One-Pot Wonders

Oma's Chicken Paprikash

December 10, 2013
4.6
18 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 40 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

When my mom married into my dad’s Eastern European family with their slivovitz (plum brandy), goulash, and strudel, she tried to get my dad’s favorite recipes from my Oma (dad’s mom), but nothing was written in English, and Oma was tight-lipped with her secret ingredients. So my mom watched Oma make this dish -- chicken paprikash -- time and time again to get it right.

This version has the tweaks my mom made along the way, and was one of the most requested recipes in my house when I was growing up. It’s one of my favorite comfort foods: chicken and plump, chewy dumplings, floating in a deep red, creamy gravy spotted with little shiny pockets of oil. It's tangy and sweet, with a slight peppery bitterness when the paprika hits the back of your throat.

One of the best things about making chicken paprikash for dinner? Setting aside extra dumplings for cinnamon sugar dumplings the next morning!

The second photo I've uploaded is of Oma & Opa in the 50s or 60s on their egg farm; the third photo is me cooking with Oma last summer. —Loves Food Loves to Eat

Test Kitchen Notes

Here's a warm and inviting dish of comfort food that's ideal for my 4-person family. The prep was deceptively simple, and I worried there would be little flavor -- but I was wrong. The final product was very tasty and was enjoyed by my 38-year-old husband as well as my 4-year-old daughter. I served it with steamed broccoli, which was a nice side. —Molly Fellin Spence

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Paprikash
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika, heaping
  • 2 chicken breasts, quartered (or 4 bone-in thighs)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
  • Dumplings
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 cups flour
Directions
  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil, and add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until almost translucent. Add paprika -- it will seem like a lot, but trust me, the more the better -- and stir to combine. Heat through for several more minutes -- adding the paprika at the beginning of the cooking process intensifies the smoky-sweet, robust flavor -- and cook until the onions are cooked through, stirring almost continuously.
  2. Add chicken and stir to coat with paprika, let it brown slightly, and add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Add more water if needed.
  3. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Combine all dumpling ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix with bread hook until combined -- the dough will be thick and sticky. In a pot of boiling, salted water, drop in 5 tablespoon-sized dollops at a time, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until cooked through. The dumplings should be slippery on the outside, and bready on the inside. Set aside a bowl-full for the next day's breakfast, and refrigerate it overnight.
  4. Before serving, add the remaining dumplings to paprikash.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, a spoonful of flour, and a splash of water, and stir into the paprikash. Add salt and pepper to taste. Give the chicken a rough shred with your fork, and serve in a bowl, as you would a stew.
  6. The next morning, slice the dumplings you set aside, and heat with a healthy-sized pat of butter. Top with a good shower of cinnamon and sugar.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

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    Gerda LaGrasse

78 Reviews

BrownBarn August 24, 2022
This is the best! My Oma made a paprikash soup that we had to figure out how to make on our own. Very similar in flavor to this. The only changes I made to this recipe were adding garlic and using chicken broth instead of water. 10/10 will make again.
 
bettinashoe April 14, 2021
I love this dish. The only thing I did different was to spray my hands tablespoon before making the dumplings as the dough is very sticky. If you keep the dumplings small, tablespoon sized, they are very good. I tested by making one larger and they are not nearly as good. I haven't made chicken paprikash for ages. This version is fast and easy.
 
Therese October 4, 2020
Delicious. Next time I’ll use Boneless and skinless thighs but really good. My first time making this And will definitely make again.
 
abbyarnold September 22, 2020
I was craving paprikash but needed to use up a cauliflower so I subbed cauliflower for the chicken and added chicken broth instead of water. It was fantastic!
 
Eileen D. September 16, 2020
Are the chicken breasts supposed to be boneless?
 
Kathy September 16, 2020
I don't think so...I think bone-in breasts or thighs (my preference) would give more flavor and not dry out.
 
Loves F. September 16, 2020
You can use bone-in or boneless, or even thighs. It's very forgiving. And with the long low simmer, it doesn't dry out, but rather gets tender and shreds.
 
