This traditional Hungarian dish features delicious sweet Hungarian paprika, melt-in-your-mouth chicken, and velvety sour cream for a rich and creamy meal! This authentic Chicken Paprikash is a great recipe for a hearty meal any night of the week.
Paprikás Csirke
Chicken Paprikash or Paprikás Csirke is a classic Hungarian dish made from simple ingredients that are very common in Hungary, such as sweet paprika and sour cream. This was one of my favorite dishes growing up, and the aroma of chicken paprikash filling the house still brings me a delightful sense of nostalgia!
Chicken paprikash was a very common go-to meal when I was visiting family in Hungary, with the delicious sour cream sauce being poured over fresh homemade pasta called nokeldi.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Authentic
This authentic chicken paprikash recipe is a slightly adjusted, slow cooker version of a Paprikás recipe from an old Hungarian cookbook!
Easy
This slow cooker recipe has just a few easy steps. After browning the onions and chicken, you pretty much just add everything to a slow cooker and forget about it! In a couple of hours this creamy slow cooker Chicken Paprikash recipe will be ready to add sour cream and enjoy.
Healthy
This recipe creates a healthy, hearty meal loaded with protein and healthy fats! Make sure to use high quality ingredients like pasture raised chicken and dairy products, as well as organic produce for the most healthy meal.
Delicious
If you have never tried authentic Paprikás Csirke, you’re in for a treat! It is difficult to compare the rich flavors of this dish to any other dish I have had. I grew up regulary enjoying this meal and love making it for my family. Maybe it will become a staple in your home, too!
Simple Ingredients That Make Amazing Chicken Paprikash
Bone-In Chicken
Slow cooking bone-in chicken will add amazing flavors! In this recipe we are using a combination of white and dark meat by using the chicken thighs, legs, and breasts cut from a whole chicken. This gives the perfect balance of flavor and texture! I recommend using pasture raised chicken.
Yellow Onions
Onions are one of the main ingredients in this recipe. It provides a savory rich flavor that pairs perfectly with Hungarian sweet paprika.
Peppers
Peppers add an earthy, bright flavor to this dish, especially when using a Hungarian variety. The best option would be to use Hungarian wax peppers, which are mild flavored light green peppers. If this is difficult to find you can substitute it with yellow bell peppers. In my opinion, red pepper is a little too sweet for this recipe.
Hungarian Sweet Paprika
Hungarian sweet paprika is the star of this dish! It has a unique sweet, fruity, and tart flavor that is unmatched by other types of pepper. Try your best to find a high quality Hungarian sweet paprika variety. The paprika most likely available at the your average local grocery store in the U.S. is usually Spanish paprika, which is slightly different. You can use this paprika in a pinch and make a delicious dish, but it won’t be authentic Hungarian Paprikash.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is a very important ingredient in Hungarian cuisine. Many dishes are made using sour cream, which adds a rich and creaminess to Hungarian dishes. In this Chicken Paprikash, it creates a creamy paprika sauce that tastes amazing!
I wouldn’t recommend substituting sour cream with yogurt in this recipe, as it will not create a rich and creamy sauce like sour cream will.
Tomato
Tomato adds a slight acidity to this dish that creates a more well rounded flavor.
Lard
Lard is the best cooking fat to use for a traditional version of this dish, and it allows the onions to brown in a particularly delicious way. I recommend using pasture raised leaf lard. I have successfully substituted clarified butter (or ghee) instead of lard, but this would not be as authentic. Do not use regular butter as it will burn when frying the onions and chicken. I do not recommend cooking with any kind of processed seed oil.
What to Serve with Chicken Paprikash
Traditionally, this dish is served with homemade dumplings that are much like egg noodles, called nokeldi or gulashka. If you’re up for making some homemade dumplings, go for it! This would be the most authentic way to serve this dish. I personally usually enjoy this dish with gluten free pasta. The most similar to the shape of the dumplings I can find would be this Caserecce, but I also like to enjoy this dish with gluten free elbow or penne pasta.
How to Store Hungarian Paprikash
Once fully cooled, store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer in a freezer-safe container for up to 4 months.
How to Make Authentic Slow Cooker Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
Add 2 tablespoons of lard to a large skillet and place on a stovetop set to medium-high heat. Add onions and turn the heat down to medium heat. Sauté until they begin to turn golden brown on the edges.
Move onions the the outer edges of the skillet.
Add 1 more tablespoon of lard to center of the skillet, and place chicken pieces down evenly in the center of the skillet. Cook on each side for about 1 or 2 minutes, until parts are slightly golden brown. Remove pan from heat.
Add Hungarian sweet paprika and optional Hungarian hot paprika (or optional cayenne pepper) to the pan with the chicken and onions and give it a quick stir.
Add onion and chicken mixture to the pot of a slow cooker or instant pot.
Add peppers, strained tomatoes, water or chicken broth, and salt. Stir to combine.
Slow cook on high in an instant pot (using the slow cook option – make sure to leave steam nozzle open) for 2 hours or in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours. The paprika chicken should fall off the bone and pull apart easily.
Remove chicken bones and skin (if you left it on), and pull chicken apart into tender chicken pieces.
Add sour cream and stir to combine.
Let slow cook on high for another 15 minutes to thicken up a bit.
If the sauce is still not thick enough for your liking, you can transfer it to a pot and let it thicken up on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes.
Serve over homemade Hungarian style dumplings or store-bought pasta.
Top with more sour cream if desired.
Enjoy!
Authentic Slow Cooker Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 stirring utenstil
- 1 slow cooker or instant pot
Ingredients
- Legs, thighs, and breasts from 1 whole chicken. (About 2 pounds) (Remove skin or leave skin on and remove later for more flavor)
- 2/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup chopped Hungarian wax peppers (or substitute with yellow bell pepper)
- 1/2 cup plain strained tomato sauce or 1 medium tomato, diced
- 3 tablespoons lard (or substitute clarified butter/ghee)
- 3 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/2 cup filtered water or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat 2 tablespoons of lard to a large skillet and place on a stovetop set to medium-high heat. Add onions and turn the heat down to medium heat. Sauté until they begin to turn golden brown on the edges.
- Move onions the the outer edges of the skillet.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of lard to center of the skillet, and place chicken pieces down evenly in the center of the skillet. Cook on each side for about 1 or 2 minutes, until parts are slightly golden brown. Remove pan from heat.
- Add Hungarian sweet paprika and optional Hungarian hot paprika (or optional cayenne pepper) to the pan with the chicken and onions and give it a quick stir.
- Add onion and chicken mixture to the pot of a slow cooker or instant pot.
- Add peppers, strained tomatoes, water, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Slow cook on high in an instant pot (using the slow cook option – make sure to leave steam nozzle open) for 2 hours or in a slow cooker for 3-4 hours. The paprika chicken should fall off the bone and pull apart easily.
- Remove chicken bones and skin (if you left it on), and pull chicken apart into tender chicken pieces.
- Add sour cream and stir to combine.
- Let slow cook on high for another 15 minutes to thicken up a bit.
- If the sauce is still not thick enough for your liking, you can transfer it to a pot and let it thicken up on the stove on medium heat for a few minutes.
- Serve over homemade Hungarian style dumplings or store-bought pasta.
- Top with more sour cream if desired.
- Enjoy!
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