Make Ahead

Chicken Paprikash (Hungarian Comfort Food)

by:
October  1, 2009
4.7
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Comfort food in our house which is very simple and rewarding. This dish is rich but not too overwhelming and has a great balance of heat and spice that will keep your guests coming back and looking for more. —Myra

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Olive oil plus 1 T more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 1 medium to large Yellow onion sliced into 1/8" rings
  • 1 small Garlic Clove minced
  • 1 (14.5oz) can Diced tomatoes with juice
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
  • 1/3 tablespoon Hot Hungarian paprika (1/2 T if you like it spicy)
  • 1 cup Low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup Sour cream brought to room temperature
  • 1 package Wide egg noodles or spaetzle put into water when timer from Paprikash reads 7 minutes
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cube chicken into equal size pieces approx. 1"x1" and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper tossing to coat.
  3. Heat oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat until almost smoking and add chicken. Cook until golden brown on each side and then remove chicken to bowl.
  4. While chicken is browning add tomato paste to small nonstick frying pan over medium to high heat stirring constantly until paste becomes fragrant, concentrated and brown. Set aside in small dish to prevent from burning.
  5. In dutch oven that chicken was cooked in add up to 1T olive oil if required depending on fat from chicken and add onions to hot pan stirring frequently until onion has become soft and slightly brown. Approximately 5 minutes.
  6. Add tomato paste reduction as stir continuously for 1 minute.
  7. Stir in Garlic and cook for another minute.
  8. De-glaze pan with all of chicken broth scraping the bottom with wooden spoon. Add tomatoes plus paprika brining to simmer. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Add chicken plus liquid from bowl back to dutch oven and transfer uncovered to oven.
  10. Bake 45 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce has reduced by about 1/3.
  11. Remove from oven and let sit for 3 minutes uncovered. Push chicken, tomato, and onions to side leaving majority of sauce separated.
  12. Stir in sour cream until fully incorporated (will not curdle if removed from heat).
  13. Serve over warm egg noodles or spaetzle.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • Lejla
    Lejla
  • judit Humphrys
    judit Humphrys
  • DanaYares
    DanaYares
  • Viktoria
    Viktoria

13 Reviews

Lejla April 29, 2015
This is NOT chicken paprikash recipe.The better name would be chicken stew.
 
judit H. February 10, 2014
I am Hungarian as well and my mother would turn over in her grave if she read this recipe. We never brown the chicken first and never just use breast. The bone in the chicken makes the sauce so much tastier. We almost never add water or chicken broth as chicken these days let a lot of moisture and so there is lots of chicken juice as is. We never use tomato paste with this dish rather, we add a cut up tomato and 1/2 a green pepper. Anyway this is not csirke paprikas (paprika chicken).
Judit
 
Viktoria January 20, 2013
I'm hungarian and this recipe sounds nothing like chicken paprikash to me... Might still be delicious though
 
LaszloII March 9, 2013
I am Hungarian as well and while it vaguely resembles chicken parprikash recipe (similar ingredients) I've ever heard it prepared quite this way but have to believe the end result will be quite tasty.
 
chickadee January 16, 2013
This is fabulous. Was able to make this in just about an hour. Served on some fresh papparadelle. I didn't have sour cream, so used creme fraiche, which I think worked well.
 
DanaYares December 26, 2012
I think I'll try this with rabbit. I raise meat rabbits, so it's much more available to me than chicken.
 
chickadee January 16, 2013
I was thinking that it would be great with rabbit...as I happen to have a couple in my freezer from a local farm!
 
amirts September 30, 2012
I used ground chicken instead of diced chicken breasts and it turned out delicious. Not only that but I was able to skip the baking step altogether which made for a quick weeknight dinner. My husband has requested that this recipe be on regular rotation.
 
Eric W. February 4, 2012
I loved this recipe, but the next time I'll use less sour cream. It added a tang I wasn't fond of. Also, instead of the egg noodles, I served this over latkes, an Idea I got from a restaurant in Budapesh.
 
Screenplay February 1, 2012
Amazing and so quick to prepare! Just have to make sure I can keep this a secret from my Hungarian friend who claims Paprikash as his signature dish...
 
fearlessem January 30, 2012
Just made this tonight, and it was wonderful! I used chicken thighs, and didn't brown them - I just nestled them into the sauce and baked. The whole thing turned out super tender and moist... Yum!
 
adamnsvetcooking December 1, 2011
Made this for dinner tonight, it was very delicious and really easy to put togher.
 
JWB October 16, 2011
Simple and delicious. Thanks!