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!
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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!
Somehow chicken paprikash came up in a conversation after dinner with a friend who comes over periodically. Remember my (Viennese) mother’s paprikash from childhood, I set out to find a good recipe and came across yours. Everyone loved it. I saw your recommendation for the special paprika too late to order it this time but…eventually I will! Thank you!
Oh I’m so happy it was a hit and I really appreciate the feedback, thank you Tina!
I can’t thank you enough for this recipe. It is even better than what I had in Budapest. I took some over to a friend who used to live in Hungary and she love it and asked for the recipe. Of course I told her where she could find it :) Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes with us!
Oh I’m so happy to hear that, Teresa, thank you very much!
I was wondering could this be made for a wedding for 200 people
Hi Dottie, sure!
Made this tonight for the first time. Followed the recipe to the letter (well… I used butter instead of pork lard). My first time ever making this dish and I have to say, it came out absolutely amazing!!! And the nicest part was, during the 40min simmer, I took the pooch for her evening stroll. And when I walked back into my apartment, the scent immediately took me back to 2003, when I visited Budapest. There was an indoor market there near the little inn I had stayed at. I visited it my first full day, and there was food stall dishing this out. And even though I had just eaten breakfast, I hunkered down along side some kind, old Hungarian gentleman and we all dug-in to this amazing dish. The smell took me right back to that moment. So… thank you!!! Wish I could share a picture here but I put some up on my Instagram.
P.S. I do have one confession. Though I intended to make Nokedli from scratch to accompany it, I was short on time and cheated a bit by using mini gnocchi instead.
I’m beyond thrilled to hear that, Vic, thank you so much! What a great memory and I’m so glad this took you back to that moment. And the mini gnocchi…perfect substitute!
I was curious to know what Paprikash was after seeing The Avengers movie, which had a scene where Vision made this dish for Wanda.
I made one tiny alteration to your recipe (well, two minor changes… I didn’t use any heavy cream, just the sour cream): I didn’t include the tomatoes. I just felt that if this dish were to be authentic it would probably not have included an ingredient that was unlikely to have been imported into Hungary at the time of its creation.
Be that as it may, my family have totally fallen in love with this recipe, we have it about every other week. Thank-you for listing it here.
Thank you, Mike, I’m so glad this has become a family favorite! I’d recommend including the tomatoes next time and you can see what you prefer. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe in the early 1500’s and chicken paprikash didn’t come along until well over 200 years later, so they’re entirely authentic to the dish. In fact, peppers, including paprika, were only introduced to Europe a few years prior to tomatoes.
Just like my Dad used to make and passed on to him by his mother who immigrated to America from Hungary at the turn of the last centurty.
Thank you for that feedback, Steven. I hope your grandmother’s recipes are still in the family!
I have made this recipe two times. The first time I made it exactly as written so I could taste the way the recipe was intended.I used long Red peppers from Morocco.The recipe as written was 99.5% perfect, the paparika sauce was amazingly delicious and went together well with the chicken. I believe this sauce would also be delicious and go well with Schnitzel. The 2nd time I made it I made a few small changes. I used creme fraîche instead of sour Creme and I added 1 tsp of Hot Hungarian paparika and 1 tsp of Allepo chili flakes because I like it a little spicier. I can’t say the flavor was better, just a little spicier. This recipe does not need to be improved in my opinion and as written the spice level was mild enough for my wife!
Thank you for that generous compliment and feedback, James! I’m so glad you enjoyed this, thank you! <3
First time make and eat Hungarian food and it’s absolutely delicious. Also easy to make. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I grew up eating chicken paprikash throughout my whole life from the early 70’s. Authentic paprikash does not have peppers, heavy cream or chicken broth. The chicken paprikash I’ve eaten does has a few whole pieces of chicken in it but the pieces mostly fall apart so it’s more chunks of chicken meat. It’s the combination of white and dark meat that adds such great flavor. We scoop out that scrumptious flavored sauce and along with it comes nice big pieces of tender chicken over a plate filled with white rice. I do agree its the best quality salt paprika and sour cream is what will make it lick the plate delicious!