Chicken paprikash is a Hungarian dish of chicken simmered in a creamy, smoky paprika based sauce served over noodles, rice, or dumplings. A traditional version would use bone in chicken pieces, but this quicker weeknight version uses cut up chicken breasts so it cooks quickly.
The sauce for the dish starts with melting some butter and cooking finely diced onions, peppers, tomato and garlic. A roux is made by adding some flour and tomato paste, which will thicken the sauce when liquid is added. Chicken broth, a big helping of Hungarian sweet paprika and cayenne are added.
I prefer to pan fry the boneless chicken breast pieces in a little oil in another pan first, seasoned with a little salt and pepper. They don’t need to be fully cooked because they will finish in the sauce, but I like to get some browning on the outside. Once the sauce comes together, add the chicken in and let simmer for about 30 minutes to give everything time to meld. When you are ready to serve, whisk in the sour cream and remove from the heat.
I like to serve with my homemade egg noodles, although next time I make it I want to try making the nokedli dumplings, which are very similar to spatzle from what I can tell from recipes. Hope you try this creamy, flavorful, satisfying meal on a cold night.
Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast cubed
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1/2 green pepper finely diced
- 1/2 yellow or orange pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup tomato very finely diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp chicken powder
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet until hot. Add the cubed chicken and cook until browned on the outside. Season with a little salt and pepper while cooking. It doesn't need to be fully cooked as it will cook further in the sauce.
- In a saute pan that has a lid, melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, peppers, and tomato. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste and stir to form the roux. Whisk in the chicken broth slowly to avoid lumps.
- Turn the heat down to a simmer and add the spices and the chicken. Cover and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes, removing the lid and stirring every few minutes to make sure the sauce isn't burning. If it is getting to thick add a little bit of water.
- After 30 minutes whisk in the sour cream. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. Serve over your choice of noodles, rice or dumplings.
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