Brazilian style stroganoff is a little different than the Russian-inspired beef stroganoff we generally eat in the United States. This creamy chicken based stroganoff was one of my favorite meals when I lived in Brazil, and much like black beans, recipes vary depending on who’s kitchen you’re in and what part of the country you happen to be in! This is my version adapted for an American kitchen. Traditionally made with creme de leite (a canned cream) or heavy cream, I’ve found I get just as delicious results using a slightly lighter alternative, though you can absolutely make this with cream (extra delicious). This dish is traditionally topped with crispy potato stix, which might seem strange, but contrast in texture and flavor is so great- and my kids love it! Brazilian chicken stroganoff is a great dish that comes together in one pot for a quick weeknight dinner.
Ingredients Needed
- White rice – for serving. ( Brazilian style rice is great!)
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless breast but you could experiment with any cut of chicken
- Mushrooms – you can leave this out if you don’t like mushrooms, but they blend into the sauce nicely. My kids who don’t like mushrooms don’t notice these much!
- Onion
- Garlic – since there are minimal ingredients here, I recommend fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Tomato Sauce– I use 4oz tomato sauce so it’s exactly half the can. This way you can easily double the recipe and use a whole can, or freeze the leftover half can for the next time you make this.
- Ketchup
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Half and Half -or Cream or Creme de Leite
- Potato Stix
How to make Brazilian Stroganoff
- Start by sautéing onions and and mushrooms in a little butter.
- Add chicken and garlic, along with salt and pepper.
- Add just a touch of tomato with both tomato sauce and a little bit of ketchup.
- Lastly add the creamy part of the sauce. Traditionally made with cream, for every day dinner I like to use half and half with a little cornstarch.
- Spoon the chicken and sauce over hot white rice and top with potato sticks for serving!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container. Best if eaten in 1-2 days.
- Leftovers are delicious, if mixture has thickened, just thin out with a liquid of your choice.
- For a low-carb option, serve over cauliflower rice or roasted veggies.
- For a fun Brazilian themed dinner, serve with some Guaraná soda, and try a Brazilian dessert like pudim or brigadeiro or passion fruit mousse! Brazilian cheese bread on the side is always a good idea too!
Frequently Asked Questions
I’ve tested freezing this dish (made with half and half) in serving size portions in my favorite Souper Cubes freezer trays and it works beautifully! You can even layer the chicken and sauce over rice in these 2 cup serving trays for a perfect one-serving freezer meal. You could also do the same in vacuum sealed bags.
It would change the flavor profile a bit, but you could try a canned coconut milk.
Since this recipe involves minimal ingredients, I do think a lot of flavor is developed when actually sautéing the chicken in the pan so that would be the preferred method. But if you’re in a pinch, you could certainly try some pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.
Sure! This is meant to be made with chicken, but thinly sliced steak would also be delicious.
More Brazilian-Inspired Recipes
Here are a few more Brazilian recipes adapted for my American kitchen, with easy to find ingredients, and big Brazilian flavor!
Brazilian Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped small
- 8 oz small brown mushrooms sliced or chopped
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast diced into ½-inch cubes
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper divided
- ½ cup tomato sauce (half of an 8oz can)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 ½ cups half and half OR 2 ½ cups cream, or 2 10.5oz cans creme de leite. If you use either of these subs, you can omit cornstarch.
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- cooked white rice 4-6 servings
Instructions
- Heat a large pot to medium/med-low. Add butter to melt and then add onions and mushrooms. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Mushrooms should be starting to brown and onions should be tender with only a slight bite to them.
- Add diced chicken to pot along with garlic, and season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and a few more cracks of black pepper (about ¼ teaspoon). Stir chicken and veggies until chicken is completely cooked through.
- Add tomato sauce, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine.
- Add all but about 2 tablespoons of the half and half to the pot and stir to combine. Bring pot to a low simmer. While sauce is heating, whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into the remaining half and half and add to pot, stirring to combine. (If using cream or creme de leite, simply add directly to pan- you can omit the cornstarch)
- Bring sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes to thicken. If needed, season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Spoon chicken and sauce over hot white rice and top with potato sticks.
Notes
- This recipe was designed to be easily doubled (use 1 whole 8oz can of tomato sauce, for example).
- Tip: Freeze unused tomato sauce for the next time you make this!
- Feel free to make the sauce with creme de leite (popular canned cream in Brazil and available in the latin section of most grocery stores. Also sometimes called “table cream”) or heavy cream.
Questions & Reviews
The Chicken Stroganoff Brazilian style was was so tasty and easy to make. Served it over rice one night and over vegetables the next. Definitely a keeper!
This was delicious! Loved the potato sticks on top, it definitely took it to another level. Family enjoyed it.