Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken

May 22, 2015

Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken




Yoga is a very humbling activity. At least to me it is.
After 5 years of practice, it still feels like learning a foreign language as an adult: suddenly I’m unable to communicate in even the most basic terms.
And you know what? It sucks. It royally sucks.
I've always excelled in sports. I was convinced that somehow I was naturally born that way — but yoga has taught me a different lesson.
Suddenly I’m the slow kid in the class, and that’s a first for me.

Paprika




There’s no going around it: yoga is difficult.
I practice Vinyasa yoga which is a dynamic flow of one yoga posture into the other, with breath linking the two.
In Vinyasa you bend and stretch your body into alien and often unnatural positions. You then hold these poses until the teacher says you can come out.
You’re asked to try things you’re afraid of, that you think you can’t do: like standing on your head or on your forearms.
For someone like me who’s really stiff, due to years and years of competitive sport activities — or as one of my yoga teachers likes to say of “abusing your body!” — even the most basic stretch can be a real challenge.
Just to give you an idea, I can’t sit on my heels because my knees are too tight. So yeah, not easy for me…

Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken




The fact that it's challenging is what makes it so valuable, it’s kind of the point.
Because no matter how hard and painful it is, after class I feel relaxed and energized.
That’s why I always come back for more.
But that’s not all, yoga made me taller.
Last week I decided to measure my height for the first time since starting yoga. In 2008 when I was last measured as an adult I was 6.23 tall. Today after 5 years of yoga I am 6.3.
I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it is.
To me that’s bordering on the miraculous.
Now yoga isn't magic, I don't think for a minute that it actually made me grow.
However, yoga lengthens what is short, stretches what is tight, and gradually reverses the dramatic effect of gravity on our physical body.
It has strengthened my lower back, elongated my spine, and as a result my posture has improved and I now stand straighter.
How cool is that?

Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken




You know what else is cool?
This Smoked Paprika Chicken.
Because let’s face it, we all get busy and tired and stressed. Yoga helps, but having a recipe like this in your repertoire helps even more.
It tastes great, uses five simple ingredients, and the prep takes only a couple of minutes. Literally: 1+1 minutes!
The cooked breasts are perfect for slicing over a fresh salad for a protein and flavor boost.
But it's so good, you can eat it by itself — which is what I did.

Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken


Super Simple Smoked Paprika Chicken                                                                      Print this recipe!

Note: not all smoked paprika is created equal. Look for one that smells smoky and strong. A good smoked paprika has a mesquite-like essence and it’s not too spicy. If you can’t find smoked use sweet paprika.

Ingredients

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons smoked paprika (or sweet paprika if you can’t find smoked)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
¾ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, garlic powder, dried parsley, salt, and olive oil to create a smooth paste.
Brush each chicken breast with an even layer of the paprika paste. Let stand for at least 20 minutes to allow the flavor to infuse the meat.
In the meantime, set the oven to broil and place a rack in the upper third of the oven.
Place the chicken breasts on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Place the chicken under the broiler for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until a crust begins to form around the edges.
Flip the breasts and cook them under the broiler for further 7 to 8 minutes, until cooked through (the temperature should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.)
Cooking time depends on how big the chicken breasts are and how hot is your oven, the most important thing is that the chicken is cooked through.
Once cooked, let the breasts rest for a minute or two before serving to allow the juices to evenly distribute through the meat.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 238 calories, 11 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs, and 36 grams of protein.

37 comments:

  1. Wait..."yoga lengthens what is short"??? And here I was shying away from it! Maybe if I gave it a go - maybe in 10 years I will be 5'3"! ...hmm...I need some of this chicken to help me ruminate on this...
    :)

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    1. You should not shy away from yoga Shash, it's such an awesome workout!

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  2. Looks amazing Mike, on my to-cook list!

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  3. Yum, I love smoked paprika! You come up with the best chicken dishes Mike!

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  4. I've just translated your super simple smoked paprika chicken recipe to my over 70-year-old mum. Guess what she's having for dinner in Warsaw, Poland tomorrow? ;-)

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    1. Soooo, she liked it? I'm curious to know now... :)

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    2. Quickly becoming one of our favorite chicken recipes! Delicious, healthy and fast! The trifecta of cooking awesomeness!

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    3. "Trifecta of cooking awesomeness"...I like the sound of that!

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  5. I love easy dishes like this for quick weeknight meals. I've been using smoked paprika a lot lately and this is another great use for it. Great post and awesome photos!

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  6. Yum I love easy dishes like this. I never think to use paprika to season my chicken so I'm definitely trying it!!

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    1. Paprika is the bomb with chicken, seriously good!

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  7. I loove paprika! Such a great pop of spice and a wonderful addition to this meal :)

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  8. I have some smoked paprika in the pantry and I haven't figured out what to do with it. This came at a perfect time! And YAY for Vinyasa flow - that's my go-to type of yoga (right now), and I LOVE it. Hope you can sit on your heels eventually :)

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    1. I have given up on the idea of sitting on my heels, ever again. My knees are in such bad shape, I lost all hope in that regard :(

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  9. I used to practice yoga, my favorite instructor left and I didn't like the other one and used that as an excuse to be lazy. Thanks for the inspiration to return!

    As for this beauty, those smoked paprika chicken breasts look scrumptious and the carving technique = A+ my friend, they're perfect. Have a great holiday weekend! #WolfpackDoesYoga

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  10. Love smoked paprika...

    as to yoga, nothing kicks my butt with more gusto than IT. Huge challenge for me, flexibility has never been my forte, but I keep doing it. Some poses still elude me after 6 years. Oh, well

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    1. As I said, after 5 years of practice I still can't sit on my heels and it's a major bummer, lemme tell ya!

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  11. Dear Yogi Mike, this chicken looks delicious. Please send samples. Thanks. Signed, your much shorter shorter Wolfpack colleague, Grilling Troll. Also, smoked paprika is the bomb-diggity. Just sayin'.

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    1. Bomb-diggity? You talk like that? Much respect brotha!

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  12. I love yoga, the posture and how you feel after a session of yoga is unparalleled. I hear you, I guess things that we can't do comes eventually. You will be a topper in the class soon. A mistake I made was to go to Bikram yoga for couple of months and it almost was torture, suffered from vertigo for a while and decided to go back to my simple clean yoga.
    A nice simple chicken lunch after workouts is the best. Looks so yum.

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    1. Soon when? I need to know when I'll eventually become good at it ;)

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  13. Smoked paprika makes all things delicious, (try it on roasted potatoes sometime) and I always need another simple, knockout recipe! Yoga is one of those things I constantly struggle with - I'm so inflexible and I can really relate when you say that even a simple stretch is difficult! The only way I seem to make progress is to keep doing yoga 2-3 times per week, otherwise it seems like I just go right back to my old bad habits!

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    1. I hear you Kari, constant practice is the only way for me!

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  14. Okay no idea why my comment got eaten argh! I wrote this whole piece on yoga too lol.

    Regardless, this chicken looks amazing and smoked paprika does wonders!

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    1. I'm sorry but you have to write it again, I'm curious to know now...

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  15. People think chicken is BORING but um........ Have they seen your recipes?!?!?!

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  16. I'm always looking for awesome new chicken recipes. Totally digging this... hello chicken dinner next week! #wolfpackeats

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  17. I'm getting ready to place it in the oven right now!

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  18. It looks delicious, but I'll use a fresh garlic clove cut in half to infuse the marinade and fresh parsley.

    Why is it so important to you to get good at yoga? Isn't more about keeping up the practice, even if you'll never sit on your heels? I don't mean you should never push yourself to go further but personally, I think yoga shouldn't be about performing.

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  19. Hi, I just wanted to tell that this recipe was amazing. We really, really enjoyed it! Very moist and came together very quickly. Thanks for a great recipe!

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    1. That's why I love it too. It's moist, come together in a cinch, and packs a serious flavor punch!

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  20. I love this recipe! It's so good. It's quick, easy, homemade and tasty. The most I ever have to buy is the chicken.

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