Chicken Paprikash (Paprikas Csirke)
Savor the rich flavors of this classic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, featuring tender chicken and a silky paprika-onion sauce.
Contents (2 sections)▾
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken thighs, bone-in
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 400 ml chicken broth
- 200 ml sour cream
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
Steps
In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. This builds the flavorful base of your dish.
Stir in the garlic and bell pepper, cooking for an additional 2 minutes. This enhances the aroma and flavor profile.
Add the sweet paprika and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the spice's flavor, being careful not to burn it.
Nestle the chicken thighs into the pot and pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Remove the pot from heat and temper the sour cream by mixing it with a few spoonfuls of the hot sauce before stirring it back into the pot. This prevents the sour cream from curdling.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve the Chicken Paprikash with egg noodles or dumplings.
Why this works
The heart of Chicken Paprikash lies in the technique of creating a rich, flavorful base with onions and paprika, which are essential for developing depth in this dish. Cooking the onions until translucent releases their natural sugars, allowing them to caramelize slightly, enhancing the overall sweetness of the sauce. Blooming the paprika over low heat unlocks its full flavor without burning it, which would introduce bitterness. A common pitfall is adding cold sour cream directly to the hot sauce, which can cause it to curdle. To avoid this, temper the sour cream by gradually mixing in a small amount of the hot sauce before integrating it back into the pot. If it seems too thick, you can thin it with a splash of broth or water to achieve the desired consistency. This technique ensures a silky, smooth sauce that clings beautifully to the chicken, making every bite rich and satisfying.