Quick Chicken Paprikas

By Sarah Copeland

Updated April 18, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(701)
Comments
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If you’re curious about cooking Hungarian food at home, chicken paprikas, or paprikás csirke, is a great place to start, delivering the bold flavor you expect from the country’s cuisine. An old-world classic with deep paprika flavor and a creamy finish, it has been a staple in Hungarian-American families for generations. Traditionally made with whole chicken legs, boneless chicken breasts are used in this easy version, making a classic comfort food dish doable any day of the week. Sour cream, used by Hungarians the way the French use heavy cream, gives the sauce a tangy richness that’s hard to beat. When sweating the onions, ghee (though not traditional) is used for its rich flavor and high smoke point, but if you don’t keep ghee at home, use equal parts canola or vegetable oil and butter. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 boneless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ to 2  pounds), cut into bite-size pieces (about ½ inch pieces) 

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

  • Black pepper

  • 4 tablespoons ghee (or 2 tablespoons canola oil and 2 tablespoons butter)

  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup) 

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

  • 2 teaspoons hot or smoked paprika

  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • ½ cup canned crushed tomatoes  

  • 2 cups chicken stock

  • ¾ cup sour cream, plus more for serving  

  • 12 ounces dried Hungarian or German Egg Noodles or a small short pasta, such as gemelli or cavatelli, cooked,  for serving 

  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley 

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

85 grams carbs; 111 milligrams cholesterol; 710 calories; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 788 milligrams sodium; 33 grams protein; 9 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Heat a large shallow pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer, cooking until it is golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side (do not cook through). Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate until needed.

  2. Step 2

    Add the remaining ghee to the pan, then add the onion. Cook over medium until translucent and soft, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it is brick red, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and both kinds of paprika and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until it begins to lightly brown, about 1 minute.

  4. Step 4

    Whisk in the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. When combined, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors develop and the sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices and simmer until cooked through but still tender, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  5. Step 5

    Whisk together the sour cream and 1 tablespoon water. Stir in the sour cream mixture over low heat until the sauce is creamy and orange, resembling Italian vodka sauce.

  6. Step 6

    Serve warm, ladled over cooked noodles with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
701 user ratings
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Comments

Klaus Kamolz

If you want to do this in the authentic old hungaro-austrian style you should add about 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds and grated lemon zest, But happy to see some old fashioned but never out of fashion european food.

Andi

There are actually two types of Hungarian Paprika, sweet and hot, and the most common store bought brand is Szegedi. Smoked paprika is used more commonly in Spanish cooking. A good substitution for this recipe would be some bacon lardons instead of the ghee, if you’re looking for a more authentic Hungarian flavor, but overall an excellent recipe.

susan

I never add tomatoes, not sure what that's about and I'm pretty sure it's not traditional. I made this just the other day, as always - delicious, I've been making this for years. Chicken stock, sour cream, paprika, onions and garlic - simple. The sour cream and cooking it down thicken the sauce.

AS

I included the caraway and lemon zest suggested, YES. Will also add dill with the parsley next time, as suggested by another. My husband is Hungarian-American, and gave it the three-fingered kiss of love. His mom uses all kinds of tomatoes in her “Hunky” recipes, so maybe they’re not Old Country authentic, but they are blended Ohio Hungarian immigrant authentic. I couldn’t see putting a half can of crushed tomatoes (I used fire roasted) in the fridge, so threw the whole thing in. Added a thinly sliced potato and small summer squash, as well as a small green pepper (because I LOVE Hungarian stuffed peppers) to round out the extra liquid and add some veg, and we sopped it up with buttered baguette and fresh sweet corn dripping with butter over the bowls. Would be lovely accompanied by a crunchy, bright, simple Eastern European style cucumber salad.

Indigenous Yeast

3 tbsp flour thickens the sauce waaay too much compared to my childhood memories of my Hungarian grandmother’s paprikash. And, echoing others here, I feel that her’s wasn’t as tomato-ey. With that being said, it wasn’t bad. I’ll fiddle with it.

Poppi

Just made this for my Hungarian wife. She enjoyed it very much. I smoked a chicken before adding it to the sauce and also added more black pepper. Not sure how”authentic” it was, but it was extremely tasty served over fresh Fettuccine.

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