Here’s a classic, authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás) — creamy, paprika-forward, and deeply comforting 🇭🇺
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Csirkepaprikás)
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.2–1.5 kg), cut into pieces
(or 1 kg bone-in thighs & drumsticks) - Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp lard or neutral oil
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2–3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika (high quality is essential)
- ½ tsp hot paprika (optional)
- 1 green Hungarian wax pepper or bell pepper, sliced
- 1 medium tomato, chopped (or ½ cup crushed tomatoes)
- 1 clove garlic (optional, traditional but used sparingly)
- 1 cup chicken stock or water
- 200 ml (¾ cup) full-fat sour cream
- 1 tbsp flour
Preparation
- Season the chicken
Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. - Cook the onions
Heat lard in a wide pot.
Add onions and cook slowly until very soft and pale golden (not browned). - Add paprika (critical step)
Remove pot from heat.
Stir in sweet and hot paprika quickly so it doesn’t burn. - Build the sauce
Add peppers, tomato, garlic, and chicken.
Return to heat, add stock, cover, and simmer gently 35–45 minutes until chicken is tender. - Make it creamy
Mix sour cream with flour until smooth.
Temper with a ladle of hot sauce, then stir back into pot. - Finish
Simmer uncovered 5–10 minutes until sauce thickens.
Adjust seasoning.
Traditional Serving
- With nokedli (Hungarian dumplings) — the classic pairing
- Or egg noodles or rice
- Optional garnish: extra sour cream
Important Tips (Very Hungarian)
- ❌ No heavy cream (only sour cream)
- ❌ No browning the chicken
- Paprika quality makes or breaks the dish
- Sauce should be silky, brick-red, and rich
If you’d like, I can:
- Show you how to make nokedli
- Give a one-pot weeknight version
- Adapt it for boneless chicken
- Or explain how it differs from paprika chicken in other countries
Just let me know!
