Traditional Chicken Paprikash, known in Hungarian as Paprikás Csirke, is one of the most beloved dishes in Hungarian cuisine. Tender chicken is gently simmered with onions, sweet Hungarian paprika, and a rich, savory sauce before being finished with sour cream.

The result is a comforting dish with tender chicken, a silky paprika sauce, and the unmistakable flavor of Hungarian home cooking. Traditionally served with nokedli, Hungarian egg dumplings, Chicken Paprikash makes a wonderful family dinner that is simple enough for a weeknight but special enough for guests.

What Is Chicken Paprikash?

Paprikás Csirke translates roughly to “paprika chicken.”

The dish is built around a few simple ingredients: chicken, onions, paprika, and sour cream. Unlike recipes that rely on many spices, traditional Hungarian cooking allows these ingredients to create the main flavor.

Sweet Hungarian paprika provides the characteristic red color and warm pepper flavor, while sour cream gives the sauce its creamy, slightly tangy finish.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• 🇭🇺 Classic Hungarian comfort food
• 🍗 Tender, juicy chicken
• 🌶️ Rich Hungarian paprika flavor
• 🧅 Sweet, slowly cooked onions
• 🥛 Creamy sour cream sauce
• 🍲 Easy one-pot preparation
• 🍽️ Perfect with Hungarian nokedli
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Great for family dinners
• 🔥 Delicious leftovers

Ingredients

For the Chicken Paprikash

• 2 1/2–3 lb (1.1–1.4 kg) bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika, optional
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the Sour Cream Sauce

• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2–3 tablespoons warm cooking liquid

For Serving

• Hungarian nokedli
• Fresh parsley, optional
• Extra sour cream, optional