Ah, Hungarian Chicken Paprikash—classic, cozy, and full of rich paprika flavor! Here’s a traditional way to make it. I’ll give you a clear step-by-step recipe.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
For the chicken:
- 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on is traditional) or a mix of thighs and drumsticks
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced (optional, authentic recipes sometimes skip garlic)
- 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika (very important!)
- 1–2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes)
- 1 bell pepper, sliced (red or green)
For the sauce:
- 1 cup chicken broth or water
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon flour (optional, for thickening)
For serving:
- Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings), egg noodles, or mashed potatoes
Instructions
- Prep the chicken:
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. - Cook the onions:
In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until soft and golden, about 5–7 minutes. - Add paprika:
Remove the pan from heat for a moment (to avoid burning the paprika). Stir in paprika until well combined with the onions. - Add chicken & vegetables:
Return the pan to medium heat. Add the chicken, coating it in the paprika-onion mixture. Then add chopped tomatoes and sliced bell pepper. - Simmer:
Pour in chicken broth (enough to come halfway up the chicken). Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30–40 minutes, until chicken is tender. - Make the sauce creamy:
In a small bowl, mix sour cream with flour (this prevents curdling). Temper by adding a few spoonfuls of the hot sauce into the sour cream, then stir this mixture back into the skillet. Heat gently for 5 minutes—do not boil, or the sour cream can separate. - Adjust seasoning:
Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. - Serve:
Spoon the chicken and sauce over nokedli, noodles, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with a little extra paprika or chopped parsley if desired.
💡 Tips:
- Sweet Hungarian paprika is key—don’t substitute with smoked paprika unless you want a smoky twist.
- For extra richness, you can brown the chicken first before adding onions.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day because the flavors meld.
If you want, I can also give you a quick version that takes only 30 minutes but still tastes pretty authentic. Do you want me to do that?
