Brazilian

Serving

Estrogonofe de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff)

Name: Estrogonofe de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff)
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips; 1 tbsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 1 onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 8 oz white mushrooms, sliced; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp ketchup; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 cup shoestring potato sticks (batata palha), for topping; Cooked white rice, for serving

A creamy, tomato-kissed chicken stroganoff topped with crunchy shoestring potato sticks, a beloved Brazilian weeknight comfort dish.

35 minutes

Serves 4

Dinner

12 min prep

19 min cook

Contains common allergens

Dairy mustard

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Instructions

7 steps

1
Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper.
2
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until translucent, about 4 minutes.
3
Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
4
Stir in the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
5
Add the tomato paste, ketchup, and mustard, stirring to coat, then pour in the heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
6
Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
7
Serve over white rice, topped generously with shoestring potato sticks.

Estrogonofe de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff) — plated and served — Serving moment. How Estrogonofe de Frango (Brazilian Chicken Stroganoff) looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

63/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 50

Budget-friendly 78

Great leftovers 65

Pantry-friendly 33

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

380

Calories

6 g

Protein

18 g

Carbs

33 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Estrogonofe arrived in Brazil with Russian immigrants in the early 20th century and was quickly adapted with local touches - ketchup, mustard, and a topping of crunchy shoestring potato sticks that would look out of place on a Moscow table but are now non-negotiable at a Brazilian dinner. It became a staple of home cooking and birthday party buffets across the country.

Listahan note

This version keeps the sauce built from butter, tomato paste, ketchup, and mustard rather than a wine reduction, which is the specifically Brazilian version of stroganoff rather than the Russian original, and finishes with the traditional batata palha topping.

Technique cues

Stirring in the sour cream off the heat, after the pan comes away from the burner, prevents it from curdling the way it can if boiled directly in the hot sauce.
The combination of tomato paste, ketchup, and a touch of mustard is what gives Brazilian estrogonofe its distinct tangy-sweet profile, quite different from the more purely savory Russian original.
Adding the batata palha topping only at serving time, not during cooking, keeps the potato sticks crisp - stirred in early they would go soft in the sauce within minutes.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Cook the rice while the chicken and sauce come together, so both are ready to plate at the same time.
Make-ahead: The sauce (through the cream step) can be made a day ahead and reheated gently, with the sour cream and batata palha added fresh at serving time.
Leftover move: Reheat leftover stroganoff gently without the potato sticks, then top with a fresh handful of batata palha so it stays crunchy.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the skillet briefly in warm water right after serving, since the cream sauce can stick and dry hard onto the pan if left too long.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into strips

main protein

Purpose: strips cook quickly in the skillet and pick up the tangy cream sauce evenly on all sides

Handling: season with salt and pepper before searing so the strips brown rather than steam in the pan

Adaptation: boneless chicken thigh works too and stays juicier if slightly overcooked, though it's less traditional for this dish

white mushrooms, sliced

savory bulk in the sauce

Purpose: mushrooms add an earthy depth that balances the sweetness of the ketchup and tomato paste in the sauce

Handling: slice evenly and cook until softened before adding the sauce ingredients, so they release their moisture first

Adaptation: cremini mushrooms give a slightly deeper, earthier flavor if preferred

heavy cream

sauce base

Purpose: cream is what turns the tangy tomato-and-mustard mixture into the rich, spoonable sauce this dish is known for

Handling: pour in after the tomato paste, ketchup, and mustard are stirred together, then simmer gently to thicken slightly

Adaptation: half-and-half can work for a lighter sauce, though it will be noticeably thinner and less rich

sour cream

finishing tang

Purpose: stirred in at the very end off the heat, it adds the characteristic tang that rounds out the sweetness from the ketchup

Handling: remove the pan from heat before stirring in so it doesn't split or curdle

Adaptation: Greek yogurt works in a pinch, though it can separate more easily if the sauce is too hot when added

shoestring potato sticks (batata palha), for topping

crunchy finishing topping

Purpose: this crispy topping is as essential to Brazilian stroganoff as the sauce itself, providing textural contrast to the creamy dish

Handling: scatter generously over each portion right before serving, never stirred into the pot

Adaptation: crushed potato chips are a reasonable stand-in if batata palha isn't available

Technique notes

Sear the chicken strips in a single layer rather than crowding the pan, which lets them brown properly instead of steaming and turning gray.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer once the cream goes in - a hard boil can cause the dairy to separate or the sauce to reduce too far and turn greasy.
Taste before adding extra salt - between the ketchup, mustard, and any broth reduction, the sauce is often seasoned enough on its own.

Ingredient swaps

Gluten-free direction: Check the ketchup and mustard labels for gluten-containing thickeners, and confirm the batata palha brand doesn't use a wheat-based coating - most are potato-only, but brands vary.
Dairy-free direction: Swap the butter for a neutral oil and use full-fat coconut cream in place of the heavy cream and a dairy-free sour cream alternative, though the tang will be milder.
Lower-sodium direction: Use low-sodium ketchup and cut the added salt by half, since mustard and tomato paste both bring their own sodium.
Weeknight shortcut: Use pre-sliced mushrooms and rotisserie chicken strips warmed through in the sauce instead of searing raw chicken, cutting the active cooking time roughly in half.

Serve alongside

Cooked white rice
French fries
Green salad
Farofa
Chilled white wine
Guarana soda
Sparkling water with lime

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate the sauce (without potato sticks) in an airtight container for up to 3 days
Reheat gently over low heat, stirring often, and top with fresh batata palha after reheating
Freezing is not recommended, since cream-based sauces can separate on thawing

Equipment

Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Sharp knife for slicing chicken and mushrooms
Rice pot

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