and add more rather than ending up with something that tastes like you’ve been licking a salt lick.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty stroganoff packs a protein punch while delivering comfort food satisfaction, though it’s not exactly what you’d call a light meal.
- Calories: Approximately 520-580 per serving (without noodles)
- Protein: 35-40g – thanks to that pound of chicken breast doing the heavy lifting
- Fat: 28-32g – bacon and sour cream aren’t messing around in the fat department
- Saturated Fat: 12-15g – mostly courtesy of the sour cream and bacon grease
- Carbohydrates: 8-10g – surprisingly low since most carbs come from your noodle choice
- Fiber: 1-2g – mushrooms contribute what little fiber there is
- Sodium: 800-1200mg – varies wildly depending on your chicken broth’s sodium content
- Cholesterol: 120-140mg – chicken and sour cream both contribute here
- Calcium: 80-100mg – sour cream provides a modest calcium boost
- Iron: 2-3mg – chicken breast supplies most of the iron content
*Note: Adding egg noodles will increase calories by approximately 200-220 per cup, plus additional carbohydrates*
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wonder why stroganoff gets its creamy, tangy signature flavor? I’ll let you in on a secret: it’s all about the sour cream!
This Russian dish was originally made with beef and named after a Russian noble family. The acidic sour cream doesn’t just add richness—it actually tenderizes the meat while cooking.
Here’s something cool: traditional stroganoff never included mushrooms! They were added later by French chefs.
And that bacon I’ve included? It’s my personal twist that adds smoky depth the original never had. Sometimes the best traditions come from breaking a few rules.
