Made with Lots of Love: Chicken Paprikas

When you think of Hungarian food, chances are the first dish that comes to mind is Chicken Paprikas. Every Hungarian grandma has their own secret recipe and every Hungarian family swears their recipe is the best. Oh and yes I can confidently say that my family recipe is the best 🙂 Other Eastern European countries have their own variations. Beard’s family is Polish and their version is definitely different than Broad’s family recipe.

The most important aspect of a good Chicken Paprikas dish is that the color should be a light pinkish red. It should not be brown or orange or dark red. Broad has a hard time even trying another paprikas if it’s any of those colors. We also use drumsticks and thighs. We find they’re the best pieces because they’re the most flavorful. We also never ever use tomatoes or peppers. Also never substitute cayenne for paprika. That’s just crazy nonsense. Traditionally water is used but we substitute chicken broth which adds a bit more depth. Also, we usually make our own dumplings but if we are feeling lazy we use Sophie’s Choice spatzel/dumplings. They’re the best brand.

Chicken Paprikas Ingredients 

• • 1 package of chicken thighs (usually bone-in) and 1 package of chicken drumsticks.
  • 1 package of Sophie Choice Dumplings (additional package for more than 2 people) or make your own.
  • 1 Breakstone 16 oz sour cream
  • Paprika (we use traditional Hungarian paprika)
  • 5 cloves of garlic, chopped (at least)
  • Spices (onion powder, garlic powder, Sazón)
  • Oil
  • At least 3 cans chicken broth (or one box)
  • Flour
  • Milk

Directions

• Coat chicken with flour, salt and pepper (we toss it in a ziplock bag)
• Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil. When it’s shimmering, add chicken, spices, and chopped garlic (at least five cloves) and cook until browned.
• When browned, drain off fat and cover both sides of chicken with paprika.
• Add broth to pan and along with more of the seasonings. Bring to boil and cover.
• Lower heat to a medium simmer and cook for 45-50 minutes with the lid on.
• After the chicken is done cooking, move the pieces to a platter.
• Rue Mixture
  • Start by adding 2 tablespoons of flour to broth.
  • Mix with fork or whisk and add paprika. You want a thicker mixture.
  • Slowly add sour cream, then add more paprika.
  • If too thick, add tablespoons of milk one at a time.
• Add your dumplings to the sauce.
• Place chicken back in pan when sauce is thickened to your liking, or serve separate.

We usually make a big batch of this. This is one of those meals in which the leftovers taste just as good, if not better the next day. It’s also the perfect comfort food, or wintertime dinner. We hope you enjoy it as much as our families do!