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Paprikás Csirke is the kind of Hungarian dish that makes a kitchen smell instantly welcoming. Chicken simmers gently in a paprika rich sauce, silky with onions and finished with sour cream. It is comforting without being heavy, and it teaches you a lot about Hungary in a single bowl.
It often arrives with nokedli, those small dumplings that soak up sauce like they were designed for the job. You can also serve it with rice or boiled potatoes, but the dumpling pairing feels like the classic conversation between sauce and starch, each making the other better.
If you are curious about Hungarian food, this is a friendly starting point. The recipe is approachable, the flavours are clear, and you can taste what paprika does when it is treated as an ingredient with depth rather than a dusting at the end.
What Is Paprikás Csirke?
Paprikás Csirke is a braised chicken dish built around sweet Hungarian paprika. Onions are cooked until soft, paprika is stirred in off the heat so it stays fragrant, then chicken pieces simmer until tender. At the end, sour cream turns the sauce smooth and gently tangy.
It is not a tomato heavy stew and it is not meant to be fiery. The dish aims for warmth, colour, and a rounded pepper flavour that feels almost fruity. A little heat can appear if you add hot paprika, yet many households keep it mild and let the paprika’s aroma do the talking.
Texture matters here. The chicken becomes pull apart tender, while the sauce sits somewhere between a gravy and a cream sauce. When it is done well, it clings to a spoon, coats dumplings, and leaves a paprika stained ring on the plate that you will want to chase with bread.
Ingredients and Taste
Paprika is the headline, so quality counts. Sweet Hungarian paprika brings a deep red colour and a peppery sweetness, while a small pinch of hot paprika can add gentle bite. Onions form the base, cooking down into the sauce so thoroughly that they almost disappear into it.
Chicken thighs and drumsticks are common because they stay juicy during simmering, though breast can work if you keep the cooking time shorter. Stock or water loosens the pot, and a little garlic is sometimes added for background savouriness. Some cooks include green pepper or tomato, but they are supporting players.
Sour cream gives the sauce its soft richness and slight tang. It is usually stirred in at the end, often with a spoon of flour mixed through it to prevent splitting and to thicken the sauce. The result is creamy but not bland, with a pleasant sharpness that lifts the paprika.
The flavour is comforting and direct. You taste sweet pepper warmth first, then a savoury onion depth, then the gentle sour note that keeps each bite lively. If you serve it with nokedli, expect little dumplings that feel tender and slightly springy, perfect for carrying sauce to your mouth.
A Taste of History
Paprikás Csirke belongs to the period when paprika moved from curiosity to cornerstone in Hungarian cooking. Paprika arrived in Europe through the spread of capsicum peppers, and by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries it had become strongly associated with Hungary, both in farming and in the kitchen.
As paprika production grew, it became affordable enough for everyday dishes. Cooks leaned into its colour and flavour, building sauces around it rather than treating it as a small seasoning. Chicken was practical and widely available, so it paired naturally with a paprika and onion base that could feed a family well.
The dish also reflects a wider Central European love of sour cream. Hungary shares borders and culinary habits with neighbours who value dairy based finishes, yet Hungarian paprikás dishes have a distinct identity because paprika remains central rather than secondary. You can taste that confidence in the sauce.
Today, Paprikás Csirke is cooked in home kitchens, served in csárda style restaurants, and taught to visitors as a gateway recipe. It is not rarefied food. It is everyday cooking that earned its reputation through repetition, memory, and the simple logic of flavours that work.
How to Make Hungarian Paprikás Csirke
Paprikás Csirke is one of Hungary’s most treasured comfort dishes, built on sweet paprika, slow softened onions and tender chicken simmered into a rich, velvety sauce. The key is patience with the onions and careful handling of the paprika so it does not scorch. Expect deep colour, gentle warmth and a creamy finish balanced with freshness. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces, about 1.4 kg
- 2 tbsp lard or sunflower oil
- 2 large white onions, very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp high quality Hungarian sweet paprika
- ½ tsp hot Hungarian paprika, optional
- 1 green pepper, finely diced
- 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 200 ml good chicken stock
- 150 ml full fat sour cream
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for serving
Traditional accompaniment
- 400 g nokedli or egg noodles
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Dry skin helps achieve better browning and flavour. Set aside while preparing the base.
Step 2: Build the Onion Base
In a wide heavy casserole, heat the lard over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent. They should melt rather than brown. This forms the soul of the sauce.
Step 3: Add Paprika Carefully
Remove the pan briefly from the heat. Stir in the sweet paprika and optional hot paprika, mixing quickly so it blooms in the fat without burning. Paprika scorches easily, so work swiftly before returning the pan to the hob.
Step 4: Add Vegetables and Garlic
Stir in the diced green pepper, tomato and crushed garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until slightly softened. This adds freshness and balances the richness before adding the chicken.
Step 5: Brown the Chicken
Place the chicken pieces into the pan, skin side down first. Turn to coat them thoroughly in the paprika base. Allow them to seal lightly for several minutes, absorbing flavour before moving to the next stage.
Step 6: Simmer Gently
Pour in the chicken stock, ensuring the liquid comes halfway up the chicken but does not submerge it entirely. Cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Step 7: Prepare the Sour Cream Mixture
In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the plain flour until smooth. This prevents curdling and thickens the sauce evenly. Take a spoonful of hot cooking liquid and stir it into the cream mixture to temper it.
