Paprika.
My mother sprinkled paprika on mashed potatoes. I noticed that it added no flavor to the potatoes, so I asked her why she did it. “It’s for color.” Okay, that made sense.
I continued through my thirties believing paprika was only for color, and had nothing else to offer. That was probably true because, A) the quality of paprika wasn’t very good, and, B) the jar she used was probably as old as I was. Possibly older.
When I was in my 40s, a friend brought from Hungary a gift of two real paprikas — one sweet, one hot. When I smelled them, I was blown away. When I tasted them, I could not believe the flavor both packed. Particularly amazing was the combination of flavor and heat together.
This simple travel gift inspired me to make several different paprikás recipes over the years, though I think Chicken Paprikás is my favorite. The paprika makes all the difference — just look at that color! While paprikás is often served over noodles, I prefer it served with spätzle, and I promise to post a recipe for spätzle soon.
~ David
Chicken Paprikás
To print this recipe, please click the small printer icon below.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- salt
- 2 onions, diced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed then diced
- 4 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika (or more to taste)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- cooked and buttered spätzle or wide egg noodles for serving
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, then lightly brown the pieces — about 4-5 minutes — and transfer to a plate. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring, another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sweet paprika, hot paprika, and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet and heat the pan to medium-high heat. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. (It’s okay if some onions and tomatoes cling to the chicken pieces.)
- During the 15 minutes of simmering, in a medium bowl whisk together the sour cream and cream, then sift the flour over top and whisk together to make a smooth paste. After removing the chicken from the broth, stir the cream mixture into the broth, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer until heated through.
- Serve the chicken paprikás over a bed of spätzle or noodles. Garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serves 4-6.
© 2024 Copyright Cocoa & Lavender
chef mimi
September 30, 2023 at 6:28 amI just read somewhere (of course I can’t remember where now) that piment d’Espelette loses flavor quickly. I thought I was going crazy cause mine had no smell to speak of and I’ve had to buy a few new jars of it. It makes me not want to bother with it. My favorite smoked is a Spanish variety La Dalia. My favorite Hungarian versions come in tube – paprika creme. Spicy and mild as well. I just love paprika, and I love your recipe. And spaetzele!
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2023 at 8:55 amThanks, Mimi! I still haven’t tried the pastes — I need to remedy that soon! And I absolutely agree — piment d’Espelette loses both flavor and zing quickly.
Mad Dog
September 30, 2023 at 6:49 amThat looks delicious! My pimentón never lasts long enough to loose it’s flavour.
I find it amazing that the word paprika is far better known that pimentón, relative to it taking 300 years to travel from Spain to Hungary …and it’s only been popular in Hungarian cuisine since the 19th Century.
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2023 at 8:56 amIt’s funny, isn’t it. Somehow the Hungarian paprika came to prominence with the pimentón has only recently become popular. I love both — they are night and day different, too.
Jim in Naples
September 30, 2023 at 7:59 amPerfect Timing!
Having just returned from Budapest, we have a few different Paprika’s to try out. This recipe sounds like the ideal thing for dinner tonite!
Thanks David for some very enjoyable meals
Cocoa & Lavender
September 30, 2023 at 8:58 amThanks, Jim — that is really such a kind comment. Glad to know my recipes have been a hit at your table. I have always wanted to visit Budapest… I hope it happens soon. Let me know what you think of the paprikás!
Eha Carr
September 30, 2023 at 3:36 pmWhat a wonderful recipe on a Sunday morning! Oh, my brief dramatic, exciting marriage to a foodie Hungarian nobleman brought with i endless ‘paprikal meals, a summer in Budapest (sill under Russian occupation – just don’t ask!) and rearranged shelves in the kitchen to fit SEVEN 500gm cartons of different kinds of paprika !!! Don’t ask – there must have been differences in the sweet and ordinary kinds plus the smoked . . . I was never ‘taught’ as according to Gabor only men (am not joking!) knew how to use the stuff properly . . . women could make the secondary parts of the meal and arrange the flowers!!! *huge laugh* When we parted I am afraid I sent the spice cartons out the door with the guy (!!!) but your paprikash recipe totally hits the spot !!! Love making spatzle – ooh-aah, I just do wonder whether you do it my supereasy way . . . meanwhile hugs >
Cocoa & Lavender
October 1, 2023 at 6:42 amEha — thank you so much for sharing this incredible history. I was very much unaware of the division of labor between men and women. But I do covet those large containers of paprika! And how many different kinds? I’m sure I could try to use for each one of them. When I publish my spätzle recipe, you’ll have to let me know what you think. Mine is from a woman who was married to a Hungarian.
angiesrecipes
September 30, 2023 at 7:20 pmThat sauce is bomb! I always love a good chicken paprika and using real Hungarian paprika is definitely a game changer.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 1, 2023 at 6:43 amI could not believe how much a difference it made, Angie. I use it a lot in my Moroccan cooking, as well.
Gerlinde de Broekert
September 30, 2023 at 9:15 pmWhat a great recipe. I love paprika. I was wondering, where to you buy the best paprika. I had some great paprika dishes in Austria.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 1, 2023 at 6:43 amHonestly, getting authentic Paprika online is probably the best way to do it. Penzeys does carry Hungarian sweet paprika and a medium hot, as well.
Jeff the Chef
October 1, 2023 at 6:04 amWhat a delicious looking dish! I’ll look forward to your spaetzele recipe!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 1, 2023 at 6:44 amMy biggest problem with doing that spätzle recipe, Jeff? How to photograph it, and make it look sexy! But I will figure it out, and you’ll see it soon!
Ronit Penso
October 1, 2023 at 10:22 amI’ve had this dish in an Hungarian restaurant, and loved it, but still didn’t make it at home, so your recipe is a great place to start.
I definitely agree about fresh Hungarian paprika. It has such wonderful, deep and warm flavor and aroma.
As for spätzle, I used to work in a Swiss oriented restaurant back in the day, and had to make it every day. I ended up not being able to even look at it for many years… But seeing your dish with it, makes me feel I’m now ready to go back to making it! 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
October 2, 2023 at 8:25 amI’m glad you might be able to face spätzle once again, Ronit! Once I learned how to make it, it became a quick and easy supper staple. I hope you like the paprikás!
Ron
October 2, 2023 at 3:09 amDavid, like you I thought paprika was just for color, but luckily I was introduced to Spanish sweet, hot, and smoked paprika some years ago. So this recipe is a must-make for me. I think I’ll make it outside on my Muurrika (steel disc) as the smell of our very cool autumn and this cooking will be fantastic. Thanks for sharing…
Cocoa & Lavender
October 2, 2023 at 8:24 amI, too, love the Spanish parprikas, Ron. It is amazing the flavor good paprika brings to a dish. I had to look up a photo of a muurrika — looks quite wonderful for cooking over the fire. Enjoy!
Valentina
October 2, 2023 at 9:08 pmDavid, I can’t wait to try this! I love a good quality paprika and this dish sounds and looks fantastic. I’m especially interested because I don’t think I’ve ever used such a generous amount of paprika in a recipe. I’m into it, and will report back. 🙂 ~Valentina
Cocoa & Lavender
October 3, 2023 at 9:08 amI think this is the only dish I know (and make) that has this much paprika. You are going to love this!
Valentina
October 5, 2023 at 11:20 pmThis was dinner tonight and it was delicious! I was in a bit of a hurry and ran out of time to make rice, which I was going to serve with it, so instead we had it with corn tortillas (and a salad) and it was great. I skipped the heavy cream because I forgot to buy it (oops), and the flour my GF son. I also made a smaller batch with fried tofu (GASP!) for my other son who is vegetarian. It was also fantastic. So many diets in this house. 😉 I loved the tart sour cream with the tomato and paprika. And I can see why the amount of paprika is was it is, and it was perfect. 🙂 ~Valentina
P.S. Extra tortillas were used to soak up every last bit of sauce.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 17, 2023 at 1:29 pmIsn’t it a fun dish? I love that you made it your own and created something fantastic with what you had on hand! It makes me wonder how GF spätzle would be?
2pots2cook
October 4, 2023 at 6:13 amOh, thank you for reminding me of this one; I practically grew up enjoying chicken paprikas my granny used to make……
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2023 at 8:47 amHow wonderful to have those memories. Davorka — I wish my nana had made me paprikás!
Karen (Back Road Journal)
October 4, 2023 at 2:11 pmWould you believe that not only have I not cooked chicken paprikás, I’ve never eaten it. Knowing how good your recipes are, I think it is time to give it a try.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 4, 2023 at 9:28 pmThis made me smile, Karen — so kind of you to say that! Now that it’s finally cooling, I hope you can make and enjoy this dish.
sherry
October 8, 2023 at 12:58 ami really like paprika esp. the smoked version. so tasty but yes it needs to be fresh. We ate goulash in hungary years ago – we had been dragged off to the burbs by some old gent who let us sleep under his house for $ of course:) those were the days. anyway we wandered around trying to find food and ended up in someone’s backyard – maybe it was a restaurant – or not?! Plenty of paprika in the meal …
Cocoa & Lavender
October 9, 2023 at 7:31 amThat sounds like quite the adventure, Sherry! How fun!
Raymund
October 11, 2023 at 1:48 pmIt’s amazing how the quality of ingredients, like paprika, can make a world of difference in the flavor and outcome of a dish. Your journey from thinking of paprika as just a color enhancer to discovering its incredible flavor and heat potential is a testament to the impact of using fresh, high-quality spices.
Cocoa & Lavender
October 17, 2023 at 1:17 pmI think that paprika was the first time I really noticed the difference with quality. It was a long time ago, but it stayed with me and has made a huge difference in my work in the kitchen. Thanks so much, Raymund.
Marcelle
October 15, 2023 at 7:47 amDavid, I made chicken paprikash for the family before but it’s been quite some time. Your recipe looks amazing (as usual!!) This looks like a great comfort food dish to add to our menu this week, looking forward to it!!
Cocoa & Lavender
October 17, 2023 at 1:18 pmI really hope you enjoy it, Marcelle, as it’s become one of our favorites. I know it’s not traditional to make small pieces of chicken without skin and bone, but it does make it so much easier to eat!
The-FoodTrotter
October 30, 2023 at 12:30 amPaprika is one of the most misused and under/overrated spices because most people use it abundantly under its most bland version meanwhile it can be at the same time very tasty if you use top notch paprika, as long as it’s not old enough to turn beige ^^ ! Personally I’m being obsessed with smoked paprika 🙂 Actually chicken paprikas was by far my favourite Hungarian dish when I visited Budapest 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
October 30, 2023 at 6:45 amI seem to be obsessed with all paprikas at the moment!
Christina Conte
November 19, 2023 at 4:26 pmI agree! I brought home paprika from Budapest and it is so different from the one we can buy here. Your dish sounds (and looks) fabulous! I want to make it asap!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 5, 2023 at 3:53 pmThere is a huge difference in spices like this. Even here in this country, I have bought Mexican oregano in the Northeast and then here in the Southwest. Such a difference!
Recipe for Spätzle – Cocoa & Lavender
December 23, 2023 at 3:04 am[…] When I first learned how to make spätzle, I favored them for evenings when I wanted homemade pasta but was pressed for time. They are wonderful topped with freshly-made tomato cream sauce, but my favorite way of serving them is, of course, topped with rich, creamy, Chicken Paprikás. […]