Quick Chicken Paprikas
If you’re curious about cooking Hungarian food at home, chicken paprikas, or paprikás csirke, is a great place to start, delivering the bold flavor you expect from the country’s cuisine. An old-world classic with deep paprika flavor and a creamy finish, it has been a staple in Hungarian-American families for generations. Traditionally made with whole chicken legs, boneless chicken breasts are used in this easy version, making a classic comfort food dish doable any day of the week. Sour cream, used by Hungarians the way the French use heavy cream, gives the sauce a tangy richness that’s hard to beat. When sweating the onions, ghee (though not traditional) is used for its rich flavor and high smoke point, but if you don’t keep ghee at home, use equal parts canola or vegetable oil and butter.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 3boneless chicken breasts (about 1 ½ to 2 pounds), cut into bite-size pieces (about ½ inch pieces)
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- Black pepper
- 4tablespoons ghee (or 2 tablespoons canola oil and 2 tablespoons butter)
- 1medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- 3garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 2teaspoons hot or smoked paprika
- 3tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 2cups chicken stock
- ¾cup sour cream, plus more for serving
- 12ounces dried Hungarian or German Egg Noodles or a small short pasta, such as gemelli or cavatelli, cooked, for serving
- ¼cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Step 1
In a large bowl, season the chicken with salt and pepper and set aside for 10 minutes. Heat a large shallow pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee and heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer, cooking until it is golden brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side (do not cook through). Transfer the chicken to a rimmed plate until needed.Step 2
Add the remaining ghee to the pan, then add the onion. Cook over medium until translucent and soft, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.Step 3
Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it is brick red, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and both kinds of paprika and continue cooking until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in the flour and continue stirring until it begins to lightly brown, about 1 minute.Step 4
Whisk in the crushed tomatoes and chicken stock. When combined, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors develop and the sauce is thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices and simmer until cooked through but still tender, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Step 5
Whisk together the sour cream and 1 tablespoon water. Stir in the sour cream mixture over low heat until the sauce is creamy and orange, resembling Italian vodka sauce.Step 6
Serve warm, ladled over cooked noodles with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of parsley.