Spicy Paprika Chicken and Potato Stew
Updated January 6, 2026
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times
- Ready In
- 45 min
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
2 cups finely diced yellow onion (from about 1 large onion)
2 tablespoons finely grated garlic (from about 6 large cloves)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon hot paprika (see Tip)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1½ pounds golden potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks or cubes
4 cups chicken stock
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), halved crosswise
Fresh dill (optional), coarsely chopped or torn, for serving
Sour cream (optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
67 grams carbs; 92 milligrams cholesterol; 547 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 11 grams fiber; 1934 milligrams sodium; 41 grams protein; 19 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
- Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium pot or 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven over medium. Add the onions and garlic and season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softened and shrunk down by half, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir in the paprika and tomato paste, making sure they coat the onions well. Add the potatoes, then stir in the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes.
- Step 3
Bring to a simmer, then add the chicken breast pieces, making sure they’re fully submerged. Simmer, occasionally turning and rearranging the chicken pieces so they cook evenly, until just cooked through, about 9 minutes, then transfer them to a plate to rest.
- Step 4
Continue simmering the vegetable mixture until the potatoes are tender, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn the heat to low. Shred the chicken then stir the chicken back into the pot. Season with salt and pepper and return to a simmer. Taste and season more with salt and pepper as needed. Turn off the heat.
- Step 5
To serve, ladle the stew into bowls. If desired, top with the dill and a generous dollop of sour cream and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and some black pepper.
If you don’t have hot paprika, you can use sweet paprika instead and add cayenne to taste.
Private Notes
Comments
TIP: If you don’t have hot paprika, you can use sweet paprika instead and add cayenne to taste.
Until the tip is revealed, my Hungarian relatives would probably have used Hungarian sweet paprika (edes), which is a lot easier to find anyway. Most paprika found in the supermarket is sweet paprika, unless identified as hot or smoked. You can make the same kind of dish using good quality frankfurters, kielbasa or Polish sausage.
I added one bunch of coarsely chopped de-stemmed lacinato kale at the end and it added a nice texture, would definitely recommend.
This has been cooking for 40 minutes and my 1" potato chunks are still firm. I see only a handful of reviews that mention this as an issue, and I'm wondering if anyone has any insight? I do see that tomato prevents the breakdown of pectin in potatoes and they therefore can take much longer, so I'm wondering why (a) it isn't more widely mentioned as an issue and (b) the instructions don't say to par boil the potatoes before adding to the tomato mixture?
I appreciated how quick this recipe came together, but it didn’t work for me. The tomato soup bit was good. But the chicken and potatoes in said soup felt uncomplimentary. I think Italian preparations with sausage, Italian spices, Parmesan, etc work better. In the future, I would turn to one of those recipes instead of this one.
It was just okay. I added more spice and chick peas.