Traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)

Here’s a classic Traditional Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke) recipe—rich, creamy, and full of authentic flavor. 🍗🌶️

Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke)

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2–3 lbs chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best) 🍗

• 2 tbsp lard, butter, or oil

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 2–3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (important!)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional, for depth)

• 1 cup chicken broth

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1 tbsp flour (for thickening, optional)

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

For serving:

• Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) or egg noodles

Instructions

1. Brown the chicken

   • Heat lard or oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.

   • Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

   • Brown chicken on all sides (don’t fully cook), then remove from pan.

2. Cook onions and paprika

   • In the same pan, sauté chopped onions until soft and translucent.

   • Remove from heat and stir in paprika (heating paprika directly too long can make it bitter).

   • Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.

3. Simmer the chicken

   • Return chicken to the pan, add chicken broth, cover, and simmer on low for 35–45 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and tender.

4. Make the creamy sauce

   • In a small bowl, mix sour cream and flour until smooth.

   • Temper the sour cream by adding a few spoonfuls of hot liquid from the pan, then stir back into the skillet.

   • Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes until sauce thickens. Do not boil, or the sour cream may curdle.

5. Serve

   • Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

   • Serve hot over nokedli (Hungarian dumplings), egg noodles, or mashed potatoes.

Tips

• Use sweet Hungarian paprika for authentic flavor—smoked paprika adds a nice depth but isn’t traditional.

• Dark meat (thighs, drumsticks) stays moist and flavorful, but you can use breasts if preferred.

• For extra richness, you can finish with a small pat of butter stirred into the sauce.

If you want, I can also give a one-pot, faster version that’s almost as creamy and flavorful but done in under 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights.