Sour cream and paprika, the essence of Hungarian cooking, combine to create this gently spiced Creamy Paprika Chicken in a luxurious sour cream sauce.
The popularity of Paprika Chicken (Paprikas Csirke) in the United States "is almost as great as in Hungary" declares Paula Pogany Bennett in her excellent book The Art of Hungarian Cooking. And for good reason! Creamy Paprika Chicken is an easy, delicious chicken recipe whose success is down to very few ingredients; the magic trio is chicken, sour cream and paprika.
According to Culinaria Hungary, this Hungarian national treasure impressed the renowned chef Auguste Escoffier to such an extent that he included it, in the 1880s, on the menu at the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo, as Poulet au Paprika. Indeed, Auguste Escoffier is credited with first introducing this dish to the wider world.
I have found varying versions of it in my many British and French cookbooks. This recipe, however, is the real deal, direct from Hungary!
Ingredients
- oil
- onion
- garlic (optional)
- ground paprika (preferably Hungarian)
- red pepper (optional)
- tomatoes (optional)
- chicken pieces
- sour cream
- double cream
- flour
See the Recipe Card below for quantities.
Hungarian Paprika: history and what type to use
History
Paprika is the cornerstone spice of the Hungarian cooking of today. So, you might be surprised to learn that this has not always been the case. The introduction to Gundel's Hungarian Cookbook explains that paprika was not generally used until the 19th century, with paprika not mentioned in cookbooks published more than 200 years ago.
There are a couple of theories as to how paprika came to Hungary. One of these is that the plants at least were introduced by the Turks during the 17th century at the time of the Turkish occupation of Hungary. Culinaria Hungary favours another theory, which is that whilst fleeing from the Turks, certain ethnic groups from the Balkans brought pepper seeds to Hungary. It claims that this is the more likely theory since the two towns that battle for the title of "Paprika capital", Szeged and Kalocsa, are close to the Balkans.
What type to use
Hungarian paprika comes in different strengths. In ascending order of spiciness: különleges (meaning "special"), csemege (delicate), édesnemes (fine-sweet), félédes (semi-sweet), rózsa (rose-red), erős (hot). For Paprika Chicken a gentle paprika works best such as an édes paprika. If you are based in the UK, the paprika that is generally sold in supermarkets is a sweet paprika (unless labelled otherwise) and will be fine to use with this recipe. I have also come across a supplier of Hungarian products (which we are yet to try) Best of Hungary which is based in the UK and has a range of different paprikas. Unfortunately, it does not appear to deliver outside of the UK.
Garlic, Peppers, Tomatoes: the choice is yours
Not to worry if you do not have any of these ingredients. Certainly none of them make it into Paula Pogany Bennett's recipe for Paprikás Csirke (pronounced "papri-kash cheer-ker") in the The Art of Hungarian Cooking.
🍽 Equipment
- sharp knife (for chopping onions, tomatoes and pepper)
- large saucepan
- spoon for stirring and mixing
- small bowl
- ladle
🔪 How to make Creamy Paprika Chicken
Step 1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes.
Step 2. Put one or two tablespoons of oil into a saucepan and add the onions. Gently fry the onions until slightly softened and translucent. Add a tablespoon of water to the onions whilst cooking to help prevent the onions burning. Add the chopped garlic part-way during the cooking of the onions.
Step 3. Add the ground paprika to the onions. Mix into the onions thoroughly and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Keep to a low heat. Take care not to overheat the paprika, which will make it bitter.
Step 4. Place the chicken pieces in the saucepan with the onion and paprika mixture. Mix the ingredients together so that the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the onion and paprika mixture.
Step 5. Add the chopped pepper and tomatoes. Mix well.
Step 6. Add the water. Heat the Paprika Chicken until it is gently simmering and cook for [ ].
Step 7. While the Paprika Chicken is cooking, place the flour and sour cream in a mixing bowl.
Step 8. Take a ladle of the paprika sauce from the Paprika Chicken and add to the flour and sour cream.
Step 9. Mix the sour cream, double cream, flour and paprika sauce until they are well combined.
Step 10. Add the sour cream mixture to the rest of the ingredients.
👨🏻🍳 Top tips
- Adding a tablespoon of water to the onions whilst they are being fried is my husband's preferred method for avoiding burning the onions, which makes them bitter. Alternatively, add a pinch of salt to the onions when frying in the oil. This draws water out of the onions and helps to prevent the onions from burning.
- Take care to keep to a gentle temperature when cooking the paprika with the onions. Paprika will also taste bitter and unpleasant if overcooked.
- Hungarian Paprika Chicken is delicious served with pasta, but you can't beat Hungarian Egg Noodles (Nokedli) for a truly great Hungarian meal!
📋 Recipe Card
Hungarian Creamy Paprika Chicken (Paprikás Csirke)
Equipment
- sharp knife
- chopping board
- large saucepan
- wooden spoon
- small mixing bowl
- ladle
Ingredients
- 8 chicken pieces (1 chicken jointed into 8 pieces)
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 red pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 100 ml water
- 450 ml sour cream
- 75ml double cream
- pepper and salt
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion, garlic, pepper and tomatoes.
- Put one or two tablespoons of oil into a saucepan and add the onions. Gently fry the onions until slightly softened and translucent. Add a tablespoon of water to the onions whilst cooking to help prevent the onions burning. Add the chopped garlic part-way during the cooking of the onions.
- Add the ground paprika to the onions. Mix into the onions thoroughly and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Keep to a low heat. Take care not to overheat the paprika, which will make it bitter.
- Place the chicken pieces in the saucepan with the onion and paprika mixture. Mix the ingredients together so that the chicken pieces are evenly coated with the onion and paprika mixture.
- Add the chopped pepper and tomatoes. Mix well.
- Add the water. Heat the Paprika Chicken until it is gently simmering and cook for [ ].
- While the Paprika Chicken is cooking, place the flour and sour cream in a mixing bowl.
- Take a ladle of liquid from the Paprika Chicken and add to the flour and sour cream.
- Mix the sour cream, double cream, flour and liquid until they are well combined.
- Add the sour cream mixture to the rest of the ingredients.
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