Messi'sMom September 13, 2020
These are boneless chicken breasts? And they don't dry out being cooked so long?
 
Loves F. September 16, 2020
You can use bone-in or boneless, or even thighs. It's very forgiving. And with the long low simmer, it doesn't dry out, but rather gets tender and shreds.
 
Gerda L. January 17, 2020
So good. Reminds me of the dish MY Oma used to make. Definitely lard or chicken fat if you have it. A splash of wine in place of some of the broth is good too.
 
Kathrin L. April 29, 2019
This was really flavorful. I made it exactly as instructed except cutting down the amount of dumpling dough to 1/3. The chicken and sauce were amazing. I think next time I will add some fresh parsley for color. The dumplings I did not care for very much. Maybe I did something wrong, but they were really dense, almost hard. I will definitely make this again, but maybe substitute gnocchi, egg noodles or potatoes for the dumplings.
 
Randi H. April 29, 2019
You are correct. The dumplings were way to dense. The rest was good. I will make it again but use some other lighter dumpling recipe.
 
Loves F. September 16, 2020
They're definitely a denser dumpling! I love them, as I grew up with them so they hold a special place in my heart and tastebuds, but I think gnocchi or egg noodles would be great in here (or, even serving it over rice would be nice!)
 
Danielle1975 October 6, 2020
I agree regarding the dumplings!
 
Randi H. April 23, 2018
Darn it was hard to get the Sweet Paprika but I finally found it. is it Hungarian NO idea but it was about $7 so I would think so.
This is very good and about as close to what I have had in Chicago, my home town, as you can get. I tried to get the noodles more like a Spaetzel but couldn't so when it was done I cut them up with a scissor. It does need a lot of salt after it is done to give it enough pizazzzaaazaz but is absolutely delicious. I would like a suggestion for a lighter dumpling for this although I know this is the REAL rustic thing. You rock Girl.
 
Kathrin L. May 3, 2019
Randi, Don't know where you live, but I bought a container of Szeged Sweet Paprika at my local grocery store this week. They always stock it. You can also order it online.
https://www.worldmarket.com/product/szeged-sweet-paprika.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search

Even Walmart supposedly has it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Szed-Szeged-Hung-Paprika/29893548
 
Arrxx March 11, 2018
What about those of us who don't have a stand mixer? How did oma make those dumplings in the old country?
 
phzs March 12, 2018
You don't need a stand mixer. Better if you don't have any. Grandma and me do it in the simplest way, just mix flour, salt, eggs and lukewarm water. It needs only a slight mixing. In that way it will be easy to form the dumplings and they will be soft. If you use a stand mixer or kitchen machine the gluten net develops in the dough and it makes more difficult to form and and the dumpling will be hard. It is easier than you imagine.
 
Arrxx March 12, 2018
Thanks for that information!
 
Randi H. April 23, 2018
I used by hand but still did not have a soft fluffy dumpling. Kinda heavy but still good
 
Kathy August 24, 2022
I have used self-rising flour on occasion and they are lighter!
 
Anonymous March 6, 2018
Absolutely delicious! I do love my spaetzel maker. Very inexpensive to buy on Amazon, and those dumplings are so easy to make. I also recently made dumplings like these with Beef Goulash, another Hungarian specialty made with paprika!
 
Kaite January 9, 2017
This was my first time eating paprikash. I had just watched a show about Hungary and they were making paprikash. It looked so good so I just had to try it. This recipe was easy to put together, and ended up being really tasty. I think the next time I make it I would try to find a Hungarian pepper to throw in there and sautee with the onions. As far as the dumplings they were tasty but I think I would make them smaller. I do have to say though that the leftover dumplings sliced, pan fried with butter (until browned and slightly crisp), and topped with cinnamon and sugar is like a revelation for me. I would make the dumplings on their own just to make that sweet treat.
 
