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Hungary’s Famous (and Easy!) Chicken Paprikash

by | Hungarian Pages, Odd Holidays, Recipes

Classic Chicken Paprikàs

chicken paprikas

Chicken paprikas plated with homemade noodles

Served with Nokeldi, a homemade noodle similar to German Spätzle

The Traditional Hungarian Chicken Dish with a Paprika Sauce

Would you like a recipe for chicken that is easy to make, cooks up in an hour, and is great enough to serve proudly to company? You would? Then this recipe for Chicken Paprikash should really be on your list of new dishes to try. Of course, if you have a Hungarian heritage like I do, it is already one of your family’s favorite meals. My friends were always delightfully surprised at the mellow spiced flavors and the balance in this dish.

Real Hungarian Paprika

Never substitute other paprika if you wish to have the deliciously subtle taste of this authentic chicken dish. Always use real Hungarian paprika, and not just any store-bought brand for the true flavor of Hungarian paprikas.

Hungarian families cook many variations

There are many ways to tweak this recipe. Some cooks add garlic, potatoes, a little tomato, and change around the basic method of simmering the bone-in chicken pieces, but this is the recipe I have used, and yes, I mix it around a little, but basically my way is as simple as possible. The one thing that true Chicken Paprikash must always have is authentic Hungarian paprika. It is always a more tender and rich flavor than with paprika grown anywhere else in the world. Here is my recipe, but with links to many renditions of this well loved dish, because they might tickle your taste buds with their variations. The fine points of Hungarian paprika are included for the true gourmet in you. Enjoy!

Chicken Paprikàs for Company

The aroma and taste will impress your guests.
Arguably the most loved and famous of Hungarian entrees. A dish as traditional as Chicken paprikas is going to have more than one rendition. Try this one for company, it is the classic way to prepare this Hungarian favorite. Cosy homemade food, but with a simple elegance that amkes it special for your guests.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikas

Famously iconic chicken with paprika sauce is a dish Hungary is famous for: tender meat simmered in a piquant and creamy paprikainfused sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 to 3 lb. chicken cut up pieces
  • flour to dredge (optional)
  • 1 stick butter or 1/2 c. cooking oil
  • 1 large onion -sliced or chopped
  • 1 red sweet pepper or Hungarian banana peppers chopped or sliced chopped or sliced (optional)
  • 2 to 3 tbsp 2 to 3 TBSP Hungarian sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 cup water to cover ( or more)
  • 1 pint dairy sour cream

Equipment

  • everyday pan or large skillet

Method
 

  1. Sauté sliced onion and the sweet pepper strips in the butter or oil until tender; remove and set aside.
  2. Brown chicken (optionally dredged in flour) in the large frying pan used to sauté the onion and pepper.
  3. Cook at moderate heat, add onions and water, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.
  4. Cook until tender; remove to warm serving plate.
  5. Add sour cream to make sauce (use low heat so as to not curdle the sour cream). Adjust flavor with additional seasoning, spice or salt.
  6. Serve sauce over the chicken on a bed of cooked noodles.
    (Galuska are traditional)

Cooking Term: Dredge

Dredging is done by lightly coating food in a combination of flour and other dry ingredients. It promotes browning and keeps the meat moist.

Hungarian Cooking has the Ubiquitous Hungarian Pepper

Hungarian peppers Paprika (spice made from peppers) is the most iconic of Hungarian flavors. It is the basis for this famous chicken dish.

What to Serve with Paprikash?

These are the side dishes that complement the chicken: Noodles, Dumplings, Roasted carrots. Pickled Vegetables, Grilled Mushrooms, Crusty Bread

Family Favorites

Every family has a favorite way of making this famous and delicious dish. Online I’ve seen white wine added to the sauce, tomato puree and other variations. My mother’s family also had a version which I call Homestyle Chicken Paprikash”, which includes tomatoes and potatoes and dispenses with the sour cream thickening, at times. But the recipe for what I consider the best chicken paprikash is the first one posted here, the one I revert to when I want my own idea of comfort food.

Homestyle Variation

Like my Mother and Grandma Used to Make

Made in this manner, it is a more simple way to serve the flavors in a hearty Sunday meal. The pan can keep warm in the oven for a few hours while you are in Church. My grandfather was a pastor and we had Sunday dinner there whenever we visited. Traditionally it started with soup, but this stewed version of Chicken Paprikas skips that course. I combines the entrée and side dishes into one easy recipe. Serve with rolls and cucumber salad.
Brown the Chicken in oil, with salt and pepper, first, to give the skin a nice color.
This dish can cook in the oven at low temperatures (slow cooked), and is probably fine for a slow cooker, although we always baked it in a glass roasting/baking pan and a large Dutch oven is fine, too.From my posting on Facebook Hungarian Recipes.
Pot of paprikas with dollop of sour cream

