Authentic Chicken Paprikash
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One of the most famous and beloved of all Hungarian dishes, this authentic Chicken Paprikash recipe features tender chicken in an unforgettably rich, flavorful and creamy paprika-infused sauce! It’s Hungarian comfort food at its tastiest and is absolute heaven on a plate!
What is Chicken Paprikash?
Chicken Paprikash, also known as Paprikás Csirke in Hungarian, is a traditional Hungarian dish that features tender chicken pieces that are cooked in a rich, flavorful and creamy paprika-based sauce and commonly served with egg noodles or dumplings. It has been enjoyed in Hungary for centuries, likely dating back to the 18th or 19th century. A reflection of the peasant origins or Hungarian cuisine, chicken paprikash was made from simple and available ingredients like chicken, onions, sour cream, and paprika. Older, tougher chicken could be utilized because the low and slow cooking time ensured tender meat and the end result was a dish that was both hearty and delicious. This is Hungarian comfort food at its best, a symbol of Hungarian culinary heritage, and has since become popular throughout the world.
Hungary is a country with beautiful landscapes, cities, villages, cultures, traditions, people and food. I love hearing from our readers about their experiences visiting Hungary and falling in love with the country and its food. That’s what visiting Hungary does to people…they fall in love. I certainly did.
Just taking a tiny glimpse of Hungary – Budapest, the country’s capital, is a city bustling with life, color, beautiful architecture, and the aroma of food wafting from over 1500 restaurants. Below is Zrinyi Utca (street), leading to Saint Stephen’s Basilica, built in 1905 in honor of the first king of Hungary. (Incidentally, his mummified hand is kept as a relic in that basilica as they couldn’t find the rest of his body! Not really a topic for a recipe post though, is it? ;)
My favorite area of Budapest is the Fisherman’s Bastion (Halászbástya). Built in 1895 its neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque architecture is breathtaking. It’s situated on the hill on the Buda bank of the Danube overlooking the city and the atmosphere is so romantic. An evening stroll after dinner is a must – watching the lights of the city dance on the water, gazing at the magnificent Chain Bridge, and resting in the soft shadows of the Bastion walls.
But let’s get back to the FOOD. Specifically, one of Hungary’s most popular and beloved dishes, Chicken Paprikash – a very simple but incredibly flavorful dish.
Chicken Paprikash Ingredients
Each time I’ve been served chicken paprikash it was prepared virtually the same way with the same basic ingredients:
- Chicken
- Onions and garlic
- Water or broth
- Lots of paprika
- Sometimes tomatoes
- Less commonly Hungarian bell peppers (varies by region)
- Salt and pepper
- Heavy cream
- Sour cream
What is the Best Paprika to Use?
The name of this dish, paprikash (paprikás), of course comes from the most important ingredient in the dish: Hungarian paprika. This star ingredient is central to the dish and as such there are two critical factors to the success of an authentic Chicken Paprikash: 1) Use the RIGHT paprika (see below) and 2) Use LOTS of it. For the BEST chicken paprikash, both the quality and quantity of ground paprika must be ensured. Trust me, you will taste the difference!
I recommend this genuine imported Hungarian paprika from the Kalocsa region of Hungary. It has an extraordinarily rich flavor and an exceptionally vibrant red color. Many of our readers have tried it and have reported back that quality Hungarian-imported paprika makes all the difference.
There are relatively few ingredients in this dish and so it is especially important to use the highest quality ingredients you can find. Get quality chicken, quality chicken broth, and quality sour cream. And if you at all possibly can, use lard to fry the chicken. It’s traditional and it adds flavor. You can buy lard online but I strongly recommend rendering your own. It’s super easy, learn how to make lard! Don’t have lard? You can substitute bacon grease (I’m never one to turn that down!).
Water vs. Broth
While using broth is not “traditional” (traditionally just water is used), I highly recommend it for a richer flavor. If you’re using a store-bought broth use a quality one. If you have the time I recommend making your own. You can make large batches and freeze it. See my recipe for homemade Chicken Broth. Equipped with the BEST ingredients you’re now ready to make the BEST Chicken Paprikash!
Chicken Paprikash Recipe
Then let’s get started!
Heat the lard in a heavy pot and brown the chicken on all sides (traditionally the chicken is simmered without browning it but we HIGHLY recommend doing so – it vastly increases the flavor of the final dish). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
In the same oil, add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and tomatoes (and pepper if using) and fry another 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt and pepper (paprika becomes bitter if scorched). Return the chicken to the pot and place it back over the heat.
Pour in the chicken broth. The chicken should be mostly covered. Bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
In a small bowl, stir the flour into the sour cream/cream mixture to form a smooth paste. Stir the cream mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.
Chicken paprikash is traditionally served with Hungarian nokedli, which are the same thing as Spaetzle only they’re much shorter and stubbier. You can make nokedli using a Spaetzle scraper and here is the Spaetzle recipe which is the same as for nokedli.
Enjoy! Jó étvágyat!
