Authentic Chicken Paprikash
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
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:
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address and we’ll send it straight to your inbox!
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!
This looks fantastic. Loved your comments on lard and followed the link to make it. I was born and raised in England and my mum always cooked with lard and beef dripping. Lard was used for everything from cooking bacon (from the loin, not the belly) to wiping her baking pans to ensure her cakes would turn out of them after baking. Lard was used for roasting breast of mutton and especially rolled pork loin with the skin scored on the outside and rubbed with salt which was frequently basted. This turned the skin into what we called crackling and adhered to the meat when the loin was sliced. When it was served, there was intense competition between my brothers and I for the crackling and almost a fist fight over it! I must have eaten gallons of lard and beef dripping over the decades I lived in the UK and my colesterol has always been right where it needs to be. Thanks for your support in the fight against processed foods and the great recipes.
Thanks so much, George! Oh, I’ll bet your fought over it, that’s some good stuff you’re describing! I lived in England for several years myself and I can’t even begin to imagine Yorkshire puddings, spotted dick, and oh my gosh, Wiltshire lardy cakes, AMAZING!, and many other wonderful dishes without lard – it’s just inconceivable! :) The Brits still had their senses intact for quite a few years after the Americans had already lost theirs stocking up on Crisco. Unfortunately the “fat scare” eventually hit Britain too along with the rest of the Western world. It’s going to take some time before our cultures overcome the myth and catch up to the science but until then, there’s nothing stopping us from enjoying lard right at home! :) Cheers, Kimberly
This recipe looks wonderful, and I almost downloaded it. When I came to your choice of chicken broth and checked it out on Amazon, I found it was loaded with sodium! Not only that, but returning here, I found another whopping 1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt, and though it is far better for ones health, it is far more than I want to ingest! Usually I find your recipes are far more healthful. They are certainly always interesting, as is the dialogue about the area it came from. Personally, I would make a recipe that had far less sodium, since both myself and my husband are medicated for hypertension, but I haven’t a doubt that your version is fantastic! :)
Hi Barbara, thanks for sharing your honest thoughts. You may have noticed in the photos that Aneto also makes a low sodium chicken broth with just 300mg of sodium per cup. I’ve also added it to my ingredients recommendations.
The salt content of this dish per serving isn’t remotely “unhealthy.” Salt is only a problem for those with sodium-sensitive hypertension and my recipes aren’t developed with any specific health conditions in mind. For example, my desserts are not geared towards diabetics nor are my breads and pastries all gluten or dairy free. However, I do have many readers with these and other health concerns who will make the needed adaptations to suit their specific needs, e.g., use an alternative sweetener, substitute with GF flour, or simply use less salt than what is called for.
I can appreciate the health conditions you and your husband have and this dish lends itself very easily to personal adaptation: You can cut back on the sodium by either using a low-sodium broth or cutting back on the sea salt, or both. So please don’t let that stop you from enjoying this wonderful dish! Kind regards, Kimberly
I hope you don’t mind me stepping into the conversation. If I may suggest using simple water instead of the broth. I’ve been making csirke pörkölt/paprikás for over 50 years and have never used broth. Perhaps it would have had a more deep flavour, but no one has ever missed it. So, for those with a sodium reduced diet, use water. I gave your recipe only 4 stars for two reasons. :-) I do not like sour cream in most foods and I’m not a fan of browning the meat in the beginning. Mind you, I’m definitely going to try it. Short story. My stepdaughter made chicken pörkölt for use when we visited. She fried the chicken first, added water and salt and sprinkled on paprika. That’s it. Guess what? It tasted pretty darn good. Who would have guessed? (I had to make the nokedli) By the way, I just discovered your site and so far am enjoying it immensely.
Hi Suzanna, I welcome and appreciate your feedback. Yes, the broth and browning are my personal preferences for even greater depth of flavor. For the browning, I liken it to beef stew – while it’s good without browning the beef, it’s incredible when the beef is browned. Known as the “Maillard Reaction”, browning creates a chemical reaction that results in that rich “roasted meat” flavor and takes otherwise good dishes to an even higher flavor level. Again, my personal preferences and recommendations for greater depth of flavor but you can certainly use water and skip the browning if you prefer.
This sounds great! We went to Germany and Budapest on our honeymoon many years ago. I always make your recipes from Germany and Hungary. We love them and it brings back great memories. Our 45th is coming up and now I know what I will be making . Thanks Kim!
Thanks so much, Peggy, I’m thrilled to know you’ve been making my German and Hungarian recipes! :) I hope you enjoy this paprikash and Happy 45th Anniversary – what a wonderful accomplishment!! My parents just celebrated their 46th anniversary last month.
I am so excited! My girlfriend is coming to town to visit, and she’s Hungarian. In fact, her mother moved back to Hungary a while back. So she always brings me paprika and great products like paprika creme. I am going to make this for her when she visits. It will be really special to her!
Perfect timing, Mimi, and that’s awesome that she’ll be bringing you a stash of quality paprika! Happy cooking and eating! :)
Love Budapest, love paprika, love goulash ! I’m in !
I’ve heard of this dish and I was so curious to try it!
How beautiful Budapest is! Everyone should visit it!
Definitely, need to try this! Thanks for the recipe!