Chicken Paprikash Recipe; A Beloved Hungarian Dish

Chicken paprikash with the original Hungarian name “csirke paprikás” is one of Hungary’s most famous and popular dishes. Paprika is the crucial ingredient of most Hungarian dishes. As you might’ve heard, the Hungarian paprika spice is famous worldwide.

Paprika originates from Turkey but has been a popular dish in southern Hungary for more than 500 years. If you taste Csirke Paprikás once, you’ll know why people describe it as “Out of this world Delicious”!

If you are a big fan of spicy food, don’t miss the chance to taste authentic chicken paprikash made with the best chicken paprikash recipe. The main ingredients for making the Authentic Chicken Paprikash are Chicken, onions, garlic, water, paprika, salt, pepper, and cream.

Ingredients of authentic Hungarian chicken paprikash 

The quantity of the following ingredients is suitable for 4 to 6 people. Using high-quality chicken, good sour cream, and good Hungarian paprika significantly affects the authentic taste of Hungarian paprikash.

• 3 to 4 pounds of chicken 
• 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil (or lard)
• One onion
• Three cloves of garlic
• Three tablespoons of Hungarian paprika
• Three tablespoons of flour
• One large tomato (optional)
• 1cup of water or chicken broth
• ¾ cup of sour cream

How to make Chicken Paprikash

Hungarian chicken paprikash has an easy recipe with accessible ingredients you can find in every grocery store.

To cook paprikash, you must first fry the chopped garlic and onion in oil or lard. Be careful not to overbrown them; we want to add a little gold color to them. 

If you’re using tomatoes and pepper, add them to the onion at this step. 

Roast the chicken separately in the same pan until its color changes slightly.

After mixing the onions and chicken in one pot, remove the pot from the stove and add paprika, pepper, and salt. Make sure the paprika doesn’t get fried because its taste will change to bitterness. 

Now stir the ingredients in the pot thoroughly and pour water until the water covers all other ingredients in the pot and put the pot on low heat.

How to make cream sauce for chicken paprikash?

To make the cream sauce, at this point, mix the flour with sour cream in a bowl and stir well until you have a mixture of a smooth paste. You can warm the sauce a little bit on the heat to have a thicker sauce. 

After adding salt, mix the sauce with the chicken in the pot and let it be on heat for a little while.

When the chicken is cooked to the bone and the broth is thick enough, you can transfer your stew to your favorite plate and serve it as a comforting food on a cold day.

How to serve csirke paprikás

Chicken paprikash is mainly served with Hungarian nokedli in Hungary, a dumpling-like boiled egg noodle similar to German spaetzle. Other side dishes, Paprishka is served with ribbon noodles, rice, or millet.

How to make instant pot chicken paprikash

Cooking instant pot chicken paprikash is very easy and quick. After frying garlic, onion, and chicken with oil, you need to add water, stir everything with salt and pepper, and close the lid. When the adjusted time is finished (5 to 10 minutes is enough), wait until the pressure of the instant pot is released. Now you can add sour cream and flour.

How to make chicken paprikash slow cooker

The recipe is not much different from making paprikash with a slow cooker. After browning both sides of the chicken and frying the onions, you can transfer them to a slow cooker.

Add paprika and salt, then pour water into the pot. Set the slow cooker to 5-6 hours, and when the broth is thick enough, and the chicken is cooked, add your sauce and enjoy your slow cooker chicken paprikash!

Directions

Step One

Pour the lard or oil into a pot, fry the chicken thoroughly, and then put the fried chicken on a separate plate.

Step Two

Fry the chopped onions and chopped garlic in the same pan. If you’re using the recipe with tomatoes and pepper, you can add them to the pot at this step with onions and garlic. 

Step Three

When the onions are fried, put the pot aside from the heat and add paprika, salt, and pepper, then stir them. Be careful not to fry the paprika at all.

Step Four

Add the chicken to other ingredients and rest the pot on the stove. Now pour water or broth into the pan until the ingredients are covered. As the water reaches the boiling point, reduce the heat and let the stew be on the stove for about 40 minutes.

Step Five

Pick a bowl and mix the flour with sour cream, add salt and stir well until you have a mixture of a smooth sauce. 

Step Six

Now add the sauce to the pot of cooked chicken and let them be on heat for a bit longer.

Your authentic Hungarian dish is ready! Next to its excellent taste, the color and texture of this unique Hungarian dish are fantastic. It is worth trying; believe me!

Tips for the Best Chicken Paprikash Recipe

• Control the heat based on the type of paprika you are using. 
• Hungarian paprika is too spicy; you can use a combination of regular paprika and Hungarian paprika if you want.
• Sometimes there are bell peppers used in the paprikash recipe, but in most old versions of recipes, there is no bell pepper. 
• The older people of Hungary don’t brown the chicken and let it be cooked in boiling water, but obviously, browning the chicken gives a better taste. After all, there is not much difference, and it is up to your choice. 
• If, by any chance, you can use lard for frying the chicken, do not hesitate! It is traditional and gives a whole new taste to your chicken!

Please share your experience with us in cooking Chicken Paprikash, and tell us what you use as a side dish with this Hungarian chicken.

FAQs about Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

• What makes Hungarian paprikash authentic?

The authentic taste of Hungarian paprikash comes from the famous paprika from Hungary. Various types of Hungarian paprika have different degrees of spicy or sweet. You can choose any paprika that works best for your taste.

• What chicken is best for this recipe? 

The Hungarian Paprikash can be made with bone-in, skin-on chicken. Usually, for these types of dishes, bone-in chicken tastes better.

• What is the difference between goulash and paprikash?

Hungarian goulash, the national food of Hungary, is more like a soup made with beef. Still, paprikash is made with chicken and lots of paprika.

• Should I use Water or Broth?

Using water is more common in the traditional recipe, but broth adds a richer flavor to your food.