Chicken Paprikash

Jump to Recipe

You know those recipes that you grew up eating and you’d request on a weekly basis?! Well Chicken Paprikash was exactly that for us!

Chicken Paprikash with Buttered Noodles from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

I’m not sure if my favorite part about this dish is the butters herb egg noodles, the creamy bright red sauce, or the chicken that is so succulent and tender. But it doesn’t matter because when you make a batch of Chicken Paprikash, LIFE IS GOOD!

Chicken Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian recipe and somehow it made it’s way into the hearts of my Omi and Papa. Omi is German and Papa is Bulgarian and would rock the kitchen back in their heyday. They’d make it for my mom when she was growing up and then us when we were visiting! My mom would get requests for this on a weekly basis from us! To say we were obsessed would be an understatement.

It’s basically stewed chicken in a paprika roux with tons of extra flavor from onions and garlic and herbs. Def a crowd pleaser no matter who you are serving it to!

Chicken Paprikash

5 from 4 votes
Chicken Paprikash is a traditional Hungarian recipe and somehow it made it’s way into the hearts of my Omi and Papa. It’s basically stewed chicken in a paprika roux with tons of extra flavor from onions and garlic and herbs. Def a crowd pleaser no matter who you are serving it to!
Prep Time 5 mins
Course Main Course, Dinner
Cuisine Hungarian
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 6-8 pieces), cut into small 1 inch pieces
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 15- ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
  • 12 ounces egg noodles
  • 1/2 cup parsley roughly chopped

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken thighs on a plate and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and flour.
  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of butter. Using tongs, add chicken in and cook, toss occasionally until fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a plate.
  • Reduce the heat to low and add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often to dissolve browned bits on bottom of skillet, until onions are translucent, 6–8 minutes.
  • Add paprika and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, just until onions are evenly coated and spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes to skillet. Fill can two-thirds with water and swirl, then add to skillet. Stir until incorporated, seasoning with salt as you stir, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Using tongs, put the chicken along with any accumulated juices back into the skillet and simmer.
  • Cook the egg noodles according to package instructions, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles and transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, and toss to coat until butter is melted and noodles are coated. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Finely chop ½ cup parsley and add half to noodles; toss to coat.
  • Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Spoon in a spoonful of the sour cream and stir to combine. Continue adding the sour cream, little by little so it doesn’t curdle. Add the cooked pasta into the mixture and add the remaining parsley on top.

Photo by Matt Armendariz / Food Styling by Adam Pearson / Recipe mash up from Bon Appetit + Omi (my grandma!)

32 Comments

  1. Gaby – I love that you’re posting this recipe. My Hungarian grandmother made Chicken Paprikash with dumplings.

  2. Planning to make this tomorrow! Perfect for a snow day!! Can I use boneless breasts instead of thighs?

  3. I subbed light cream for sour cream – also made home made pasta to go along with it (linguine noodles cut short). Just the right amount of spice – wife said this recipe’s a keeper. Had to resist the urge to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on it…….most delish!

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe was amazing! Definitely a keeper! Took about an hour from start to finish, but it was well worth it. The only change was using chicken stock instead of water for the extra liquid in the simmer step. So very delicious with some sautéed green beans to accompany. Thank you, Gaby!

  5. You grew up eating many of the same dishes that my Oma and mother made for me! My Oma was Bulgarian and my Opa German!

    BTW-My family enjoys eating many of your recipes! Please keep them coming!

  6. My boys are obsessed with chicken paprikash. Our recipe doesn’t use tomatoes and we serve over jasmine rice. Always a birthday dinner request for at least one of them. So good!

  7. Any recommendations for making this as a gluten free version? I was just diagnosed with celiac so trying to make all my faves GF!!

  8. 5 stars
    The first time I made this recipe I used all smoked paprika and it turned out okay, but slightly bitter. (do not recommend using more than 1 tablespoon smoked paprika)
    Made again with regular paprika and it was much better.
    Will certainly be making it a third time.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating