Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash is a classic Hungarian comfort food made with tender chicken thighs simmered in a rich, paprika-seasoned sauce and finished with sour cream. Serve over egg noodles or spaetzle for a warm, satisfying family dinner.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (plus more as needed)
- 1 large onion diced (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large tomato seeded and diced
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika (not smoked)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 tablespoon softened butter + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (optional, for thickening)
- Egg noodles, spaetzle or mashed potatoes for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pat chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper. Brown in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the pot if needed. Add onions and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add garlic, diced tomato, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes more until the tomato begins to soften.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika until everything is well coated.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and return to heat. Pour in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Remove from heat. Temper the sour cream by stirring a few spoonfuls of hot sauce into the sour cream, then stir the mixture back into the pot. Warm gently over low heat. Do not boil.
- Optional: If the sauce is too thin, mix 1 tablespoon softened butter and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl, then stir into the sauce before adding sour cream. Simmer a few minutes to thicken.
- Serve over egg noodles, spaetzle, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
- Use sweet Hungarian paprika. This is the key ingredient. Regular, smoked, or hot paprika will give you a completely different dish. Look for it in the international or spice aisle.
- Fresh paprika matters. If your paprika has been sitting in the cabinet for over a year, replace it. Stale paprika has very little flavor.
- Add paprika off the heat. Remove the pot from the burner before stirring in the paprika to prevent it from burning and turning bitter.
- Temper the sour cream. Stir a few spoonfuls of hot sauce into the sour cream before adding it to the pot. This prevents curdling and keeps the sauce smooth.
- Don't boil after adding sour cream. Keep the heat low to maintain a creamy texture.
- Brown in batches. Crowding the pan will steam the chicken instead of browning it. Work in 2 to 3 batches depending on the size of your pot.
- Bone-in chicken option. You can use bone-in thighs or drumsticks for more traditional paprikash. Increase simmering time to about 45 minutes and check that internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Greek yogurt substitution. Plain Greek yogurt can replace sour cream for a lighter version. Temper it the same way.
- Slow cooker option. Brown the chicken and cook the aromatics as directed, then transfer to a slow cooker with broth. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in tempered sour cream before serving.
- Storage. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating. Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of broth. Avoid boiling.
- Freezing. Freeze without the sour cream for best results, up to 2 to 3 months. Stir in fresh sour cream when reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 179mg | Sodium: 763mg | Potassium: 580mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1640IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg
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