Homestyle Paprikash

An easy and delicious chicken stew with all the famous flavor of Hungarian paprikas
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings: 6
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 - 3 lb.

    chicken cut up

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 1 green pepper (or any sweet pepper), sliced
  • ¼ cup cooking oil up to 1/2 cup
  • 3 to 4 tbsp Hungarian paprika to taste
  • Water to cover, (about 2-3 cups (about 2-3 cups)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • large baking pan

Method
 

  1. Brown the chicken pieces in oil; add to baking pan with quartered potatoes.
  2. Cook onions and green peppers in chicken drippings until soft. Add to chicken in baking pan.
  3. Add water. Sprinkle liberally with paprika, season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bake @ 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until done.
    You can toss in a tomato or two, if you wish.

Notes

Serve with or without noodles.
Especially good served with slices of homemade bread!!!!

Which Paprikàs Recipe Do You Prefer?

Pot of paprikas with dollop of sour cream

Paprikas labeled into a bowl with dollop of sour cream

Nokedli Dumplings

Of course, you may use any type of egg noodle, but Chicken Paprikash tastes special with homemade little spaetzle-ype noodles. So easy, too! You can use any recipe for Spaetzle or Nokedli dumplings.
Serves: 6 Ingredients
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 egg
  • a little water added slowly
  • salt
Instructions
  1. Mix ingredients together to a medium stiff dough. Place on a cutting board and use a knife to separate off little 1/4 inch dumplings into simmering stew or boiling water. When they rise to top they are done.
  2. Dough may also be rolled into lump and grated into the broth using a large-holed grater.

Paprikàs Tips

Sliced onions are not only easiest, they are best. Forget mincing or chopping. Tomato sauce is for goulash, let the taste of the paprika and peppers reign in this dish. Stir a little of the chicken juices into the sour cream before adding it to make the final gravy. Don’t ever let Paprika burn.

My Paprikash Pan

perfect pan It can be used on the stovetop or in the oven, which means you can make either style of Paprikash in it. Great for one dish meals, with a large cooking surface and a cover. Sold on Amazon

My Favorite Cooking Pan – an Everyday Pan

I once used a Dutch oven for making hearty stews like Chicken Paprikas, or sometimes a deep sided fryer, but once I purchased an Everyday pan I fell in love with the way it cooks and serves this kind of meal beautifully. Using a large attractive pan to prepare the meal means that it can be served attractively at the table, no need to plate separately. The pan above is the exact one I own, it has a tempered glass cover and is made of aluminum encased in stainless steel. its sloping sides and flat bottom are great on my glass top cooking surface.

I Love to Prepare this Chicken Paprikas Method

Why all my Friends Love Paprikas Chicken!

In the Magyar language this dish is known as “Csirkepaprikas”, a staple recipe that can be dressed up enough for company or easy enough for regular family meals. It may be served as a family dish with the meat picked off of the bone with more sauce. Classically, pieces of bone-in chicken are served on a platter, with a reduced sauce, thickened with sour cream, spooned over the top of noodles. Unquestionably, freshly prepared noodles are preferred, but any good egg noodles will be almost as delicious. The flavors of this dish are outstanding, the method of cooking is easy, and the ingredients are quite simple. That makes it an ingenious choice to add to your cooking repertoire. Because you are a busy mom, what is better loved than a dinner that is easy to make and doesn’t take too long, but can be slow cooked, too? Reheated, it is even better. I love the fact that the flavors are different enough to pique the tastebuds of most everyone, yet appeals to most palates, as well.

My favorite Dinner Menu

The cucumber salad recipe is found, here.

Your Favorite Hungarian Paprika – Hot, Sweet, or Smoked

sweet red pepper

sweet red pepper

No Narration, Visual Directions

Types of Hungarian Paprika – I prefer the Sweet for my Paprikash

The two most famous growing regions are Kalocsa and Szeged; you will notice they lend their names to brands of Hungarian paprika.
  1. Extra special (Extra különleges)
  2. Special (különleges)
  3. Delicatess (Csemege)
  4. Noble sweet (Édesnemes)
  5. Rose (Rózsa)
 

Paprikash or Paprikàs?

What difference does an “h” make? Not much. Drop the “h”, add an accent mark with the diacritical ” à ” for the Hungarian spelling.

Learn How To Make Classic Hungarian Style Chicken

These recipes are as easy as they look- and absolutely delicious. These are variations. All things considered, I don’t think you should add tomato sauce. That is more of a goulash type of dish, and prefer the simple recipe with less steps and less ingredients. I do sometimes add a tomato or two.

Hungarian Chicken Recipe Links – Other Paprikash Recipes

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