Easy Chicken Paprikash
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Easy Chicken Paprikash – a healthier alternative using chicken breast. Tender pieces of chicken breasts in a rich sweet paprika sauce with bell peppers and served over noodles. Perfect easy and quick weeknight dinner.
So have you heard of chicken paprikash before? It’s of Hungarian origin and it’s a very very popular dish. The dish is loaded with paprika, a spice that is very commonly used in Hungarian cuisine.
I love this type of dish because of it’s simplicity and who am I kidding, but paprika really is one of my favorite spices to use whether it’s smoked or sweet paprika. I usually buy the big jars from Costco because I use a lot of it. This recipe itself has 2 whole tablespoons of paprika and if you think that’s too much, don’t.
How To Cook With Paprika
Cultures that love to cook with Paprika already know what I’m about to tell you, that being generous with this spice will add so much depth and a mild burn to whatever dish you sprinkle it in. Smoked paprika adds a little more heat than its regular counter part, so keep this in mind while cooking.
Be gentle with your paprika as it tends to burn easily if heated directly in a skillet.
If you can’t find sweet paprika, regular old paprika and smoked paprika will work just as well instead – just keep in mind that regardless of what kind it is paprika is still delicate and prone to burning.
Ingredients
- Chicken – I used breasts today but feel free to use any kind of chicken you’d like! This sauce is spectacular no matter the cut.
- Olive oil – We want a nice neutral tasting oil that will ensure our spice blend sticks to our chicken and crisps up the exterior nicely.
- Garlic – Fresh minced up finely, if jarred is all you have on hand just keep in mind that 1 1/2 teaspoons equals 1 fresh clove.
- Spices – Sweet paprika and red pepper flakes for some added heat. Feel free to omit the red pepper if you’re spice averse.
- Herbs – Fresh parsley is needed in this chicken dish. If dried is all you have keep in mind that dried herbs are more potent than fresh, 1 teaspoon equals 1 tablespoon of fresh.
- Onion – We want something mild that cooks down nicely like white or yellow.
- Veggies – Just some bell pepper is all we need for sweetness and acidity.
- Broth – Low sodium chicken broth so as to control the salt content of our dish.
- Tomatoes – An entire can of diced tomatoes, including the juice.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste.
- Flour – We want just a sprinkle to thicken up our sauce. Be sure to cook off the raw flour taste a bit.
- Sour cream – No paprika dish is complete without a good dollop of sour cream – believe me!
Do I Have To Use Chicken Breast?
You can use any type of chicken cut that you like! Chicken breast, thighs, even drumsticks. Just keep in mind that switching up your cut of chicken may affect your cook time, so keep any eye on that chicken.
How To Make Easy Chicken Paprikash
- Cook the chicken: In a Dutch oven or medium size pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and onion to the pot and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
- Saute the sauteables: Stir in the peppers and garlic. Add paprika, salt, pepper, red chili flakes and stir lightly. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
- Create the sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the flour and sour cream with a ladle of broth from the pot. Pour this mixture back into the pot and stir. Turn the heat down to a medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken from the flour.
- Garnish with parsley and serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.
How To Serve
This Chicken pairs well with almost anything – seriously.
Whether you want something starchy to spoon this chicken and sauce over or a crisp light salad to snack on alongside, you’ll be hard pressed to find something that doesn’t make for a drool worthy combination. Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve this with:
- Mashed Potatoes – my all time favorite accompaniment, seriously try it ASAP.
- Just some plain old noodles
- Loaded Scalloped Potatoes
- Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
- Harvest Rice
- Creamy Polenta
Leftovers
Fridge
Stored in an air tight container properly cooled, this chicken paprikash will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge. Just reheat in the microwave or the oven if you’d prefer when ready to eat.
Freezer
Just place your dish in an airtight container or a freezer bag and this method will allow them to keep for 4 – 6 months. Remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge over night when ready to eat. Just reheat in on the stovetop or microwave.
More Delicious Chicken Dishes To Try:
- Roast Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala
- One Pan Roasted Honey Orange Chicken And Potatoes
- Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Chicken Parmesan
- Firecracker Chicken Meatballs
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Easy Chicken Paprikash
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 35 mins
Serves: 6
Easy Chicken Paprikash – a healthier alternative using chicken breast. Tender pieces of chicken breasts in a rich sweet paprika sauce with bell peppers and served over noodles. Perfect easy and quick weeknight dinner.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts or chicken thighs, skinless and boneless cut into small cubes
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper chili flakes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 15 oz diced tomatoes 1 can, including juice
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or medium size pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and onion to the pot and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
- Stir in the peppers and garlic. Add paprika, salt, pepper, red chili flakes and stir lightly. Add the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour and sour cream with a ladle of broth from the pot. Pour this mixture back into the pot and stir. Turn the heat down to a medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken from the flour.
