Csirke Paprikás

About This Recipe

Csirke paprikás (chicken paprikash) is Hungary's most internationally celebrated dish and arguably the finest expression of the country's love affair with paprika. The sweet paprika gives the sauce its characteristic brilliant red-orange color and fruity warmth — the hot paprika provides heat. The key technique is adding the paprika off direct heat to prevent burning, then building a silky sauce with sour cream at the end. Nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings, similar to German Spätzle) are the traditional accompaniment — their soft, pillowy texture is perfect for absorbing the sauce. Making nokedli is easy and essential.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 wholechicken(cut into 8 pieces)
• 3 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tsphot paprika
• 2 largeonions(finely diced)
• 3 tbsplard or vegetable oil
• 200 mlchicken broth
• 200 gsour cream
• 1 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 2 largeeggs(for nokedli)
• 200 gall-purpose flour(for nokedli)
• 100 mlwater(for nokedli)

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté onions

   Melt lard over medium heat. Fry onions until soft and just starting to color, about 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add paprika off heat

   Remove from heat. Add sweet and hot paprika immediately and stir. Return to heat.

3. 3

   Brown the chicken

   Season chicken and add to the pot. Brown all sides 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Simmer

   Add broth. Cover and simmer 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

5. 5

   Make nokedli

   Mix eggs, flour, and water into a thick batter. Push through a colander into boiling salted water. Cook 2 minutes until they float.

6. 6

   Finish the sauce

   Mix sour cream with flour. Stir into the chicken sauce off heat. Return briefly to heat until just thickened.

Variations

• •

  Use beef for 'marhapörkölt' (beef paprikash)

• •

  Add green peppers to the sauce for extra sweetness

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Keeps 3 days refrigerated. The sauce thickens when cold — add broth when reheating. Cook nokedli fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions