Chicken thighs are simmered in a rich tomato-based sauce infused with Hungarian paprika in this classic Chicken Paprikash recipe. Served over egg noodles, it’s a hearty and cozy dinner for any night of the week.
If you’ve never had chicken paprikash, you’re missing out. Hungarian cuisine is not as popular as other cuisines here in the US but dishes like this one and Hungarian mushroom soup make me think it definitely should be.
The chicken is so juicy and tender and the creamy sauce is perfectly spiced and rich. Between the warm flavors of the Hungarian paprika and the overall heartiness of the dish, it’s the perfect comfort food dinner for chilly days. I always serve Chicken paprikash with simple store-bought buttery egg noodles for ease, but if you’re motivated to make homemade Spaetzle, go for it!
What Is Chicken Paprikash?
Chicken paprikash (aka Csirkepaprikás) is a popular Hungarian dish made with chicken cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. The star ingredient is Hungarian sweet paprika which adds a beautiful flavor throughout – the only other spices used are salt & pepper plus aromatics like onion and garlic. Traditionally served over dumplings or egg noodles, it’s full-on comfort food.
What’s in This Chicken Paprikash Recipe?
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need for this recipe. You can find the exact measurements in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil & butter – Using both to cook the chicken helps create a richer flavor.
- Chicken thighs – For this recipe, you want bone-in, skin-on chicken.
- Salt & pepper – The season the dish.
- Yellow onions & garlic – For flavor and wonderful aromatics.
- Tomato sauce – This is the base of the sauce. Just plain tomato sauce, not seasoned spaghetti sauce.
- Sweet Hungarian paprika – See notes below.
- Cayenne pepper – For a hint of heat.
- Chicken broth – I like to use low-sodium broth to control the overall saltiness of the dish.
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the sauce.
- Full-fat sour cream – It’s super important that the sour cream for this recipe is both full-fat and at room temperature. Low-fat sour cream will not create the right texture and cold sour cream will curdle.
- Heavy whipping cream – Adds more richness & creaminess to the dish. Be sure to whisk continuously until it’s completely combined. Lumps are likely to occur if you just dump it in.
- Chopped parsley – For garnish.
- Cooked egg noodles – For serving.
What’s The Best Paprika To Use?
When making this recipe, you want to be sure to use Hungarian paprika. Hungarian paprika is made from ground Hungarian paprika chile peppers and you can find both spicy and sweet varieties. You’ll want the sweet variety for this chicken paprikash recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Hungarian chicken paprikash is typically served over dumplings or German Spaetzle. However, if you don’t feel like making dumplings from scratch, I find that egg noodles are a great substitute. It’s also great over mashed potatoes. If you want a veggie, consider a simple side salad or roasted broccoli or asparagus.
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover chicken paprikash in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Freezer. Leftovers also freeze well in a freezer safe container up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Reheat. Reheat the leftovers gently over medium-low on the stovetop until heated through or portions in the microwave.
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Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 & 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
- coarse salt and ground pepper
- 2 medium yellow onions , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup full fat sour cream , room temperature (see note)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- fresh chopped parsley , for garnish
- cooked egg noodles , for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and then once melted, swirl to coat. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper and place skin side down in the skillet. Cook until golden and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate temporarily.
- To the skillet, add the onions and sauté until softened and browned.
- Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add in the tomato sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne, whisking to combine. Then stir in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add chicken back to the skillet, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce (or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165F.) Remove the chicken from the skillet and transfer to a plate.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sour cream, and heavy cream until it’s combined and a smooth-like paste, then stir the mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the sauce to a simmer until thickened. Taste and add a bit more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.
- Serve over German Spaetzle or egg noodles with a bit of fresh chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
How To Make Chicken Paprikash
Here’s an overview of how to make this Hungarian comfort food. You can find the printable version of the complete instructions in the recipe card above.
- Cook the chicken skin. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the butter then swirl to coat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper then place skin-down in the skillet. Cook until golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Make the sauce. Saute the onions in the skillet until softened and brown then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Whisk in the tomato sauce, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
- Cook. Return the chicken to the skillet, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the sauce. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, sour cream, and heavy cream until combined into a smooth paste. Stir the mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the sauce to a simmer to thicken. Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Enjoy. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through. Serve over German Spaetzle or egg noodles with fresh chopped parsley.
Because I love everything that I have made of yours so far, I decided to try this for company. There is a tiny spice store down the street and they did carry the sweet Hungarian paprika! Dinner was a winner! This sauce really is to die for. You really do have to make sure that the sour cream is room temp (or below) as Amy mentioned so it doesn’t curdle when adding to the tomato base. I also doubled the sauce recipe to ensure I had some left over. This is so good, I’m sure I’ll be making it again in November. Thanks Amy!