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Chicken Paprikas is a traditional Hungarian dish, rich and full of sweet paprika flavor. For this easy version, we roast boneless chicken thighs and serve them with a sour cream-paprika gravy that's made while the chicken cooks.
Chicken Paprikás (Paprikás Csirke) is a hearty, comforting meal that’s both economical and delicious. Roasting boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the oven while you make the gravy speeds the preparation, making this easy version of a classic a nice choice for a weeknight meal. We serve this dish with buttered egg noodles or Hungarian Noodle Dumplings, but mashed potatoes go nicely too.
Easy Chicken Paprikas (Paprikash)
Chicken Paprikas is a traditional Hungarian dish, rich and full of sweet paprika flavor. For this easy version, we roast boneless chicken thighs and serve them with a sour cream-paprika gravy that’s made while the chicken cooks.
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sweet Hungarian paprika, see notes
- 1-1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 8 ounces egg noodles
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and put a pot of salted water on to boil for the noodles.
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs and season both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking pan, dust with a little paprika and roast, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 16 to 20 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and celery and continue cooking just until the garlic is fragrant, 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 2 to 3 teaspoons of paprika (the quantity will depend on personal taste and the flavor and freshness of the paprika you’re using).
- Add the flour and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth and well blended, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Note: Even though the flour may appear blended sooner, it’s important to continue cooking it for those few minutes to avoid a “raw” flour flavor and grainy texture.
- Increase the heat to medium high and stir in the chicken broth, a little at a time, cooking until the mixture begins to thicken slightly.
- Place the sour cream in a small bowl and whisk in 2 or 3 tablespoons of the warm pan sauce. Add the mixture to the pan, stirring until smooth and creamy.
- Once the chicken is done, add it to the sauce and, using tongs, turn several times to coat. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
- Cook the egg noodles according to package directions, drain and add the remaining tablespoon of butter along with the chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, plate a portion of noodles, top with chicken and spoon additional gravy over top.
Notes
Recipe Notes:
You can certainly use any brand of sweet paprika in this recipe, but we recommend using a Hungarian brand if you can get it. Szeged Sweet Hungarian Paprika can be found on the spice aisle of many supermarkets and we think it has a sweet, robust flavor that’s perfect for this dish.Serving Suggestion:
If you have some extra time, try serving this with our version of Hungarian Noodle Dumplings (Nokedli – photo below), a side dish similar to German spaetzle. Special Note: Recipes such as this vary from family to family and region to region, and they continue to evolve as they are passed down through the generations, often depending on changes in personal tastes, access to ingredients and sometimes even dietary restrictions. We welcome constructive feedback about recipe variations and family traditions, but insulting, purely contradictory comments will not be published. Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
We loved your recipe. It made me think of my Hungarian mother-in-law and now I have to cook this for my husband. She made her Paprikash with homemade chicken soup using the entire cut up chicken and always including parsley root for the soup. The soup was thickened with a mixture of flour and sour cream and the Nokedlies were cooked separately in boiling hot salted and then served with the chicken and thickened soup. We always had that with fresh rye bread or homemade white bread. My mother in law was Hungarian and her husband was German. She was a great cook and a dear friend. Thinking about how well she cooked makes me miss her so much. Thank you for posting your Hungarian food recipes.
Hi Connie,
Thanks so much for sharing your memory of your mother-in-law’s Paprikas. These are the sort of comments we love to hear. I definitely agree that using a whole cut-up chicken is the way to go when you have the time. The bones and skin add so much flavor, and the homemade soup on the side sounds positively delicious. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed our simplified version though.
Fun question: Could I use smoked paprika? I don’t have regular paprika, as I am not fond of it.
Hi Susan,
Personally, I wouldn’t advise using smoked paprika in this dish as it would completely change the flavor profile and I really don’t have a good suggestion for another substitute. If the recipe appeals to you overall, simply eliminate the paprika and maybe add a little onion powder when you season the thighs with salt and pepper.
Awesome…thank you