Chicken Paprikash
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This chicken paprikash recipe is pure comfort food, with tender chicken simmered in a rich paprika sauce that practically begs to be spooned over noodles.
Chicken paprikash, or paprikás csirke, is a classic Hungarian comfort food, with tender chicken simmered in a rich, savory sauce made with plenty of paprika and finished with sour cream. This chicken paprikash recipe is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, with a few changes of my own. Traditionally, the dish is made with bone-in chicken, but I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs—they cook quickly in the sauce and can be easily pulled into bite-size pieces, so there are no bones to navigate at the dinner table.
Spoon the chicken and its creamy paprika sauce over buttered egg noodles, with an extra dollop of sour cream on the side. And if you love the warm, earthy flavor of paprika, try my Hungarian goulash next—it puts the spice to equally good use in a hearty beef stew.
“This was amazing. So full of flavor and just the right amount of spices.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Paprikash
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Used to sauté the vegetables and build the flavorful base of the sauce.
- Onion, red bell pepper, and garlic: Cook down until soft and savory, adding sweetness and depth to the sauce.
- Diced tomatoes and tomato paste: Diced tomatoes add body and acidity, while tomato paste gives the sauce a deeper, more concentrated tomato flavor.
- Chicken broth: Provides the liquid for simmering the chicken and forms the base of the sauce.
- Paprika: The signature flavor of chicken paprikash. For best results, look for sweet Hungarian paprika at well-stocked grocery stores, spice shops, or online. But don’t worry if you can only find regular paprika—I’ve made it that way plenty of times, and it’s still delicious. Avoid smoked paprika, which has a very different flavor.
- Cayenne pepper: Adds a subtle touch of heat without making the dish spicy.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Traditional chicken paprikash is typically made with bone-in chicken, but boneless thighs make this version easier to cook (and eat) while still staying juicy and tender as they simmer.
- Sour cream and flour: Sour cream gives the sauce its creamy, tangy finish, while flour helps thicken and stabilize it.
- Fresh parsley: An optional finishing touch that adds freshness and a pop of color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How to Make Chicken Paprikash
Soften the vegetables: Cook the onion and bell pepper until they’re soft and starting to relax, then stir in the tomato paste and garlic. This builds the savory base of the sauce.
Cook down the tomatoes and build the sauce: Add the tomatoes and cook until the vegetables are very soft and most of the liquid has cooked away. This concentrates the flavor. Stir in the broth, paprika, and seasonings.
Simmer and shred the chicken: Nestle the chicken thighs into the sauce and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate, then use two forks to pull it into bite-size pieces.
Make the creamy sauce: Stir the sour cream and flour together until smooth—the flour prevents the sour cream from curdling when it is added to the sauce—then gradually whisk in some of the hot cooking liquid. Whisk the mixture back into the pot until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
Finish the paprikash: Return the chicken and juices to the pot and gently simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly and everything is warmed through. Finish with parsley and serve with buttered egg noodles or spaetzle (Hungarian nokedli), with extra sour cream if desired. Mashed potatoes or crusty bread are also delicious options.
VIDEO TUTORIAL
More Comforting Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and sliced thin
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- ⅓ cup sour cream, plus extra for serving
- 3 tablespoons tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven (at least 5 qts/5L), heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the chicken and arrange the thighs so they are submerged in the liquid. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes, flipping the thighs halfway through.
- Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate and, using two forks, pull each thigh into large bite-size pieces. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, stir the sour cream and flour together with a fork until smooth. Gradually whisk in about ½ cup of the pot’s hot cooking liquid to temper the sour cream. Slowly pour the mixture into the pot, whisking constantly until fully incorporated.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot and stir gently to coat with the sauce. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened and the chicken is warmed through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
- Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve with buttered egg noodles and extra sour cream on the side, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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So I’ve tried this in the past a few times because it’s what Jonathan Harker eats in Dracula. My husband and I call it Dracula’s Chicken. I have made the original recipe and it was just awful. Well I made this and it will now be a fall staple in my house. Delicious and it kept well and even improved the next day! Thank you so much!
Jenn never disappoints. This is delicious. The right amount of spice, tender chicken thighs and a perfect rich sauce. What more can I say?
Made this Paprikash last week and it was great. A little spicy, but not too spicy, served with the egg noodles. Froze a few leftovers.
Tasty! Didn’t have a red pepper but used a peeled carrot and it was great!
I had both sweet and hot paprika, so I used 1 tsp of hot and 5 tsp of sweet. Perfect amount of heat and delicious meal. Your recipes are always a winner! Thank you for sharing😊
First time ever making this recipe and it is delicious. Super easy to make ahead, and wonderful for a few freezer meals for those of us that live alone. Great tip on the sour cream being added later.
I love your recipes! I’d like to make this for a friend, but she is allergic to red bell peppers. Do you suggest a substitute or should I just omit it?
Thanks!
Thanks for your kind words – so glad you like the recipes! I’d just omit the bell pepper. It will still be delicious. 😊
Isnt paprika red bell pepper?
Yes! I wasn’t thinking about that when I responded to her question. I’m going to reach out to her separately so she knows. Thanks for the backup! 😆
Paprika IS dried and ground red bell pepper, so you’d have to avoid that too, not just the fresh bell pepper.
What paprika do you recommend. Sweet or smoked? Thanks
Sweet 😊
We were SO EXCITED to see a new recipe! Made this yesterday and it was superb – hit all the right notes; my husband wanted to drink the sauce. We can’t remember which Paprikash recipe we’ve made in the past, but we certianly won’t forget where this one came from. Yet another winner!!
Looks great.one of my favorites.