Chicken paprikash features tender chicken simmered in a rich paprika and sour cream gravy. We serve it over warm spaetzle or egg noodles, and it has been part of John’s family for three generations.

A blue bowl filled with chicken paprikash and cooked spaetzle.

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John’s great-grandparents came to the United States from Hungary and what was then Czechoslovakia in the early 1900s. His great-grandfather was from what is now northern Hungary, and his great-grandmother came from an area that is now part of southern Slovakia, just north of the Hungarian border.

This chicken paprikash was passed down through their family. John’s grandmother made it almost every time she visited, and she gave us the recipe before she passed away. It was more of a quick rundown than a formally written recipe, which is how many older family recipes seem to get passed along.

She learned to make it from her husband’s parents, so even though she married into the Hungarian side of the family, this was very much her dish.

Our version includes tomatoes. Some paprikash recipes use them, while others rely almost entirely on onions and paprika. With family roots on both sides of the modern Hungarian-Slovak border, it makes sense that their recipe may have picked up different regional influences over the years.

In Hungary, chicken paprikash is called csirkepaprikás. Our family’s version has changed a little through each generation, but it is still the one everyone asks for.

I usually serve chicken paprikash with spaetzle. John’s grandmother made nokedli the traditional way by cutting or scraping pieces of soft dough from a board into boiling water with a knife.

Every so often, someone comments that tomatoes do not belong in a “real” Hungarian paprikash. Authenticity aside, this is the version John’s family has made for generations, and it is the one we continue to make at home.

For more saucy dinners, try our sausage gravy, pork chops with mushroom gravy, or beef tips.

Paprika chicken served on spaetzle in a decorative blue bowl.

Simmer the Chicken in the Paprika Sauce

Warm the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent.

Stir in the paprika, then season the chicken with salt and pepper and add it to the pot.

Pour in the tomatoes with their juices and one cup of the chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

A whole chicken, chicken thighs, or chicken breasts can be used. John’s grandmother used a whole chicken, while I usually make it with breasts. The cooking time will vary depending on the cut and size of the chicken.

Keep the heat at a gentle simmer rather than a hard boil. Once the chicken is done, remove it from the pot and set it aside.

Thicken the Gravy

While the chicken rests, warm the remaining chicken broth in a small saucepan or in the microwave.

Slowly whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Add it gradually so you can control the thickness of the gravy.

Tomatoes and paprika chicken in a Dutch oven.

Keep the Heat Low When Adding Sour Cream

Whisk the sour cream and flour mixture into the sauce. Taste and add another pinch of salt if needed.

Keep the pot over low heat while adding the sour cream. High heat can cause it to separate and leave the gravy grainy instead of smooth.

Plain yogurt can be used in place of sour cream, although it will give the sauce a tangier flavor. Keep the heat low with yogurt as well.

Return the Chicken to the Pot

Once the gravy reaches the thickness you like, remove the pot from the heat.

Return the chicken to the pot and let it sit in the warm gravy for a minute before serving.

We usually spoon the chicken and gravy over spaetzle. Egg noodles also work well and are an easy substitute.

For a heartier meal, serve the paprikash with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. Our garlic mashed potatoes are also good for soaking up the extra gravy.