Chicken Paprikash Recipe

Chicken Paprikash, also called Paprika Chicken, proves that the best things can come in one pot!

This traditional Hungarian dish is a rich and flavorful combination of tender chicken and onions cooked in a creamy sauce seasoned with paprika. It is simple comfort food.

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What is Chicken Paprikash?

• Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, also known as Paprika Chicken or Paprikás Csirke, is a traditional easy Hungarian dish.
• It is simply braised chicken, with onions, cooked in flavorful seasonings of paprika and garlic. The sauce is super flavorful, especially with the addition of sour cream at the end. The deep red color is amazing and the flavor is rich.

Ingredients needed:

• Bone-In Chicken Thighs – Large, skin-on, or thigh/leg combo. Or buy a whole chicken cut up. Bone-in chicken pieces will result in the most tender chicken.
• Olive Oil and Butter – we use salted butter for a little extra flavor but unsalted is fine too. Canola oil can be used.
• Flour – serves as the main thickening agent for the sauce
• Salt and Black Pepper – use white pepper if you want a pure red color
• Onion and Garlic – feel free to add more garlic if you like (we often do!)
• Sweet Hungarian Paprika – the key ingredient needed to make Chicken Paprikash so use the very best for this recipe. We prefer Szeged brand because it’s got the best flavor! If you prefer a spicy sauce use half Hungarian Sweet Paprika and half Hot Paprika (see more about paprika choices below)
• Chicken Broth – look for a good organic brand or use homemade
• Sour Cream – we recommend full-fat sour cream. This gives the sauce its signature tang and creaminess
• Flat Leaf Parsley – optional but it adds a gorgeous pop of color when sprinkled on top
• Optional: egg noodles, spaetzle noodles, or dumplings, for serving

How to make Hungarian Chicken Paprikash:

This chicken Paprika recipe is a typical braise so, as a result, once you’ve mastered it, any braise recipe will be similar in technique.

• Heat oil/butter in a large Dutch oven, large ovenproof pan, or a deep large skillet that is ovenproof, over medium heat until shimmering
• In a shallow bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour
• Sear on both sides until lightly browned and the skin is golden and crispy. You won’t be cooking the chicken all the way through during the searing stage, instead, it will finish later in the oven
• Searing is important for crispy skin, so sear in batches if needed, and do not overcrowd the pan otherwise the chicken will steam instead of sear

Sear chicken on both sides so the skin is crispy and lightly golden

• Once seared, remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside on a plate
• Reserve about 1 Tablespoon of the oil in the pan and saute the onions until clear
• Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant
• Add the flour and Hungarian paprika to the pan. Stir continually for 5 minutes as paprika can easily burn if not stirred
• Whisk in the chicken stock and mix well

• Add the seared chicken pieces back into the pot in a single layer, skin side up
• Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the thighs are cooked through, and the sauce is thickened. The actual cooking time can vary as a result of the size of the chicken pieces you choose, but chicken is cooked when the internal temperature is 165˚F
• While the chicken is cooking remove the sour cream from the refrigerator so that it can come to room temperature before using it
• Remove the pan from the oven and remove the chicken pieces to a plate
• Temper the sour cream before adding: Add a spoonful of the hot sauce to the room temperature sour cream and whisk. Add another spoonful and whisk again. The goal is to bring the temperature up on the sour cream so that when you add it to the hot sauce it doesn’t curdle. This step is important so DON’T skip it!
• Whisk the tempered sour cream mixture into the pot with the sauce and onions
• Add chicken pieces back to the pot and return to the oven, skin side up, and cook uncovered for an additional 7-10 minutes in the creamy sauce
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley
• Serve in a shallow bowl to capture the creamy paprika sauce, or serve over precooked noodles

Sauce with sour cream added and finished Chicken Paprikash

What kind of paprika is best for Hungarian Chicken Paprikash?

There are 3 types of paprika available:

• Sweet Hungarian Paprika
• Smoked Paprika
• Hot Paprika

• The best paprika comes from Hungary and it is their national spice. Sweet Hungarian Paprika is traditional for this dish and you can easily find it at any major market or on Amazon. It’s worth the small investment for a good Hungarian paprika and a little goes a long way! This is our choice for an authentic chicken paprikash recipe.

• Regular paprika is made with generic red sweet peppers, whereas Sweet Hungarian Paprika is made from a specific sweet pepper with a vivid red color. These Hungarian peppers are grown in cooler climates so they retain more sugar, therefore there is no heat in Sweet Hungarian Paprika. If you like a little heat add a dash of hot Hungarian paprika or cayenne to the sauce.

What to serve with Chicken Paprikash:

• This dish is traditionally served with rice, small new potatoes, Hungarian dumplings, or over noodles.
• The two best types of noodles for this chicken are medium-wide egg noodles or Spaetzle, which is a thick irregularly shaped German egg noodle. Both of these noodles are perfect because they capture the thick, delicious, paprika-based sauce.

How to store leftover Chicken Paprikash:

REFRIGERATOR: This dish is the perfect make-ahead dish. You can store the chicken and sauce together in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.

FREEZER: Also, this dish is easily stored in the freezer for 2-3 months. It’s always nice to double the recipe and freeze it for a quick dinner later. To serve, just rewarm, add a bit of chicken broth if needed, boil some noodles, and dinner is served! Perfect for a cold winter night.

What is the difference between goulash and paprikash?

• Chicken Paprikash and Hungarian Goulash are similar one-pan dishes but goulash is made with beef. Hungarian food is often simple meats with a flavorful sauce.

Side dishes to serve with Chicken Paprika

• Our Arugula Beet Salad with Goat Cheese is a light starter
• This Tricolore Salad with Oranges is gorgeous and zesty with a clean citrus flavor
• Our Fresh Peach Salad with Cumin Port Vinaigrette has flavorful fresh peaches, crunchy candied pecans, and tangy blue cheese

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5 from 10 votes

Chicken Paprikash (Paprika Chicken)

Chicken Paprikash (paprika) is a one-pot dish with a deep rich paprika flavor. Chicken thighs and onions are braised with Hungarian Paprika to become true comfort food.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Hungarian

Servings: 4 – 6 servings

Calories: 890kcal

Author: Cyndy Ufkes – The Art of Food and Wine

Equipment

• Large Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

• 8 large chicken thighs, skin on (or leg/thigh combo)
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 Tbsp canola or olive oil, or bacon fat
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 12 ounces yellow onion, peeled and large diced
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika, sweet (or 3 Tbsp sweet and 1 Tbsp hot)
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup sour cream

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Heat 1 Tablespoon oil and 1 Tablespoon butter in a large oven-safe saute pan or Dutch Oven pan, over medium-high heat. Butter should be foamy and oil shimmering.
• In a shallow bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour
• Sear half of the chicken, skin side down, until the skin is crispy and golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Flip chicken and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Remove to a plate.

  Add remaining oil and butter if needed, and repeat with the other half of chicken. Remove to a plate and set aside.
• Pour off all but 1 Tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
• Turn heat down to medium and add the onions. Cook about 7-8 minutes or until the onions are soft and clear. Be sure to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add paprika and 2 Tablespoons of flour. Stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Paprika can burn so be sure to keep stirring.
• Add the broth and blend well.
• Nestle the chicken back in the pot, skin side up.
• Cook in preheated oven and cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken thighs are cooked through, and the sauce has thickened slightly. (Cooking time will vary depending on the size of chicken pieces)
• Put sour cream in a bowl and leave out to come to room temperature while the chicken is cooking.
• If making noodles to accompany prepare them while chicken is cooking.
• Remove pan from the oven and remove the cooked chicken.
• Add a spoonful of the sauce to the sour cream bowl and whisk to "temper" the sour cream. Then add another spoonful and repeat.

  Don't skip this step. If you add sour cream to the hot sauce it could curdle, so it's important to temper it first.
• Whisk tempered sour cream into the pan to combine thoroughly.
• Place chicken pieces back into sauce, skin side up, and return to oven for 7-10 minutes to reheat.
• If desired, serve over noodles with sauce and 2 pieces of chicken on top.

Notes

• Be sure to use high-quality sweet Hungarian paprika for the best flavor
• Tempering the sour cream before adding it to the sauce is essential so don’t skip this step
• This recipe can be doubled

Nutrition

Calories: 890kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 1113mg | Potassium: 1028mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3870IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 5mg