Step 8: Finish the Sauce
Remove the chicken pieces briefly from the pan. Stir the tempered sour cream mixture into the sauce over low heat until thickened and silky. Do not allow it to boil. Return the chicken to the sauce and warm through gently.
Step 9: Prepare the Nokedli
While the sauce finishes, cook the nokedli or egg noodles in salted boiling water according to instructions. Drain well and keep warm, ready for serving.
Step 10: Serve with Care
Arrange the chicken over a bed of nokedli and spoon the paprika sauce generously on top. Scatter with fresh parsley for colour and freshness. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and warm. A crisp cucumber salad on the side complements the richness beautifully.
Variations and Substitutions
- If Hungarian paprika is unavailable, use the freshest sweet paprika you can find, though the depth may differ.
- Chicken thighs and drumsticks can replace a whole jointed chicken.
- Crème fraîche may substitute sour cream, though it is slightly richer.
- If green peppers are unavailable, use a mild pointed pepper rather than a sweet red variety.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Paprikás Csirke
- Always remove the pan from the heat before adding paprika to prevent bitterness.
- Cook onions slowly until fully softened, as this creates natural sweetness.
- Keep the heat low once sour cream is added to avoid splitting.
- Use full fat sour cream for authentic texture and flavour.
- Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce settles and thickens slightly.
How to Store and Reheat
Cooling and Refrigerating
Let the paprikash cool to room temperature before it goes into the fridge. Transfer it into a shallow container so it chills faster, then cover tightly. It keeps well for about three days, and the flavour often deepens overnight as the paprika and onion settle together.
Store the nokedli separately if you can. Dumplings absorb sauce and can turn soft, which is not a disaster, but separating them helps both hold their best texture. If everything is already mixed, it will still reheat nicely, just expect a softer bowl.
Freezing
Paprikás Csirke can be frozen, but sour cream sauces need a little care. If you are planning ahead, freeze the chicken and paprika onion sauce before adding sour cream, then finish with sour cream after reheating. That approach keeps the sauce smooth rather than grainy.
If it is already finished with sour cream, you can still freeze it, just accept that the sauce may separate slightly. Freeze in portions, press out excess air, and label with the date. Aim to use it within two to three months for the best flavour.
Reheating on the Hob
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. Add a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce if it has thickened in the fridge. Keep the heat calm, because boiling can cause the sour cream to split and the sauce to lose its silky feel.
If the sauce looks like it is separating, take it off the heat and stir in a spoon of fresh sour cream. A small pinch of paprika can refresh the aroma too, though do not add it over high heat. Stir it in once the pot is warm, not raging.
Reheating in the Microwave
Use a microwave safe bowl, cover loosely, and heat in short bursts. Stir between each burst so the sauce warms evenly and stays smooth. If it thickens, add a teaspoon or two of water and stir well. This method works well for quick lunches, especially with rice or leftover dumplings.
Warm the nokedli separately if possible, with a damp piece of kitchen paper over the bowl to keep them from drying out. Then spoon the paprikash over the top. It keeps the textures closer to how the dish is meant to feel.
Serving Leftovers Well
Leftovers love a small refresh. Taste for salt first, then consider a squeeze of lemon or an extra spoon of sour cream to brighten the bowl. Fresh parsley is a simple finish, and a side of pickles or a crisp salad adds contrast to the creamy sauce.
If you want a different shape the next day, shred the chicken and serve it over buttered noodles, or tuck it into a baked potato. The flavour stays recognisably Hungarian, but the format changes enough to feel like a new meal rather than a repeat.
Paprikás Csirke (Chicken Paprikash)
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken jointed into 8 pieces, about 1.4 kg
- 2 tbsp lard or sunflower oil
- 2 large white onions very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp high quality Hungarian sweet paprika
- ½ tsp hot Hungarian paprika optional
- 1 green pepper finely diced
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 200 ml good chicken stock
- 150 ml full fat sour cream
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground white or black pepper
- Fresh parsley finely chopped, for serving
Traditional accompaniment
- 400 g nokedli or egg noodles
Instructions
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with kitchen paper and season lightly with salt. Dry skin helps achieve better browning and flavour. Set aside while preparing the base.
- In a wide heavy casserole, heat the lard over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent. They should melt rather than brown. This forms the soul of the sauce.
- Remove the pan briefly from the heat. Stir in the sweet paprika and optional hot paprika, mixing quickly so it blooms in the fat without burning. Paprika scorches easily, so work swiftly before returning the pan to the hob.
- Stir in the diced green pepper, tomato and crushed garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes until slightly softened. This adds freshness and balances the richness before adding the chicken.
- Place the chicken pieces into the pan, skin side down first. Turn to coat them thoroughly in the paprika base. Allow them to seal lightly for several minutes, absorbing flavour before moving to the next stage.
- Pour in the chicken stock, ensuring the liquid comes halfway up the chicken but does not submerge it entirely. Cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the plain flour until smooth. This prevents curdling and thickens the sauce evenly. Take a spoonful of hot cooking liquid and stir it into the cream mixture to temper it.
- Remove the chicken pieces briefly from the pan. Stir the tempered sour cream mixture into the sauce over low heat until thickened and silky. Do not allow it to boil. Return the chicken to the sauce and warm through gently.
- While the sauce finishes, cook the nokedli or egg noodles in salted boiling water according to instructions. Drain well and keep warm, ready for serving.
- Arrange the chicken over a bed of nokedli and spoon the paprika sauce generously on top. Scatter with fresh parsley for colour and freshness. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy and warm. A crisp cucumber salad on the side complements the richness beautifully.
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