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Chicken Paprikash is a flavorful traditional Hungarian dish loaded with earthiness, hints of sweet pepper and fall-off-the-bone tender chicken thighs.
The richly flavored sauce is incredible served over mashed potatoes but for a more authentic presentation try boiled potatoes or buttered Spaetzle.
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash Recipe
Flavorful Chicken Paprikash may be Hungary’s most popular dish next to goulash. The name comes from the use of Hungarian sweet paprika which is a common spice in Hungarian cooking.
This dish is super satisfying and flavorful. It’s hearty and certainly memorable and may transport you to the Hungarian countryside! The stewed chicken is so tender it literally falls off the bone.
I borrowed a trick from our Chicken Cacciatore recipe where skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs are browned in a skillet until the skin is crisp and golden brown. The skin is removed and discarded before adding the chicken to the sauce. I’m not crazy about soft cooked chicken skin and bet you aren’t either.
We reserve one tablespoon of those fabulous drippings to sauté the vegetables and build a roux. We all know fat means flavor so we don’t waste any here!
Sweet Hungarian Paprika
For this recipe you should only use sweet Hungarian paprika. Don’t use hot or smoked paprika and make sure the paprika is fresh for the best flavor.
Some more generic paprikas don’t indicate if they’re from Hungary or Spain. For the most authentic flavor use only Hungarian Sweet Paprika for this Chicken Paprikash recipe.
Authentic sweet Hungarian paprika is available in many well stocked grocery stores, The Spice House and on Amazon (affiliate link).
A note about cooking with paprika…
Whenever I make recipes like this, in which the vegetables are sautéed and the pan is deglazed, I typically add any spices with the garlic to bloom the flavors. However, paprika is one spice that should be added with the broths to prevent a bitter flavor.
An overview of ingredients:
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- olive oil or butter
- salt and black pepper
- large shallots or a large sweet onion
- red bell pepper
- garlic cloves
- crushed red pepper flakes
- tomato paste (while this is not an authentic ingredient in paprikash, we love the deep, rich flavor it adds to the roux and sauce)
- all-purpose flour
- low sodium chicken broth
- Hungarian sweet paprika
- canned diced tomatoes with juice
- sour cream
- chopped parsley leaves
How to make Chicken Paprikash
1. Brown the skin-on chicken thighs
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat on the stove top. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add half the chicken and cook skin side down until crisp and golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate, cover and keep warm.
Continue cooking the chicken in small batches until all pieces are browned. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan along with any crunchy bits. Discard remaining fat.
2. Build the sauce
Add the sliced shallots, bell pepper and a pinch of salt to the pan with the reserved drippings. Cook over medium-high heat until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato paste to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the vegetables and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute more or until a fond forms on the bottom of the pot. Pour in the chicken broth, paprika and tomatoes while stirring and scraping up any browned bits.
3. Add the chicken and cook until tender
Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Add the skinless chicken pieces to the pan pressing them down into the sauce to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender and registers 195 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes.
Stir and flip the chicken halfway through.
4. Prepare the potatoes, egg noodles or Spaetzle for serving
5. Finish the dish and serve
Whisk together the sour cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of hot cooking liquid into the sour cream mixture to temper. This will help prevent the sauce from breaking.
Pour the sour cream mixture into the pot with the chicken and stir until fully incorporated. Continue cooking until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more.
Off heat stir in the parsley and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra paprika, sour cream and parsley.
How to serve Chicken Paprikash
We love serving this chicken over rice or mashed potatoes which are similar to potato dumplings. However a more authentic side might include boiled potatoes, buttered Spaetzle or noodles.
For an easy shortcut try Bob Evans Original Mashed Potatoes found in the refrigerated section of your local grocery store or WalMart. They are as close to homemade as you can get!
A green salad would also be a nice compliment to this earthy chicken. Of course don’t forget the homemade no-knead crusty Artisan bread for scooping up the potatoes and sauce.
How to garnish a bowl of Chicken Paprikash
Serve this chicken with a big scoop of sour cream, extra paprika and fresh chopped parsley leaves. You’re going to love it! ❤️
Using other chicken pieces in this recipe
Feel free to try this recipe with any bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces. We also enjoy paprikash with drumsticks or chicken breasts. You’ll only need 4 chicken breasts if using.
Chicken thighs stay very juicy and are easy to remove from the bone so they’re a universal favorite.
Storing leftovers
Once cooled store leftover Chicken Paprikash in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop in a covered pan. Add a little chicken broth if needed or if you have an open bottle of wine, a good glug or splash will do!
Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 3 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 8)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- 2 large shallots sliced thin or 1 large sweet onion
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes more or less as desired
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- ⅓ cup sour cream plus more for serving
- ¼ cup parsley leaves chopped
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Heat a Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add half the chicken to the pot and cook skin side down until crisp and browned. Turn the chicken over and cook another 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and continue cooking the chicken in small batches until all pieces are browned. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the drippings in the pan along with any crunchy bits. Discard remaining fat.
- Add the shallots, bell pepper and a pinch of salt to the pan with the reserved drippings. Cook on medium-high heat until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and tomato paste to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute more until a fond forms on the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken broth, paprika and tomatoes stirring and scraping up any browned bits.
- Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Add the skinless chicken pieces to the pan pressing them down into the sauce to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken is tender and registers at least 195 degrees F, about 30 to 35 minutes. Stir and flip the chicken halfway through.
- (While the chicken is cooking prepare egg noodles, Spaetzle, boiled potatoes or mashed potatoes for serving)
- Whisk together the sour cream and remaining 1 tablespoon of flour in a small bowl. Slowly whisk about 1/2 cup of the hot cooking liquid into the sour cream mixture to temper and prevent it from breaking. Pour the sour cream mixture into the pot with the chicken and stir until fully incorporated.
- Continue cooking, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more. Off heat stir in the parsley and check the seasoning. Add salt and pepper as needed. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra paprika, sour cream and parsley.
- Serve over boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, Spaetzle or buttered egg noodles.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipes you can make with sweet Hungarian Paprika
Once open paprika loses it’s flavor quickly. However, don’t be afraid that you won’t find ways to use the paprika while it’s still fresh. Once you taste this Chicken Paprikash you’ll want to make it again and again.
Here are a few other Hungarian recipes that call for paprika for you to try:
You can also use sweet paprika in these recipes:
Finally, use sweet paprika to garnish deviled eggs, potato salad and macaroni salad recipes.
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