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 it is absolute heaven!
For more authentic Hungarian dishes be sure to also try our Hungarian Goulash, Szegedin Goulash, and Pörkolt!
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? ;)
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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.
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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.
Essential Ingredients in Chicken Paprikash
Each time I’ve been served chicken paprikash it was prepared virtually the same way with the same basic ingredients: Chicken, onions, garlic, water or broth, lots of paprika, sometimes tomatoes, salt, pepper and cream. Sometimes Hungarian bell peppers are included though most versions I’ve seen made by older generation Hungarian home cooks did not. The inclusion of bell peppers varies by region and cultural tradition.
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!
We 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. Not just because it’s traditional, but because it makes food taste amazing! Lard will transform your cooking and baking. You can buy lard online but I strongly recommend rendering your own. It’s super easy, learn how to make lard!
Should I Use Water or 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. My favorite broth is Aneto 100% All-Natural Chicken Broth imported from Barcelona, Spain. Other broths on the market (including “premium” brands) are made with a “formula” using powders, extracts, flavorings, preservatives, MSG masked in the form of “yeast extract”, and mystery ingredients like “natural flavors”. Aneto broths are made with real ingredients: the freshest vegetables, whole bone-in chicken and salt which are slow-simmered for hours in gigantic pots. We toured their factory several years ago and it was incredible to watch the whole process.
Equipped with the BEST ingredients you’re now ready to make the BEST Chicken Paprikash!
I don’t know about you but I’m hungry. Are you ready to eat??
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!
Be sure to try these other delicious Hungarian dishes:
Authentic Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)
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 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
Demi says
Opted to use Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, and my husband loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Patricia says
I grew up in a part of the country that had a large Hungarian population and ate a lot of chicken paprikas. I absolutely love the dish. This is perfect but, where I grew up no tomatoes were ever added. I tried this and it’s a great recipe but the tomatoes ruined it for me. Next time I’m leaving them out. Thank you for posting this, the church cookbook (recipe) I had got lost in a recent move; this very much like it.
Mary Lewis says
My sister and I just ate this traditional dish in Budapest for lunch, along with a local Hungarian beer. OMG heaven in a bowl. Your recipe was the first to pop up in a Google search. We both are definitely planning to make this at home!
SHALS says
I have all ingredients right now to make this (yes including authentic Hungarian sweet paprika I picked up from trip to BP), but only have buttermilk in the fridge. Can I use that instead of the sour cream and cream combo?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi SHALS, it will definitely taste different and the buttermilk is also likely to curdle. If you can take the time to grab the sour cream and heavy cream from the store I’d recommend it.
Michelle says
I just made this! Delicious! I’ll have 5 meals for this week as well! I omitted the whipping cream because I didn’t have it on hand. Still great! Next time I’m trying hot paprika.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Michelle, thanks so much!
Matthias says
I only had Safeway egg noodles, but superb chicken and real paprika. DELICIOUS! Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Matthias, thank you!
Susan Kleinbauer says
This recipe is sooooo incredibly yummy!
My family loves it. It’s pretty easy to make too
which I love. I added some smoked paprika as
well only because I had just bought it. Liked
the addition of that but very much love it with the
sweet paprika only too. Thank you for sharing this
dish!!! A true winner in my family!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Susan, thank you!
Mandy says
I accidentally used hot paprika, it was awesome! My husband is asking for more! I added the flour to the vegetables to make a rouge. It was yummy!
Whitney says
I LOVED this recipe. I recently visited Budapest and ate at a restaurant where they made my chicken paprikash in front of me and talked me through the recipe…I thought it’d be kind of meh, being a touristy spot, but it turned out to be my favorite version of the dish all trip! I brought back some paprika to try it at home and was thrilled that your blog came up in my search for recipes. I added a little bit of bacon, which they did at the restaurant but I haven’t seen in other recipes (I assume it imparts something similar to the lard or bacon grease that’s often recommended), and I cooked it more as a stew by letting the chicken simmer and then shredding the meat into the sauce. I can’t wait to make it again.
Marcus says
A delicious, hearty, Autumn staple for my family and a lovely recipe. I guess my only suggestion would be either dredging the chicken in flour (pre-seasoned) before trying or adding it to the fat towards the end of softening the onions etc, just to cook it out.
A lovely dish though. Replace a portion of the sweet paprika with smoked for another level of lovely!
Trisha says
I love this recipe!! I did adjust a few of the amounts of ingredients, but it turned out fantastic! My boyfriend who HATES sour cream LOVED this recipe! He cleaned his whole plate!! I love the flavours in this and it’s always been my bestfriend’s favourite meal. Hopefully I can make this for her one day and she’ll be glad that I found this! :))
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Trisha, thank you!
Andrea says
Oh my, this Chicken Paprikash looks delicious! Thank you for the step by step pictures and all the information. I am definitely hungry for this now.
Edyta says
Chicken Paprikash maybe my favorite way of eating chicken. It’s so flavorful and delicious.
Tara says
Such beautiful photos! This looks absolutely incredible and I hope to be able to visit Hungary someday.
Beth says
Oh this looks fabulous! My Hungarian ancestors would be proud of me for making this dish! Gotta give it a try!