Loves F. September 16, 2020
Love to hear you enjoyed the leftover cinn-sugar dumplings, that's the best part! :D
 
SophieCatt November 16, 2016
This was a FANTASTIC recipe, my family loved it very much! The kids devoured it and my in-laws complimented me on such a lovely supper.

VERY nice, thank you!
 
David C. April 12, 2015
Wait - you add raw flour to the bowl just before serving? That doesn't sound right.
 
Loves F. April 12, 2015
David I'm not sure I understand your question? Just before serving, add the dumplings (which were prepared in the previous step) to the bowl. Good luck!
 
David C. April 13, 2015
I was looking at step 5 where you add cream and a spoonful of flour to the soup just before serving. I've never put raw flour in a dish before - are you sure that will work?
 
Loves F. April 13, 2015
Oh! :) Yep.. That's how I've always made it! You whisk it with the sour cream first, then stir it right into the pot! It helps thicken it up just a bit, but is such a small amount (just a little spoonful in a large pot of Paprikash) that it doesn't have that raw flour taste!
 
lastnightsdinner April 13, 2015
It's kind of like using a slurry to thicken a soup or sauce - at any rate, it works and I've not noticed any raw flour taste at all.
 
Katie C. December 16, 2018
? Um, that is how you make a roux, one of the basis of most cream sauces. Extremely common.
 
lastnightsdinner March 25, 2015
I've made this three times now and it is SO, SO GOOD. Seriously brilliant recipe, and thank you so much for sharing it with us!
 
Marie F. March 2, 2015
A friend gave me a recipe for chicken paprikash, and his family was Hungarian, and this was exactly how they made it! No green peppers or tomatoes like other recipes I have seen. This is delicious!!!
 
Randi H. April 23, 2018
I would so NOT like it with peppers and tomatoes does not need it. Great this way
 
Phyllis February 23, 2015
We had this for dinner today, thoroughly enjoyed by all! Just like Mom's except called for chicken stock and a whole stick of butter (!). I stuck with the chicken stock rather than water, but gladly gave up the butter and it wasn't missed at all. Mom would also freeze portions for a quick lunch. If we had left overs but no ingredients for dumplings or spaetzle, Mom would serve over white rice. Thanks for the perfect comfort food dinner that I'll make on a regular basis! FYI I found on Livestrong.com ..."At 19 calories per tablespoon, paprika adds only a negligible amount to your daily calorie intake, but it comes packed with nutrients. Just a single 1-tablespoon serving provides ample amounts of several beneficial nutrients, especially carotenoids -- a nutrient family that includes vitamin A."
 
Yvonne V. December 17, 2014
This is a family recipe that's been passed down in our family. It's my pride and joy that I can make it perfectly. It's a special occassion meal because I trash the kithcen every time! So happy to see it being shared. It's a recipe more people need to make. Such an easy comfort meal! Thanks for sharing.
 
linda H. December 13, 2014
this is awesomely easy and delicious
 
molly Y. December 12, 2014
i made this last night and it was deeeeeelicious!! i didn't have any sour cream, so i subbed unsweetened whipped cream that i had made earlier in the day, added a bit more flour, and it was perfect :)
 
Loves F. December 12, 2014
whoa thanks Molly! (having a fangirl moment!)
 
NoONE October 11, 2014
I love the way everyone adds their own comments! I was barred from Allrecipes for posting comments like the ones I read here all the time! Glad I'm in good company!
 
Anita February 6, 2014
Lard was a staple. It was rendered and kept in a crock. Used for everything from cooking to baking. When the cupboards were bare, so to speak, a smear of lard on a slice of crusty french/italian or german rye bread with a sprinkle of salt and paprika. In reading the commentary, I would like to encourage NOT using any liquid of any kind. If done correctly-slow and low-you will be amazed as to the amount of natural juices that will accumulate and that is the essence of this delicious dish. At a well known national cookware store they have a "Chicken Paprikash Starter". It's absurd.
 
Michele H. January 27, 2014
Just wonderful...made it with chicken thighs. This I'll definitely make again!!
 
paula K. January 26, 2014
Tasty recipe and even better in the days that followed as the chicken and dumplings soaked in the sauce. I would make the dumplings much smaller next time. Considering a technique for pulling up the dough and cutting it with sharp scissors so that dumplings are gnocchi size. Otherwise, delish, even as I ended up supplementing my sour cream with Greek yogurt. Thank you.
 
Deanna J. January 13, 2015
I know this may be late to comment but had you considered putting the dough into a pastry bag and cutting off the desired length from that?
 
Meghan January 26, 2014
Delicious. Made last weekend with chicken thighs; tried it this weekend with chicken breast and added mushrooms. Prefer the thighs--but delicious either way. I served my over a vat of mashed potatoes--perfect in the cold, dark depths of winter. Thanks for the great recipe.
 
Anita January 22, 2014
I am Hungarian and immigrated with my family. Our Paprikás Csirke is made in a heavy Dutch oven (LeCreuset) with Hungarian paprika, the best coming from Szeged. We add a whole Hungarian banana pepper, cored and seeded for heat (spiciness) to the onions. Then add the chicken pieces. Cover and turn down the heat - slow and low, checking every few minutes to make sure the natural juices are developing. Add a splash of water, if needed, to prevent scorching. Simmer until chicken is fork tender, Dumplings or spaetzle are made with eggs, flour, a pinch of salt and a small grate of nutmeg. Combined by hand in a bowl or wooden cutting board. They can be formed with the tip of a heated spoon out of the bowl or scraped and cut with a knife off the board or placed in a spaetzle maker. A large holed colander can work as well.
 
phzs January 22, 2014
This seems the authentic version but you haven't mentioned the fat.
I'm still campaigning for duck fat or lard. :)
 
Loves F. January 22, 2014
Anita, I love the idea of adding a whole pepper to the onions, and nutmeg to the dumplings. Great tips. phzs, re: the comment about "the authentic version," this recipe is my family's version of authentic (and also... I replied below too....duck fat for the win!)
 
jmspdx January 19, 2014
RE: chicken broth. I used homemade stock rather than water, and the flavor was excellent. We really loved the chicken and sauce, but the dumplings were very different from what we're used to. The flavor was good with the dish, but we're accustomed to a leavened dumpling, and this was a bit gluey for us. I've made versions of paprikash that didn't have dumplings, so I will probably skip those next time, and just make the chicken, which, again, was wonderful.
 
vlucky January 20, 2014
thank you!
 
Loves F. January 20, 2014
So glad you liked the flavor of the chicken and sauce! I've also seen version that use egg noodles instead of dumplings... that could be an option if you didn't care for my dumplings (though I love them!!) :)
 
peggy January 19, 2014
My mother was a Hungarian and a fantastic cook. Regarding the dumplings: Mix them first and then make the chicken. Your dumplings must rest after they are mixed. Try it. You'll find they are must lighter and fluffier.
 
phzs January 19, 2014
My experience is the sooner you cook the dumpling after mixing the better. If you wait the batter will be rubber-like and hard to cut.
 
Loves F. January 22, 2014
Oh man... conflicting advice on the dumpling wait time... I'll try both next time, and report back :)
 
phzs January 19, 2014
Some of you mentioned using lard. It makes a real different in taste and in consistency as well. Goose or duck fat will do or even better. Try it and you will use it from then on. :)
 
Loves F. January 22, 2014
Thanks for the note phzs...duck fat is always a good answer, regardless of the question!
 
Arrxx January 19, 2014
That's what grandma probably did too ;-))
 
Kathy January 19, 2014
Well, I always used a bowl and a wooden spoon..... :)
 
Arrxx January 19, 2014
My heart always sinks when I see a recipe that I want to make and then it says "in your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook." I cook a lot but don't have a stand mixer. I have lots of equipment but my kichen is small and a stand mixer takes up lots of room. So I wonder what grandma did in Budapest. Did she have a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook? Maybe she had a standing cook who did all the heavy work? Can the dumplings be made any other way other than in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook?
 
vlucky January 19, 2014
In the author's note it says by hand.
 
kmpmilano January 19, 2014
We never used a mixer--just a fork and our arms. My mom's recipe says, "Beat until bubbly", which is about when yr arm falls off.
 