For more Hungarian recipes be sure to try my:
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Authentic Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)
Equipment
- Spaetzle scraper , for making Hungarian nokedli (optional)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons pork lard , or butter (lard is traditionally used and we strongly recommend it for the best flavor)
- 3 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in and skin-on (this is traditional and recommended because it creates the most flavor, but alternatively you can use boneless/skinless pieces of chicken)
- 2 medium yellow onions, very finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed and very finely diced
- 1 Hungarian bell pepper, diced (optional)
- 3-4 tablespoons quality, genuine imported sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 cups quality chicken broth (if using store-bought my favorite brand is Aneto)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup full fat sour cream , room temperature (important to avoid lumps; be sure also to use full fat)
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Heat the lard in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot and brown the chicken on all sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate. In the same oil, add the onions and fry until golden brown. Add the garlic and tomatoes (and pepper if using) and fry another 2-3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the paprika, salt and pepper (paprika becomes bitter if scorched).
- Return the chicken to the pot and place it back over the heat. Pour in the chicken broth. The chicken should be mostly covered. Bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate.
- In a small bowl, stir the flour into the sour cream/cream mixture to form a smooth paste. Stir the cream mixture into the sauce, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring it to a simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer to heat through.
- Serve the chicken paprikash with Hungarian nokedli, which is like German Spaetzle only they're very short and stubby. You can make nokedli with a spätzle scraper and using this recipe for the dough.
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet October 15, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Best chicken paprika’s recipe ! My husband’s family is Hungarian and he raves. I don’t use the tomatoes and instead of lard I use vegetable oil and half a stick of butter. Also I make spaetzle – it’s great with the sauce. This is now a standard in our house
Fantastic, Debbie, thanks so much!
I’ve made this maybe 10 times now according to your recipe and it just keeps getting better. My whole family loves it and they’re not the adventurous type when trying different food. Thanks so much!
That’s fantastic, Paul, thank you so much!
Oh, sooo good, first one which reminds me of my Grandma’s paprikac!!Thank you
I’m so glad, lenka, thank you!
Delicious! So rich and flavorful!
I served with dumplings and a dill cucumber salad!
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Fantastic, Shelly, thanks so much!
Did you use a whole chicken ( I currently have one in my freezer) or just thighs and drumsticks?
Hi Carly, I use drumsticks and thighs but you can absolutely use a whole chicken.
Sorry I didn’t read all your article about Hungary as I wanted to get to the recipe quickly as I’m comparing different paprikash recipes on the net. However, what I did read was very interesting. I must try this recipe and look for your other Hungarian recipes. My sister would occasionally make chicken paprikash when we were growing up and it was delicious. Odd that I would remember something being so tasty in my childhood. Anyway, I think I will try to purchase some fresh paprika and make this recipe.
Thank you, Viv, and I hope you enjoy this and any other Hungarian recipe you try on my site!
Not authentic. sorry. Authentic paprikash doesn’t use tomatoes; it gets its red color from the paprika. My Hungarian grandmother would not be amused.
So take out the tomatoes. I come from an Eastern European country, and there’s authentic dishes that are made a tad differently throughout the country, Karen.
I’m from Hungary and I have always used tomatoes and so has my mother and my grandmother. It’s not the matter of authenticity, it varies from family to family and region to region. At the end of the day it doesn’t even matter, the only thing that matters is the flavour. :)
The addition of tomatoes is an improvement to the traditional recipe. Sometimes “traditional “ equates to
obsolete!
My Hungarian grandmother read your comment and she was not amused. She uses tomato and green peppers in her paprikash. So weird how traditional recipes are adapted to what’s growing in the garden.
Mari—-My family, in Szátmar megye, near where Ukraine and Romania meet, never used tomatoes in paprikás or töltött kaposztá (stuffed cabbage). I don’t use it in paprikás because it changes the glorious flavor from what I grew up with. I do, however, add a very small amount of tomato juice (like 1/2 cup to a huge pot)to the stuffed cabbage. Sorry, nagyanya! We also never added peppers to either dish.It could be that it was/is a very poor region? My brother was told once at a Hungarian festival that beigli made from anything other than walnut or poppy was not traditional. Well, my family made prune lekvar and sweet cheese beigli also! Different regions, different availability, different preferences by the cook. Try telling a Chicagoan that their hot dog with pickles and other vegetables or a New Yorker that their “dirty water dogs” with sauerkraut and mustard are not “traditional”. Anyway—-I DO want people to know that Hungarian Goulash with elbow macaroni and tomato sauce is NOT Hungarian. LOL————Also-if you don’t have dumplings or don’t want to make, the paprikas tastes great on mashed potatoes, too!
This recipe was amazing; l made a vegetarian version and it took me right back to my trip to Budapest! Absolutely gorgeous, thank you very much for the recipe
I’m so glad, Vicky, thank you! What did you use for the vegetarian substitute?
Used butter instead of lard (used about 4 ounces instead of recommended 2 ounces; 2 oz.for chicken batch #1, and another 2 oz for chicken batch #2). Used combo of bone-in drumsticks and skinless/boneless thighs. Used a standard red bell pepper. 3 TBS paprika, and 0.5 TBS hot paprika. Absolutely amazing! Just make sure to make enough for leftovers because, just like lasagna, it’s even better the next day!!!
Oops! 4 TBS of butter; not 4 ounces. (4 ounces of butter would be an entire “stick” of butter in U.S.; I used 1/2 of a stick).
So awesome, Tom, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, thank you!