The Best Chicken Paprikash Recipe (2024)

Hungarian
Chicken Legs
Comfort Food
Fall Mains

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated August 29, 2018

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Why It Works

Searing is not a traditional step in paprikash, but it adds lots of flavor.
Adding gelatin to store-bought chicken broth lets you develop a rich, flavorful sauce without muddying its flavor with flour or cornstarch.
Fish sauce and lemon juice bring out the flavor of the paprika and the chicken.

This version of chicken paprikash takes a few extra steps to ensure the best possible flavor. Searing the chicken produces a more complex sauce while adding gelatin to chicken broth gives it a richer mouthfeel. The recipe is a little more complicated than your average chicken paprikash, but the results are well worth the effort.

The Long and Short Paths to Chicken Paprikash | The Food Lab

Recipe Details

The Best Chicken Paprikash Recipe

Active40 mins

Total70 mins

Serves4 servings

Ingredients

1 cuphomemadeor store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
1 (0.25 ounce) packet powdered gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
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4 whole chicken legs, split into thighs and drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional, see notes)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) high quality Hungarian sweet paprika (see notes)
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon Asianfish sauce
1 teaspoon juice from 1 lemon
Minced fresh parsley leaves or dill (optional)
Egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle for serving

Directions

Pour chicken stock into a 1-cup liquid measuring cup and sprinkle gelatin over the top. Set aside.
Season chicken pieces generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add chicken pieces skin-side-down in a single layer and cook without moving until deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. As the chicken pieces finish browning, flip them over and cook until the second side is light golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from pan.
Add onions and bell peppers (if using) to the pan and cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, until the onions are tender and just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant and nutty, about 1 minute.
Add stock/gelatin mixture and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pan, stirring constantly. Add bay leaf. Nestle seared chicken pieces back into the sauce, leaving them skin-side up. Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover pan, and cook until chicken is completely tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces and set aside on a large plate. Whisk sour cream, fish sauce, lemon juice, and half of minced parsley or dill into sauce. Season to taste with salt and more paprika if desired. Return chicken to pan and turn to coat in sauce.
Serve immediately over noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle, tossing the noodles or potatoes with the sauce and placing the chicken on top. Garnish with more sour cream, paprika, and minced fresh parsley or dill (if using)

Special equipment

4 1/2-quart straight-sided sauté pan or large Dutch oven

Notes

Bell pepper is not a traditional ingredient for chicken paprikash, but it is such a common addition in the American version of the dish that I decided to include it as an optional ingredient (I almost always use it). It is important to use fresh, high-quality paprika for this recipe. I recommend sweet Hungarian-style paprika from Penzeys, available at local outlets or online.

This Recipe Appears In

The Food Lab: The Long and Short Paths to Chicken Paprikash

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
418	Calories
20g	Fat
19g	Carbs
44g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	418
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Cholesterol 219mg	73%
Sodium 965mg	42%
Total Carbohydrate 19g	7%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 3mg	14%
Calcium 80mg	6%
Iron 4mg	22%
Potassium 739mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Best Chicken Paprikash Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is paprikash sauce made of? ›

Paprikas csirke is made with pan seared bone-in chicken pieces tat are then braised in a simple sauce made with chicken stock, onions, garlic, tomato paste or tomatoes, and lots of good quality sweet Hungarian paprika. The one thing you mustn't skimp on is using good Hungarian paprika.

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What's the difference between goulash and paprikash? ›

Both paprikash and goulash are paprika-based stews, but goulash is made with beef and vegetables, while paprikash is most typically made with chicken. Recipes vary, but goulash is usually not thickened with flour like paprikash is, and goulash typically isn't enriched with cream or sour cream.

Get More Info Here ›

What does paprikash mean in Hungarian? ›

Chicken paprikash (Hungarian: paprikás csirke or csirkepaprikás) or paprika chicken is a popular dish of Hungarian origin and one of the most famous variations on the paprikás preparations common to Hungarian tables. The name is derived from paprika, a spice commonly used in the country's cuisine.

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What's the difference between paprika and Hungarian paprika? ›

Spanish paprika is typically of the sweet variety and is made from Spanish chiles. Hungarian paprika is often lauded as the most desirable and most flavorful iteration of the spice. It can be either hot or sweet and is made using ground Hungarian paprika chile peppers.

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Can I use regular paprika instead of Hungarian? ›

Regular paprika

This is the kind that you'll find labeled as simply "paprika" in the grocery store. It won't carry much flavor. It's a mild spice that's mainly used to add color to a dish or to garnish food. If you don't have this everyday version on hand, you can use sweet Hungarian paprika as a substitute.

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What's the difference between Hungarian and American paprika? ›

In Hungary there are many kinds of paprika, but in U.S. grocery stores you will likely just find one version that either comes from Hungary or from California. Paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper, and Hungarian-style paprika is not smoked, but rather fairly sweet.

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What is special about Hungarian paprika? ›

Due to the favourable climate, and geographical conditions Hungarian paprika has a bright red colour and a distinctive rich flavour that allowed Hungary to became one of the leading producers in the world. Kalocsa and Szeged in the southern part of Hungary are the heart of production in Hungary.

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What is Hungarian seasoning? ›

Paprika paste is the vital base layer of many Hungarian stews, like gulyás (goulash), halászlé (fish stew), pörkölt (stew), lecsó (pepper stew), and csirke paprikás (paprika chicken). The paste is usually bloomed in hot oil, added just after onions, garlic, or other mirepoix to build flavor and body.

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What is chicken paprikash made of? ›

This Chicken Paprikash is made from a few very simple, real food ingredients: chicken, onions and garlic, chicken stock, paprika, flour, and cream. Some cooks will add tomato paste or chopped tomatoes, whereas others argue that authentic chicken paprikash doesn't contain any tomatoes.

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Is Hungarian paprika sweet or spicy? ›

Paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper, and Hungarian-style paprika is not smoked, but rather fairly sweet. It was the Turks who introduced the chilies to Hungary, and it's a very popular spice in Hungarian cuisine, giving distinctive flavor to soups and stews such as chicken paprikash and beef goulash.

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What does Hungarian paprika taste like? ›

Hungarian paprika traditionally comes in eight different flavor profiles, ranging from mild and bright red to spicy, pungent, and pale orange. The most common is a bright red variety called édesnemes, which has a pungent pepper flavor and sweetness.

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