Chilli Paprika Chicken with Garlic in Olive Oil
East meets West in this very warming, aromatic dish of chilli paprika chicken, cooked with garlic in olive oil.
The use of powdered paprika and chilli spices dominates this dish, yet neither spice overwhelms the other, so the proportions are essential.
Paprika is not just any ordinary spice. Made famous by the Hungarians, and widely used in Central European and African cuisine, this spice is rich in Vitamin C, packing more of it by weight than lemon juice (source: www.wikipedia.org).
Add crushed garlic, freshly chopped spring onions and yellow onions, as well as Asian flavoured seasonings of chilli sauce and light soy sauce, and I hope you’re beginning to get a mouth-watering impression of how delish this dish is!

Ingredients
- ½ chicken chopped into smaller chunks, or 6 large chicken wings, wing tips removed and cut in half
- 6 garlic cloves crushed lightly
- 2 spring onion stalks chopped into 1-inch lengths
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red chilli sliced, for garnishing (optional)
- 1 sprig coriander chopped, for garnishing (optional)
Marinade:
- ½ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp crushed black pepper
Seasonings:
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Wash chicken pieces thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. In a deep bowl, coat chicken pieces with marinade spices. Set aside for at least half an hour.
- In a clay pot or casserole dish, heat up oil over medium fire till hot. Fry crushed garlic cloves till it turns fragrant and starts to brown lightly. Add diced onions and stir fry together till onions start to soften, about a minute. Add chopped spring onions and fry the mixture for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Add chicken pieces, and stir fry till chicken starts to turn colour and is slightly cooked on the surface. Add seasonings, stir to mix well and bring mixture to boil. Then reduce heat, partly cover the pot or dish with its lid, and let simmer for at least half an hour or longer, depending on how tender you like your chicken.
- If the braising liquid reduces too quickly before the chicken is tender enough, or if you like your dish with more sauce or gravy, add more water, a little at a time. The liquid should be saucy but not watery. If you like your chicken a little on the dry side, let simmer till braising liquid is significantly reduced. Do a taste test – if a little salty, add sugar or if a little sweet, add salt in sprinkles till your desired taste.
- When done, dish out the chicken with sauce onto a serving plate, and garnish with some freshly sliced red chilli (seeds removed) and finely chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information:
Hi Celia it’s Caz Lo again. I’m glad to see more recipes on your great website. I’m going to try this chicken with paprika recipe tonight. Yesterday I did the usual hairy melon with tungfen. But instead of hairy melon, I substituted it with courgettes. Ran out of dried shrimp but mixed it with dried scallops. It was great! Looking forward to cooking this chicken dish this evening. My daughter loves the idea, I now have two nephews living with me from Macau so it’s all fun n games at mine now!
Hi Caz, it’s so wonderful to hear from you again! Thanks so much for checking in on the blog – I’ve been super busy as well so my posts have been a drop here and there lately, ha ha! It’s always such a pleasure hearing how you work up these amazing flavour and texture combinations, thanks for sharing! Hope the chilli paprika chicken did not disappoint! I’m sure you could improve on it in a zillion ways! Happy times for you having your nephews over, which probably means more cooking and mouths to feed! Enjoy and stay in touch!
Morning Celia it’s a cold morning in Manchester and I’m writing to let you know the chilli chicken was really nice. I’ve got some remainder to eat at work today as well. I also made your Pork Stewed with Tau Cheo and spices last week but to save time, I boiled the pork belly first for about half an hour then braised it. I also added in a little bit more ingredients and in addition some ground cinnamon as well and my elder nephew commented it smelt so nice it reminded him of a coffee shop in Macau he used to frequent. So thanks for the recipe, it was so delicious ?
Hi Caz, that’s wonderful to hear! Wish I could have savoured your delicious cooking as well! As always, thank you so much for sharing what you’re cooking up in your part of the world! Keep your lovely stories coming, ya, makes me feel like I’m right there with you in your warm and aromatic kitchen!
You’re welcome to visit if you’re ever in Manchester! ??
Hi Celia, just wanted you to know, this is dinner tonight! Smells wonderful. Can’t wait until my husband gets home. Just one question, I used chili powder from the spice isle in my supermarket, was this the type I was supposed to use?
Yes, Lisa, I used ground chilli powder. Hope you and your hubby enjoyed this dish!??? wish I could have tasted your cooking too!