Csirkepaprikás (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash)
In short: Chicken simmered in a sweet paprika and onion sauce, finished with sour cream and served with soft little egg dumplings. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 600 kcal
Csirkepaprikás is Hungary's classic Sunday chicken: pieces of bone-in chicken simmered in a sauce of slowly cooked onion and sweet paprika, then finished with sour cream. The sauce is thin, pale orange and mild, made to be soaked up by nokedli, the small soft dumplings served alongside. A cucumber salad on the side adds a fresh, sour contrast. Use sweet paprika, not hot, and add it off the heat so it stays red and sweet.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onions for 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden but not browned.
- Take the pot off the heat, stir in the paprika and add a splash of water. Return to the heat and stir for 30 seconds.
- Season the chicken with the salt and pepper and add it to the pot with the bell pepper and tomato. Stir to coat the chicken in the onion mixture.
- Pour in the water, cover and simmer over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the chicken is tender and has reached 74°C (165°F).
- Whisk the flour into the sour cream in a bowl until smooth. Add a ladle of the hot cooking liquid, whisking, to warm it.
- Pour the sour cream mixture into the pot and shake the pot gently to combine. Simmer very gently for 3 minutes without boiling hard, so the sauce does not split.
- Taste and adjust the salt. Serve hot with nokedli (Hungarian dumplings), rice or noodles.
Tips
- Add the sour cream mixture at the end and do not boil it hard. Full-fat sour cream, tempered with hot liquid, is the best way to prevent curdling.
- Use sweet paprika for the traditional mild flavor. For a spicier dish, add a teaspoon of hot paprika or a fresh chili with the onions.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between paprikash and goulash?
Paprikash is finished with sour cream and has a creamy, pale orange sauce. Goulash is a beef soup with a clear red broth and no cream.
What do you serve with chicken paprikash?
Nokedli (small Hungarian dumplings) are the classic side. Egg noodles, rice or boiled potatoes also work, with a cucumber salad on the side.
Can I make chicken paprikash ahead of time?
Cook it up to the sour cream stage and refrigerate for 2 days, then reheat and stir in the sour cream just before serving.
How long does it take to make Csirkepaprikás (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 55 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Csirkepaprikás (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash)?
About 600 kcal per serving, with 46 g of protein, 11 g of carbohydrates and 41 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 600 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 46 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Fat | 41 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 5 g |
| Sodium | 980 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
