I have always loved Stroganoff. It’s one of my go-to comfort foods. But here’s the thing — I’m not really committed to one variety in particular. Sometimes I really go for it and make it with some thinly sliced rib-eye, sometimes I just use some lean ground beef for a super quick dinner, and sometimes… well sometimes, what I really want is this little bit lighter but just as easy Chicken Stroganoff. It’s a 30-minute one-pot meal that hits the spot every time.

This all comes together in a single skillet, but it is in a “batch” kind of method where you brown the chicken first and remove it from the pan while you build the rest of the dish. This lets you truly sear the chicken without steaming it since you’re not crowding the pan. (In other words, you build better flavor.) You only need two chicken breasts, which is generally about a pound, and you just want to chop it into bite sized pieces before seasoning it with salt and pepper, dusting it with flour, and browning it in olive oil.

It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this point, just golden brown on the outside, so once you’ve achieved that, remove it to a plate and let it hang out while you cook some onions and mushrooms down in butter.

I, myself, am not the biggest mushroom fan but the rest of my family is so I always include them in Stroganoff and just eat around them. They definitely give Stroganoff a signature earthier flavor, but they can be skipped if you’d rather.

Once the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms, it’s time to build the sauce, which is just a matter of stirring in some dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and broth and bringing it all to a simmer. (While scraping up any of the good browned on bits on the bottom of the pan, obviously.)

And then, of course, Stroganoff wouldn’t be Stroganoff without a little sour cream stirred in at the end. It adds that signature slight tang and creaminess. Just be sure to do it on low heat so it doesn’t break. All that’s left to do is the best part — eat! (With egg noodles, of course.)