Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Creamy Sauce and Buttered Noodles

A comforting Hungarian classic featuring tender chicken simmered in a rich paprika sauce and served with soft, buttery noodles. This hearty dish is full of traditional Hungarian flavor and makes a wonderful family dinner.

🇭🇺 Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, known as Paprikás Csirke, is one of Hungary’s most beloved comfort foods. The dish combines tender chicken with sweet Hungarian paprika, onions, and a creamy sauce.

Served alongside homemade noodles or nokedli, this traditional meal is satisfying, warming, and surprisingly easy to prepare.

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rich and creamy paprika sauce
• