Chasity's Chicken Paprikash
Classic Hungarian-style chicken with bold paprika, browned thighs, and a creamy sour cream sauce. Serve with nokedli, spaetzle, noodles, or rice.
This is a dish that finally lets paprika take center stage. Recipe by Chasity Marini, General Manager at our Evanston shop.
Yield: 4-5 servings
- Let good Hungarian paprika lead: use fresh sweet or hot paprika for the signature flavor.
- Brown bone-in, skin-on thighs, then simmer gently about 35 minutes until tender.
- Temper sour cream with pan juices and flour to avoid curdling and thicken the sauce.
Spices
Featured in this Recipe
Preparation Instructions:
Heat butter in a Dutch oven or large skillet with a lid. Add onion and sauté over low heat until translucent.
Add chicken pieces and brown lightly on both sides. Add tomato, garlic, and sweet or hot paprika.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 35 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Remove chicken to a heated platter and keep warm by loosely tenting with aluminum foil.
In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream with flour. Temper the sour cream mixture with some of the pan juices. Return tempered sour cream mixture to pan and simmer until juices are thickened. Return chicken to pan to rewarm.
Portion into heated bowls or plates, and serve with nokedli, which are similar to German spaetzle, or another type of noodle, or rice.
thespicehouse.com
Frequently Asked Questions
What is chicken paprikash?
Chicken paprikash is a Hungarian dish where paprika seasons browned chicken pieces cooked in a tomato-sour cream sauce. It is usually served with nokedli, spaetzle, noodles, or rice.
Which paprika should I use?
Use high-quality Hungarian paprika. Sweet paprika keeps the classic flavor; swap some or all for hot paprika if you want heat. Avoid smoked paprika because it changes the traditional taste.
Can I use boneless or skinless chicken instead of thighs?
Yes, but adjust cooking. Boneless breasts or thighs need much less time and can dry out. Bone-in, skin-on thighs give more flavor and stay moist with the 35-minute simmer recommended in the recipe.
How do I prevent the sour cream from curdling?
Temper the sour cream mixture by whisking it with the flour, then add a few tablespoons of hot pan juices to warm it before returning it to the pot. Simmer gently and avoid boiling after the dairy is added.
What can I serve if I do not have nokedli?
Good substitutes are German spaetzle, wide egg noodles, buttered egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Any soft starch that soaks up the sauce will work.
How can I thicken the sauce if it is too thin?
This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour blended into 1 cup sour cream to thicken. For a gluten-free option use a cornstarch slurry and stir it in, then simmer until thickened.
Can I make paprikash ahead or freeze it?
You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate. For freezing, leave the sour cream out and freeze the chicken and tomato base up to 3 months. Thaw and gently reheat, then stir in fresh sour cream before serving for best texture.
Can I use stock instead of water?
Yes. Replacing the 3/4 cup water with chicken stock adds more depth. Use low-sodium stock so you can control the salt level.
What is chicken paprikash?
Chicken paprikash is a Hungarian dish where paprika seasons browned chicken pieces cooked in a tomato-sour cream sauce. It is usually served with nokedli, spaetzle, noodles, or rice.
Which paprika should I use?
Use high-quality Hungarian paprika. Sweet paprika keeps the classic flavor; swap some or all for hot paprika if you want heat. Avoid smoked paprika because it changes the traditional taste.
Can I use boneless or skinless chicken instead of thighs?
Yes, but adjust cooking. Boneless breasts or thighs need much less time and can dry out. Bone-in, skin-on thighs give more flavor and stay moist with the 35-minute simmer recommended in the recipe.
How do I prevent the sour cream from curdling?
Temper the sour cream mixture by whisking it with the flour, then add a few tablespoons of hot pan juices to warm it before returning it to the pot. Simmer gently and avoid boiling after the dairy is added.
What can I serve if I do not have nokedli?
Good substitutes are German spaetzle, wide egg noodles, buttered egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Any soft starch that soaks up the sauce will work.
How can I thicken the sauce if it is too thin?
This recipe uses 2 tablespoons of flour blended into 1 cup sour cream to thicken. For a gluten-free option use a cornstarch slurry and stir it in, then simmer until thickened.
Can I make paprikash ahead or freeze it?
You can make it a day ahead and refrigerate. For freezing, leave the sour cream out and freeze the chicken and tomato base up to 3 months. Thaw and gently reheat, then stir in fresh sour cream before serving for best texture.
Can I use stock instead of water?
Yes. Replacing the 3/4 cup water with chicken stock adds more depth. Use low-sodium stock so you can control the salt level.
Comments