Chicken Paprikash

Hungarian-inspired chicken paprikash is a comforting dish made with tender chicken cooked in creamy paprika sauce with onions, wine, and sour cream.

Course Chicken Dinner

Cuisine European

Keyword hungarian chicken recipes

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 25

Servings servings

Calories 1113kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

3 1/2--4 pounds chicken thighs and or drumsticks skin-on, bone-in (about 9 pieces), patted dry
fine salt, divided
black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons, plus more if needed vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter plus 1 Tbsp for noodles, optional
2 large onions, thinly sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon Hungarian regular or hot paprika
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons chicken flavored Better Than Bouillon
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
fresh dill or parsley, for garnish
cooked and buttered egg noodles, for serving

Instructions

Brown the chicken: Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down, and sear until golden brown and crisp, 5–7 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
Build the base: Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in the pot. Add onions (2) and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic (6) and cook another 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in paprika (4 tablespoons), flour (1 tablespoon), and cayenne; cook 2–3 minutes until the paprika blooms and flour loses its raw taste.
Deglaze with wine: Pour in white wine (1/2 cup) and simmer, scraping up browned bits, until mostly reduced, 2–3 minutes.
Dissolve Better Than Bouillon: In a small bowl, whisk Better Than Bouillon (2 teaspoons) with boiling water (1/4 cup) until completely dissolved.
Add tomatoes + broth: Stir in crushed tomatoes (1 cup), broth (1 cup), dissolved Better Than Bouillon, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer until smooth and slightly thickened, 3–4 minutes.
Braise the chicken: Nestle chicken into the sauce, skin side up (mostly submerged). Cover and simmer gently on the stovetop for 45–50 minutes, until chicken is tender but skin remains intact.
Thicken the sauce: Transfer chicken to a platter. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it doesn't, increase heat and simmer sauce uncovered until its achieved the spoon-coating consistency.
Finish with dairy: Remove pot from heat. Stir in sour cream (1 cup) and heavy cream (2 tablespoons). Return chicken to the sauce, turn it over to coat, and heat briefly to warm through.
Serve: Place chicken over buttered egg noodles. Spoon sauce generously over top, sprinkle with fresh dill or parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

Mix gently, simmer patiently: The magic of paprikash comes from low and slow cooking — it coaxes every bit of flavor from the paprika and onions.
Don’t let paprika burn: Add it off heat briefly before liquids to unlock flavor without bitterness.
Balance the acidity: If the sauce tastes too tangy, a pinch of sugar smooths it out.
Garnish simply: Fresh parsley adds color and a little freshness to each plate.

Nutrition