Loves F. January 19, 2014
Hey Arrxx, My Oma definitely made these by hand with a fork and bowl, but as noted above, this recipe has my mom's 'modern' tweaks that she made along the way. Feel free to use a fork and bowl... your arms will be tired, but the results will be delish! And no, Oma (in Yugloslavia...back when it was still Yugoslavia) definitely didn't use a stand mixer or have a paid cook :)
 
arcane54 January 19, 2014
This dish brings back so many fragrant memories -- of my German grandma who learned how to make chicken paprikash (and strudel!!) from her Eastern European neighbors on Chicago's south side. I've been growing my own paprika peppers and the ground powder is like gold. The yield is small but the flavor is BIG.
 
Loves F. January 19, 2014
wow, I bet those peppers are amazing!!!
 
vlucky January 19, 2014
Very tempting. Has anyone made this with chicken broth instead of water? Can't see how it would hurt but was wondering if it messes with the flavor.
 
Loves F. January 19, 2014
Try it! I bet it would be great!
 
kmpmilano January 19, 2014
Yes, we always use chicken broth.
 
vlucky January 19, 2014
Thanks!
 
Kathy January 19, 2014
My mom is Slovak, too, and used to make this with pheasant ! I was gifted with three beautiful pheasant this week and was planning on making Pheasant Paprikash today. How serendipitous that this arrived in my emailbox this morning :)
 
kmpmilano January 19, 2014
My dad is Hungarian and my mom Slovak; this was one of our favorite meals growing up. Mom's recipe was basically the same, though she used a browned a whole cut-up chicken and of course started with lard. lol

My least favorite part was beating the dough for the halušky (dumplings) because she would always say, "Not yet, keep going" until my arm was about to fall off. Looking forward to trying yr day-after dumplings, though we rarely had any left over!
 
Loves F. January 19, 2014
My Oma used a whole chicken too, and probably lard-- the chicken breasts were my mom's tweaks she made so that us picky kids would eat it! It is tough saving the dumplings, but they're so good the next day, totally worth it! :)
 
Melanie K. January 17, 2014
I will try the lemon zest next time or maybe some lemon juice.
 
Melanie K. January 17, 2014
One of the best versions I've tried! Love it!!
 
Sofia January 16, 2014
Chicken paprika is one of our family recipes too, except that there isn't really a recipe, so this will be a helpful recipe. We don't use sour cream though. Most interested in the dumpling (which in our house are spaetzle) recipe--because we also have trouble with them disintegrating in the water. To which my mom unhelpfully replies, don't mix in so much air.
 
Loves F. January 17, 2014
Sofia, my Oma's dumplings are a denser, bigger, and more doughy than regular spaetzle, but they hold up really well in this dish. I do love spaetzle though!!
 
Windischgirl October 8, 2014
Sofia, if your spaetzli are disintegrating in the water, you probably need to add more flour, or decrease the amount of liquid (regrets to your Anyu). If I'm making spaetzli, I use eggs and flour (but minimal water or milk) and make a few test spaetzli to see if I've added enough flour. The batter should be fairly stiff.
And no sour cream? Oh dear. Every Hungarian dish needs sour cream...even dessert!
 
Nicole B. January 6, 2014
Made this tonight for dinner. Pretty good. Definitely in the "comfort food" category. Followed the recipe exactly, after one bowl, we put some lemon zest in the rest of it to brighten it up a bit. Over all tho I really lik this dish. Thank you!!
 
Loves F. January 7, 2014
Thank you Nicole, so glad you liked it! I love the lemon zest idea, I'll try that next I make it, and will pass the note on to my mom :).