Csirkepaprikás (Hungarian Chicken Paprikash)

About This Recipe

Csirkepaprikás is a real, traditional Hungarian dish, known as Hungarian Chicken Paprikash. Bone-in chicken braised in a rich sour cream and paprika sauce, traditionally served over egg noodle dumplings (nokedli).\n\nCsirkepaprikás developed from Hungary's broader paprika-based cooking tradition once the pepper became widely cultivated in the 19th century, and it remains one of Hungary's most internationally recognized dishes.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Hungarian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 1.2 kgbone-in chicken thighs
• 3 tbsplard or neutral oil
• 2yellow onions(diced)
• 3 tbspsweet Hungarian paprika
• 1green bell pepper(diced)
• 1tomato(diced)
• 500 mlchicken stock
• 200 mlsour cream
• 2 tbspall-purpose flour
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 400 gnokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings) or egg noodles(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat lard in a wide pot and brown the chicken pieces on both sides, about 6 minutes total; set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the onions

   In the same pot, cook the onions over medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes.

3. 3

   Bloom the paprika

   Remove the pot from heat, stir in paprika, then return to low heat briefly to avoid burning it.

4. 4

   Build the braise

   Add bell pepper, tomato and stock, then return the chicken to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.

5. 5

   Thicken the sauce

   Whisk sour cream with flour until smooth, then stir a ladle of the hot broth into it to temper before whisking it back into the pot.

6. 6

   Finish

   Simmer gently for 5 more minutes until the sauce thickens; do not boil hard after adding the cream, or it may curdle. Serve over nokedli or egg noodles.

Variations

• •

  A veal version (borjúpaprikás) is a more traditional, richer variant.

• •

  Some cooks add a bit of hot paprika alongside the sweet for extra kick.

• •

  Serve with a dollop of extra sour cream at the table for those who like it richer.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions