Chicken Paprikash Recipe

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Cozy up with this comforting creamy chicken paprikash recipe! It features budget-friendly tender, juicy chicken thighs in a velvety-smooth, richly-spiced paprika sauce. Plus it comes together in 1 pot and 1 hour for a weeknight-friendly dinner!

top view of family dinner with homemade chicken paprikash and dumplings

If you’re craving a cozy, soul-warming dinner that’s rich in flavor and surprisingly easy to make, look no further than chicken paprikash (aka Paprikás Csirke in Hungarian).

This traditional Hungarian dish features tender chicken simmered in a silky paprika-spiced sauce that’s finished with tangy sour cream. It’s typically served with buttery egg noodles (my favorite is sourdough egg noodles!) or dumplings, but mashed potatoes or rice are also great options.

What Is Chicken Paprikash?

Chicken paprikash is one of Hungary’s most iconic dishes. The name comes from the generous use of Hungarian sweet paprika, which gives the sauce its signature color and flavor. The dish traditionally uses bone-in chicken, onions, garlic, paprika, and sometimes bell peppers, all gently simmered in a creamy paprika-infused sauce.

Why You’ll Love It:

This dish puts budget-friendly chicken thighs to good use!
It combines simple ingredients for a dish that’s big on flavor.
This one-pot meal comes together in an hour for a weeknight-friendly dinner.
It’s comfort food at its finest! If you enjoy creamy, flavorful sauces this one will make it to your favorites list.

Let’s Talk Paprika (It’s Important Here!)

The heart of this dish is in the paprika. Hungarian sweet paprika is not the same as regular grocery store paprika. It’s more vibrant, slightly sweet, and intensely flavorful. If you want an authentic flavor, buy high-quality Hungarian paprika; look for brands like Szeged or Pride of Szeged.

It’s not traditional, but in this recipe, we truly celebrate paprika by using three forms of it: sweet; smoked, and hot. This trio adds wonderful depth of flavor! However, if you want to keep it authentic (or just want to simplify), opt for only Hungarian sweet paprika.

Preserve Paprika’s Intense Flavor

Never let paprika fry for too long or it can become bitter. Here we go for 10 seconds while stirring constantly, and then add the liquid to preserve paprika’s rich flavor.

Ingredients

Breaking It Down

Ingredients Explained

In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.

Ghee – Aka clarified butter; or you can use avocado oil, or vegetable oil if that’s what’s in your pantry.
Bone-in skin-on chicken thighs – Be sure to pat them dry with paper towels so you get a great sear on them.
Salt and black pepper – To season the dish.
Onion – Onion is an important ingredient in traditional Hungarian chicken paprikash. It serves as the base of the sauce; it’s cooked down until it starts to caramelize, which adds complexity and a subtle earthy sweetness to create a balanced flavor profile.
Garlic – Garlic adds depth to the creamy paprika sauce.
Sweet paprika, smoked sweet paprika, and hot paprika – I love the robust, well-balanced flavor that using three types of paprika brings to this dish. For the best flavor, look for Hungarian paprika. Instead of hot paprika, you can use cayenne pepper.
Chicken stock – Use a flavorful homemade or store-bought chicken stock.
Bay leaf – To help create an aromatic sauce.
Sour cream – Along with paprika, sour cream gives this dish its classic flavor. Sour cream provides a slight tanginess and creamy texture. Make sure it’s at room temperature to help prevent curdling.
Heavy whipping cream – Adds rich flavor and helps create a silky smooth texture. Just like the sour cream, make sure this is at room temperature.
All-purpose flour – Traditional authentic Hungarian Csirkepaprikás uses flour as the thickener. We whisk the flour together with the sour cream and heavy whipping cream, which not only thickens the sauce but also helps prevent the dairy from curdling. To make this dish gluten free, you can use 2 tablespoons of your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour. Another alternative is to use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch instead of the 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour that this recipe calls for.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Add the ghee to a 5-quart Dutch oven (or equivalently-sized pot) over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and season with the salt and black pepper. Sear the chicken on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. (You may need to cook the chicken in 2 batches to avoid crowding the pan.) Transfer the chicken to a plate for now.
Turn the heat down to medium, and add the onion. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that have formed on the bottom. Cook until the onion is softened and starting to caramelize in spots, about 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the sweet paprika, smoked sweet paprika, and hot paprika, and cook about 10 seconds, stirring constantly.
Stir in the chicken stock and bay leaf, and then add the seared chicken (along with its juices), nestling the chicken into the liquid (the chicken will not be fully covered with liquid).
Bring the mixture up to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the chicken is fully cooked, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. For a thick sauce, boil the sauce for 2 minutes (otherwise, skip boiling for 2 minutes). While the sauce is boiling, whisk together the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, and flour in a bowl. Turn the heat down so the sauce is gently simmering, and whisk in the sour cream mixture.
Bring the sauce back up to a gentle boil, then remove it from the heat, add the chicken back in, and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.

top view of creamy paprikas csirke with homemade egg noodle dumplings

Storage & Reheating

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months, and thaw overnight before reheating.
Reheat: Gently warm on the stove with a splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Tips for the Best Chicken Paprikash

Use high-quality Hungarian paprika. This dish lives and dies by its paprika. Look for authentic Hungarian paprika for the best results.
Sear the chicken well. Browning the chicken at the start adds incredible depth of flavor to the sauce. Don’t rush it; let it get a nice golden crust.
Don’t skip the onions here. They’re not just filler, they’re the flavor backbone of the sauce. Cook them until they’re soft and starting to caramelize.
Let it simmer low and slow. Once everything’s in the pot, don’t rush the cooking. Letting the flavors mingle over gentle heat is key to that signature creamy richness.

What to Serve with Chicken Paprikash

Traditionally, chicken paprikash is served with:

Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) – similar to German spaetzle
Buttered egg noodles – use sourdough egg noodles for incredible flavor
Rice – to soak up all that delicious sauce
Mashed potatoes – bumps up the comfort food factor even more
Crusty artisan bread – another vessel to scoop up the creamy, flavor-packed sauce; or even better, go with sourdough bread
A side of creamy cucumber salad with dill adds freshness!

Variations

Boneless chicken thighs – Can be used for quicker cooking, but the end result isn’t quite as flavorful.
Greek yogurt instead of sour cream – This bumps up the protein a bit. But be sure to use full-fat Greek yogurt!
Creamy mushroom paprikash – Add sliced mushrooms along with the onion for an earthy twist.
Sweet bell pepper paprikash – Besides mushrooms, another way to incorporate more vegetables into this dish is to add 2 sliced red bell peppers along with the onion.

creamy chicken paprika with homemade sourdough egg noodles in bowl with cast iron pot in background

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between goulash and paprikash?

Great question! Goulash is a Hungarian stew with meat, paprika, and sometimes potatoes (not to be confused with American-style goulash!). Paprikash is creamier and typically features chicken in a paprika-sour cream sauce.

What does chicken paprikash taste like?

It’s creamy, savory, and beautifully balanced with a touch of sweetness, a hint of spiciness, and a whisper of smokiness. The sauce has a rich, velvety texture, with a subtle tang from the sour cream.

What kind of chicken should I use?

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks are classic choices because they stay juicy and tender during cooking. You can also use a whole cut-up chicken. If you prefer boneless, use skinless thighs for better flavor and texture than chicken breast, which has the tendency to dry out.

How do I thicken chicken paprikash?

Here we use a traditional method; we mix sour cream with a spoonful of flour and then stir it into the sauce. This helps prevent curdling and thickens the sauce beautifully.

close up of creamy Hungarian paprika chicken with nokedli dumplings

More Chicken Dinner Recipes with a Creamy Sauce

Let’s Connect

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I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.

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One Comment

Bea says:

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This recipe reflects Northern and Western Hungarian cuisine. In Southern and Eastern Hungary there is no cream or sour cream, and often mild to semi-hot Hungarian green peppers are added with the onions as well.
Without cream and sour cream the dish is more figure-friendly.