Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash is a classic Hungarian dinner that’s comforting, flavorful, and so easy to make! Chicken legs and thighs are slowly cooked to tender perfection in a medley of onions, tomatoes, plenty of paprika and more in a creamy sauce. Serve this chicken with egg noodles for the best comfort food!
Chicken Paprikash
What is Chicken Paprikash? It’s a classic Hungarian entree that features chicken and (you guessed it) lots of paprika! That signature vibrant orange/red hue comes directly from the spice and lends the most mouthwatering flavor to both the creamy sauce and chicken itself. In Hungary, this dish is called “Paprikás Csirke,” which essentially translates to paprika chicken. If you’re a paprika lover, this is sure to be your new favorite entree.
Besides the creamy paprika sauce, the other key element to perfect Chicken Paprikash is the tender consistency of the chicken. In order to make Chicken Paprikash, you’ll need a Dutch oven or large pot to hold all of the ingredients together. The chicken cooks low and slow, which makes the meat pretty much fall off the bone AND infuses it with tons of flavor from the other ingredients.
Chicken Paprikash is comfort food at its finest. Between the creamy, warm sauce and tender chicken, there’s a whole lot to love about this dinner! I love digging into a big heaping of Chicken Paprikash with egg noodles on a chilly fall or winter night. Oh, and speaking of egg noodles – you simply must serve this dish with either those or rice, because you don’t want a drop of that paprika sauce going to waste!
How to Make Chicken Paprikash
When a recipe requires a Dutch oven, you already know it’s going to be comforting!
Brown the chicken. Melt the butter in your Dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add the chicken and brown it on all sides. Once browned, set the chicken aside in a bowl.
Cook the veggies. Toss the onions into the pot and cook over medium until golden brown. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, and pepper, and cook for another 3 minutes.
Season it. Now for the key ingredient! Mix in the paprika with a little salt and pepper. Give everything a good stir.
Boil it. Place the browned chicken back into the Dutch oven. Pour in the chicken stock, making sure the chicken is fully covered. Bring to a boil over high heat for about 10 minutes.
Simmer it. Cover the Dutch oven with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the mixture to simmer undisturbed for about 40 minutes.
Create the creamy mixture. Stir together the room temperature sour cream, heavy cream, and flour. It should form a smooth paste.
Make it creamy. After the chicken is done simmering, remove it from the Dutch oven and set aside. Whisk in the creamy mixture and try to do so thoroughly so you don’t have any lumps – you’ll need to stir constantly. Bring it to a simmer for 5-7 minutes to thicken.
Enjoy! Place the chicken back in the Dutch oven and simmer for another 15 minutes. Serve with extra sauce, noodles, and whatever else your heart desires!
Tips for the Best Chicken Paprikash
- The sour cream and heavy cream should be room temperature when making the paste to avoid any lumps. When this is added as you continue to whisk, any lumps that might be visible will blend and come together.
- To keep things authentic, you should really only be using bone-in chicken. It always turns out SO tender and yields the best flavor in this recipe.
- If you can get your hands on real Hungarian paprika, USE IT! Hungarian paprika is made with such care. It’s got a great quality to the color and flavor that’s just a step above what you can usually find here in the States. With that being said, regular paprika from your local grocery store also works just fine.
Storing Chicken Paprikash
In an airtight container in the fridge, any leftover Chicken Paprikash you have will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.
How to Serve It
You can enjoy Chicken Paprikash all on it’s own or serve it with one of our favorite side dishes.
- Best Buttered Noodles
- The Best Mashed Potatoes
- How to Make Cauliflower Rice Three Ways
- The Best Brioche Bread
If you love eating chicken right off the bone, check out these easy recipes!
- How to Make Rotisserie Chicken
- Baked Garlic Parmesan Wings
- Honey Chipotle BBQ Grilled Chicken Thighs
- Adobo Chicken
For more easy chicken recipes, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Get the Recipe: Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 2 TBL butter
- 3 pounds chicken legs and thighs, bone – in and skin on (approx. 6-8 pieces)
- 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
- 6 TBSP paprika
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 6 TBL AP Flour
- 1 ½ cup sour cream, room temperature so you don’t have lumps when mixing in
- ½ cup heavy cream
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven on medium/high heat, melt the butter, then add the chicken. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides for approximately 2-4 minutes per side, this may have to be done in stages so as to not overload the pot. Once chicken pieces are browned, set aside in a bowl.
- In the same pot, Add the onions and cook on medium heat until soft and golden brown, approximately 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomato and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
- Mix in the paprika, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken back into the pot / dutch oven and add the chicken stock ensuring the chicken should be mostly covered. Bring to a boil on medium/high heat, approximately 10 minutes.
- Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes.
- While the chicken is simmering, in a small bowl stir mix the room temperature sour cream, heavy cream and the flour together to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot/dutch oven and place on a side plate.
- Whisk the cream mixture into the sauce mixing constantly so lumps don’t form. On medium heat, bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce for 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes.
- Enjoy with extra sauce, buttered egg noodles and garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.