Description
A rich and creamy Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, perfect for cozy weeknights or special dinners. This one-pot dish features smoky-sweet paprika and tender chicken in a silky sour cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2–2.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks recommended)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2–3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as canola or grapeseed)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
- Optional additions: a bay leaf, a pinch of caraway seeds, or a splash of white wine
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides until golden (about 5–7 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the onions: Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining oil and butter. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to caramelize—about 12–15 minutes.
- Add garlic and paprika: Stir in minced garlic and then immediately add the paprika, tossing to coat the onions. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste and deglaze: Mix in the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Deglaze with a splash of chicken broth or white wine.
- Return the chicken to the pan: Nestle the browned chicken back into the onion mixture skin-side up. Pour in enough chicken broth to come about halfway up the chicken pieces. Cover and reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through—about 25–30 minutes.
- Thicken the sauce: Once the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces and keep warm. Stir the flour into a few tablespoons of the hot cooking liquid to make a slurry, then whisk back into the pot.
- Temper in the sour cream: Remove the pot from the heat. In a small bowl, whisk a few tablespoons of the hot sauce into the sour cream, then whisk the tempered sour cream back into the pot.
- Finish and rest: Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve over nokedli, mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread. This dish can be easily modified to suit different tastes, including vegetarian or spicy versions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Hungarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 37g
- Cholesterol: 98mg
Keywords: chicken paprikash, Hungarian recipe, one-pot meal