Chicken Paprikash

Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash

My husband Marc is very proud of his Hungarian and Polish heritage, especially the food. So I love to make that cuisine for him even though it’s not in my usual wheelhouse. His mother’s pierogi recipe is the stuff of legends and I’ve made it several times. So this time, I wanted to switch it up and honor his Hungarian side with this gorgeous version of chicken paprikash! It was much more simple than I thought it was and oh my goodness was the flavor wonderful. The key was to use the sweeter Hungarian paprika, which I found easily in my grocery store’s spice aisle. It is also readily available on Amazon, here is the link! Full disclosure that this is an affiliate link and I make a small commission if you purchase through this link.

I used a dutch oven for this recipe too, because I love how it cooks lovely stews like this. I browned my chicken in it first with a little butter, olive oil and paprika.
Red bell pepper, onion, tomato and roasted garlic gave such a pungent, aromatic base to this dish after I browned the chicken. Roasting the garlic ahead of time really added an extra depth of the flavor that I loved.
I let the chicken and aromatics simmer in chicken stock with loads more paprika for an hour. It really smelled incredible and made the chicken super tender.
Now, this is sacrilege but instead of sour crème I used creme fraiche here. I think the flavor is a little milder and the texture is richer. Definitely go ahead and use sour cream instead if that’s your preference. The key was also tempering the creme fraiche. I whisked a little of the hot broth into it before I put it in the pot. That way it didn’t separate and stayed pretty smooth once I added it in.
Finally, I just tossed in a bunch of wide egg noodles and this simple dish was done! I loved that this was reminiscent of pasta with chicken in sauce. So maybe this wasn’t so outside my wheelhouse after all. I felt like I was combining both of our heritages.

Oh my goodness, Marc went nuts for it and so did I! The flavor was so incredible but not spicy because of the sweet paprika. Hope you all enjoy this classic too. xoxo.

5 from 3 votes
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
 

This is such a fantastic version of chicken paprikash with loads of sweet Hungarian paprika in a silky sauce. Tossed with egg noodles for a full meal!

Course: Main Course
Keyword: Chicken, Chicken Paprikash
Servings: 6
Calories: 573 kcal
Author: Jeanie and Lulu's Kitchen
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken diced small
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 pinch pepper
  • 6 1/2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika divided. 1/2 teaspoon, then 6 teaspoons or 3 tablespoons
  • 2 whole red bell peppers seeded and diced small
  • 1 whole onion diced small
  • 4 cloves roasted garlic *see note. Make ahead
  • 1 whole beefsteak tomato diced small
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 pound wide egg noodles
Instructions
  1. Get out a sturdy dutch oven and heat the olive oil and butter in it over medium high heat. Brown the chicken in it until cooked through completely. While it cooks, season it with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, along with 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika. Remove it and set it aside once it is done. Add the bell pepper, onion, roasted garlic and onion to the pan and let them get fragrant and translucent for a couple of minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, remaining paprika and also return the chicken back in to the pot. Let it come to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce it to a simmer. Let it cook and develop flavor for an hour.

  2. When the time is almost up, get a pot of water on to boil for the egg noodles. While it comes to a boil, combine the creme fraiche or sour cream and flour in a bowl and whisk them together. Then add in a couple spoonfuls of the flavorful chicken broth and whisk it in to temper it. This step keeps it from separating when it goes into the pot so that it is nice and smooth. Add that mixture into the pot and stir it in well. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes to make the sauce silky and thicker. While that is happening boil the noodles until tender according to the package directions. It should take about 8 minutes. Drain them and stir them into the pot with the rest of the dish. Scoop into big bowls and serve immediately! Makes great leftovers too.

Recipe Notes

*To roast garlic, cut the top off to reveal the tops of the cloves. Drizzle the top with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt, then wrap it in foil. Roast it in a 350 oven for an hour, then refrigerate it and use it as needed! It keeps for a long time.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Paprikash
Amount Per Serving (1 bowl)
Calories 573 Calories from Fat 152
% Daily Value*
Fat 16.9g26%
Saturated Fat 6.5g41%
Cholesterol 170mg57%
Sodium 864mg38%
Potassium 354mg10%
Carbohydrates 61.7g21%
Fiber 3.6g15%
Sugar 4.8g5%
Protein 43.6g87%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 4.9mg27%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Chicken Paprikash
Chicken Paprikash

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5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)