- Garnish with parsley and serve over noodles, rice or potatoes.
Recipe Notes
- Stored in an air tight container properly cooled, this chicken dish will keep for 3 – 4 days in the fridge. Just reheat in the microwave or the oven if you’d prefer when ready to eat.
- To freeze: Just place your dish in an airtight container or a freezer bag and this method will allow them to keep for 4 – 6 months. Remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the fridge over night when ready to eat. Just reheat in on the stovetop or microwave.
- Nutritional information does not include pasta.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 172kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Protein: 18g (36%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Cholesterol: 53mg (18%)Sodium: 207mg (9%)Potassium: 571mg (16%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 1960IU (39%)Vitamin C: 35mg (42%)Calcium: 49mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Penelope Yood says
Absolutely yummy! I used a mandolin to thin slice the onions instead of chopping them, and served the dish over Ronzoni Tumeric Pasta. Easy, too!
Candy Hazzard says
So easy and so tasty!
Jacqueline Hutchinson says
my Mothers chicken paprika’s had white broth and light fluffy dumplings? Have you ever made something Like it?
jo says
No, I haven’t but it sounds delicious!
Stacey Hectus says
I made this recipe this weekend. I typed into the search engine what I had and this recipe came up. It was so good and the whole family enjoyed it. I made it over mashed potatoes. It makes a lot and I have to say was the perfect meal for a chilly night. My husband asked to have it again. That is my test on good or bad meal so this one passed the test. Your Butter Chicken was also a “have again meal”
Leonard Price says
wanted to know how to cook off the raw flour taste in this recipe, usually i cook the flour and butter a bit in a separate pot. then add liquids.
Jo Cooks Team says
The flour does get simmered for 20 minutes which should take away the raw flour taste.
If you did want to make a roux, you can add 2 tbsp of butter and the flour before adding the liquids.
Lee Bell says
I would like to know if this could be made in a crockpot?
jo says
Absolutely!
Barbara M. says
One of our sons is vegetarian so for his version, I substituted an equal amount of smoked Sriracha tofu (he likes things spicy) and of course, used vegetable broth instead of chicken. Was as tasty as the chicken version…in fact next time all four of us may vegetarian.
Thanks for the recipe. It is a keeper.
Danny's girl says
Only two chicken breast for six people? I usually allow one chicken breast per person!
Fenne Kieken says
This is a pasta sauce dish so you don’t need a lot of chicken but if you want to provide additional portions you could allow one per person. Change it up and make it your own. Thats what cooking is all about.
Agi says
I’m Hungarian, I like your recipe Jo, I make it a little different, I saute onions, green peppers, usually the Italian ones and 2-3 tomatoes, for this I use good quality canned one just the tomatoes, cut them to little chunks, I put the flame on low when the onion and the green pepper and tomatoes are down , I put my home made paprika/from Hungary/ I never measure but for a whole chicken 2 Tbs,I take the pot from the flame,not to burn the paprika.
,I add the cut up chicken /salt the chicken/ to it, on very low flame I cook for few minutes,then I add some water to it, and after few minutes I add more water,water should almost cover the chicken, I add chicken bouillon cubes or Costco has a very good organic chicken paste, I think it’s called better than bouillon. Usually I don’t thicken w/flour, I use lots of onions that makes the sauce thicker, but lots of Hungarians use the flour and sour cream version, I like it that way,but may kids don’t like it/ I grow up in Hungary, my Mom used sour cream also. I serve it w/speatzles and w/cucumber salad. I hope you don’t mind I put my version on, yours looks great, I just like to mix dark meat in it also and the bones makes it even tastier, my kids just eat the white meat, they can’t look at the bones. Thanks for sharing your version, good cooking!
jo says
Hi Agi!
I don’t mind at all, in fact I’d like to thank you for sharing your recipe with me and my readers. 🙂
mila furman says
Ohhh this does look super easy!!! And while I agree fall is really beautiful I always mourn the summers departure 🙁 At least I have a ton of cute outfits for fall 🙂
jo says
See it’s not all bad summer is over, though I will miss wearing my flip flops!
Ivanka says
Can’t wait to try this. Can I replace sour cream with something else?
jo says
You can use yogurt or just simply skip it.
[email protected] says
You are one of the few blogs in this world whose chicken breast recipes I would use and trust. 🙂 Chicken breast is the most uninteresting part of the chook to me – other than it’s feet, heart, liver etc!! I would love to dial up the spice in this. Pinning! And thanks for sharing Jo! N x
jo says
Thanks Nagi!
Mike | Chili Pepper Madness says
This is great, Jo. I might need to make a spicy version for my own site. Looks quite delish! I’m a huge fan of paprika myself and usually buy it in bulk for cooking and making blends. I’m sure you enjoyed it!
jo says
Yeah a spicy version would be great, hope you make it!
Bella B says
Oh yummy! I love pasta!!
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