Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

5 from 1 vote

Delectable Hungarian Chicken Paprikash is rustic comfort food at its best. Chicken is stewed until fork-tender in a richly colored, ambrosial sauce of onion, tomatoes, spicy peppers, paprika and sour cream. Directions for cooking in an Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or on your stovetop included. Serve with Hungarian Dumplings (Nokedli).

Note: Prep and cooking times are for cooking on the stove top.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 10

Course: Main dish

Cuisine: Hungarian

Keyword: Chicken Paprikash, Hungarian Paprikash

Servings: to 6 servings

Calories: 610kcal

Author: Lee Clayton Roper

Ingredients

2 tablespoons organic canola or vegetable oil
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided use
1 3/4 to 2 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (and/or drumsticks) – see Note
2 cups chopped yellow onion
4 teaspoon Hungarian paprika See Note
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes drained and juices reserved
1 Hungarian hot wax pepper 2 to 3 inch (or caribe pepper), seeded, deveined and finely chopped – see Note
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
3/4 to 1 cup sour cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Instant Pot directions

Place the oil in Instant Pot, heat on High on Sauté setting.
While oil is heating, place 2 tablespoons flour in a large baggie; add the chicken pieces one at a time and shake to coat chicken with flour. Set aside on a plate.
Add chicken to hot oil, skin side down, and sauté until golden brown, around 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook for 3 minutes. Remove chicken from heat and set aside. Don’t clean out pan!
Turn temperature down to medium and add chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft. Stir in paprika.
Place chicken broth in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add reserved tomato juice to make 1 cup liquid. Stir into onion mixture.
Add diced tomatoes, yellow pepper and salt to sauce. Nestle in chicken pieces. Place glass Instant Pot lid on Pot, switch setting to Slow Cook, on Medium; cook for 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken is very tender.
Remove chicken pieces from sauce and set aside, leaving the sauce in the pan.
Place 3/4 cup sour cream in a small mixing bowl; whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 3 spoonfuls of the sauce from the chicken, one spoonful at a time. Stir mixture into sauce in the pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add more sour cream to taste. Place chicken back in sauce to heat through.
Serve over Hungarian Dumplings, egg noodles or other pasta.

Slow Cooker Instructions

Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.
While oil is heating, place 2 tablespoons flour in a large baggie; add the chicken pieces one at a time and shake to coat chicken with flour. Set aside on a plate.
Add chicken to hot oil, skin side down, and sauté until golden brown, around 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove chicken from heat and set aside.
Turn temperature down to medium and add chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft. Transfer to slow cooker. Stir in paprika.
Place chicken broth in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add reserved tomato juice to make 1 cup liquid. Stir into onion mixture. Add diced tomatoes, yellow pepper and salt. Nestle chicken pieces in sauce. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until chicken is very tender.
Remove chicken pieces from sauce and set aside, leaving the sauce in the pan.
Place 3/4 cup sour cream in a small mixing bowl; whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 3 spoonfuls of the sauce from the chicken, one spoonful at a time. Stir mixture into sauce in the pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add more sour cream to taste. Place chicken back in sauce to heat through.
Serve over Hungarian Dumplings, egg noodles or other pasta.

Stove Top Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet (cast iron works well) over high heat.
While oil is heating, place 2 tablespoons flour in a large baggie; add the chicken pieces one at a time and shake to coat chicken with flour. Set aside on a plate.
Add chicken to hot oil, skin side down, and sauté until golden brown, around 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove chicken from heat and set aside. Don't clean out pan!
Turn temperature down to medium and add chopped onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft. Stir in paprika.
Place chicken broth in a 1 cup measuring cup. Add reserved tomato juice to make 1 cup liquid. Stir into onion mixture. Add diced tomatoes, yellow pepper and salt. Nestle chicken pieces in sauce. Cover pan and cook on low heat until chicken is very tender cooked through (165 degrees on an instant read thermometer), around 45 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces from sauce and set aside. Leaving the sauce in the pan.
Place 3/4 cup sour cream in a small mixing bowl; whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons flour. Whisk in 3 spoonfuls of the sauce from the chicken, one spoonful at a time. Stir mixture into sauce in the pan and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place chicken back in sauce. Spoon some of the sauce on top of the chicken pieces and simmer until the chicken is heated through.
Serve over Hungarian Dumplings, egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Gluten Free: use gluten free flour.

Note on paprika: it's important to use good quality, Hungarian paprika. It's the true star of the dish, and can make or break it. I get mine at Savory Spice in Denver; you can order from them online, too.

Note on chicken: use bone in, skin on chicken drumsticks or thighs. These chicken pieces provide the most flavor, and have the best texture after stewing. Chicken breasts tend to get dried out when slow cooked – yes, even when cooked in a sauce. Also, keeping the skin on helps the chicken pieces hold their shape.

Note on Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers: These peppers are not sweet, but spicy. If you can’t find them, look for Caribe peppers (I found these at my local Kroger grocery store). Jalapeno or serrano peppers are also a good substitute.

Nutrition