Although this is usually made with bone-in pieces of chicken, I'm making my version of chicken paprikash with chicken breast for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
The chicken is beautifully tender and the big spoonful of soured cream stirred in at the end makes this dish taste so luxurious!
We need really good Hungarian paprika to make the most flavourful paprikash - I'll show you which one I use.
Traditional Hungarian paprikash is usually made using bone-piece of chicken. Usually thighs and drumsticks. It also traditionally doesn't include tomatoes - although it's more common to use them these days. So I'm going a little off track from the authentic version here.
I'm using chicken breast pieces instead of bone-in pieces simply to make this a quicker meal. Also the kids aren't hugely keen on bone-in chicken, so making it this way ensures the kids will eat it all.
I love to add tinned tomatoes for a slight tangy taste to the dish, which I think works so well with the paprika and soured cream.
Apart from those changes, were have an amazing dish with rich flavours using key ingredients for delicious paprikash.
📋 What do we need?
- I'm using chicken breast instead of bone-in chicken, but it you prefer you can use bone-in pieces. You will need to simmer the dish for 20-30 minutes longer you do.
- Paprika - I'm using Hungarian Sweet Paprika (<- affiliate link) - it really does make all the difference to use a good quality Hungarian paprika. The smell, taste and colour are all so much richer. If you can't get hold of Hungarian paprika you can use regular store bought, but be sure to check the dates and use the freshest kind you can find.
- Soured cream - don't be tempested to go for low-fat or it may split when stirring it into the sauce. Full fat soured cream is best for the BEST flavour too.
🔪 How to make this easy chicken paprikash
**Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
- Soften chopped onion in a little butter and oil.
- Add in chicken breast pieces that have been dusted in seasoned flour. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is lightly browned.
- Add in the paprika and garlic followed by tinned tomatoes and chicken stock.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on and 10 minutes with the lid off - until thickened.
- Stir in soured cream and serve!
👩🍳PRO TIP If you want the sauce to be a little thicker, just simmer for 5-10 minutes longer with the lid off.
I love to drizzle over a little more soured cream and a sprinkling of parsley before serving.
This is a larger version of regular fusilli pasta called Fusilli Gigante (or Giganti). It's usually in the luxury or world foods section of larger supermarkets.
🍲 Love a creamy chicken recipe? Try these:
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Chicken Paprikash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil - I use sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion - peeled and diced
- 3 chicken breasts - approx. 525g/1.1lbs, chopped into bite-size chunks
- 2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Hungarian sweet or spiced paprika - I use sweet, but use the spicy one if you like a little heat.
- 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
- 400 g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes in juice
- 480 ml (2 cups) hot chicken stock
- 225 ml (1 cup) sour cream
To Serve:
- Cooked pasta - such as pappardelle - tagliatelle or penne
- handful of chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan (on that has a lid), over a medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped onion, and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Toss the chicken breast pieces together with the 2 tbsp of flour, ¼ tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
- Add to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, turning the chicken a few times, until lightly browned all over.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add in the 2 tbsp of paprika and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Stir together for a minute to coat the chicken.
- Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and the 480ml (2 cups) of stock and bring to the boil.
- Place a lid on the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid, give everything as stir and simmer for a further 10 minutes, with the lid off, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Turn off the heat and stir through half of the sour cream (about 110ml or ½ a cup).
- Serve the chicken paprikash with pasta (it also tastes great with mashed potato!), topped with the rest of the sour cream and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley. Oh and dont forget a hunk of bread on the side.
Video
✎ Notes
Reheat in a pan, stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout. Freezing: Make the paprikash, then cool, cover and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a pan, stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout. Scaling up or down Scale down the recipe to serve 2 by halving all of the ingredients. The method is the same, but you will probably only need to simmer for about 20 minutes instead of 25 minutes. Scale up the recipe to double the serving to 8 people by doubling all of the ingredients EXCEPT the chicken stock. Just use 480ml (2 cups) of chicken stock (so you're keeping the amount the same as you would when making for 4 people) - otherwise it will take too long for the liquid to reduce down.
You can always add in an extra splash of stock if it needs it whilst simmering. Nutritional Information is per serving (serves 4) NOT including the pasta or parsley.
Nutrition
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Jane Crawley says
We had this as a main for two people but did rice instead of pasta as we'd had pasta the night before. It was delicious and I'm sure will be with pasta as well. My husband had it the day after for lunch on it's own and it was a huge bowl full and he loved it like that too. We loved it so much that it's on our weekly menu.
Sune says
Can I use Tomato paste, with chopped tomatoes instead of a tin chopped tomatoes?
Simone says
Just delicious. Absolutely loved the flavour. I used thighs as juicier and added mushrooms and red capsicum as there is a lot of sauce. Highly recommend.
Diane says
Tried this recipe after waiting two weeks for the special smoked paprika to arrive and it was so tasty. Very easy recipe to follow, my hubby and i loved it. Definately will make this a regular on my menu list, thank you
Catherine says
Another winner with the family
Julia Allen says
I made this last night and it was delicious 😋
Kath says
So easy to make this recipe gluten free, thanks for another fab recipe😋
Jill says
Loved it! Added a few mushrooms and served it with some broccoli. Very easy and tasty. Half fat creme fraiche worked well. Thanks Nicky!