Chicken Paprikash (Paprika Chicken)

With fall-off-the-bone tender chicken stewed in a paprika and sour cream sauce, Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke) is a Hungarian classic that comes together from just a handful of ingredients.

With luscious, tender pieces of chicken in a fragrant creamy sauce, this Chicken Paprikash is the embodiment of comfort food. Serve it with some Nokedli (a.k.a. Spaetzle), boiled potatoes or bread for a fabulous mid-winter meal that will warm your home with its spirit-lifting aroma.

Course Soups & Stews

Cuisine Best, Eastern European

Keyword comfort food, hearty, paprika, peppers, simmered, warming

Level Beginner

Main Ingredient Poultry

Diet Low Sugar

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 310kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 kilogram whole chicken legs (12 drumsticks and thighs)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
275 grams onion (1 large onion, chopped)
100 grams mild green pepper (1 large pepper, seeds removed & chopped)
30 grams sweet paprika (~¼ cup)
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Grams + US Cups - US Standard

Instructions

Use paper towels to dry the 1 kilogram whole chicken legs thoroughly. Reducing the moisture content on the surface of the chicken is essential to get it to brown.
1 kilogram whole chicken legs
Sprinkle the chicken evenly with the 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Heat a heavy bottomed pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium heat until hot. Add the 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
1 tablespoon olive oil
When the pot is hot, add the chicken in a single layer, skin side down, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. If they don't all fit in your pan, divide the chicken into two batches. Leave the chicken undisturbed until golden brown (about 5-7 minutes).
Flip the chicken pieces over and brown the other side. Repeat with the rest of the chicken if necessary.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl and then add the 275 grams onion and 100 grams mild green pepper to the pot. Stir to distribute evenly and then cover with a lid to let the vegetables steam for about 10 minutes.
275 grams onion, 100 grams mild green pepper
Remove the lid and sauté the onions until they are golden brown.
Add the 30 grams sweet paprika and fry, continually stirring for about 10 seconds. Paprika burns easily and will become bitter, so be careful not to burn it.
30 grams sweet paprika
Add the 1 cup low sodium chicken stock, and then return the chicken to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the chicken until it is tender (about 45 minutes).
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
While you're waiting for the chicken to cook, mix the ½ cup sour cream and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour in a bowl until it's free of lumps.
½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
When the chicken is done, temper the sour cream by transferring some cooking liquid from the chicken a spoonful at a time to the cream mixture and stirring after each addition. You want to slowly raise the temperature of the sour cream until it is very warm.
Once the sour cream is tempered, you can pour it all back into the pot and stir to combine. Do not let it boil once you've added the sour cream. Taste the sauce and add some more salt if needed. The paprika chicken is done when the sauce has thickened.

Video

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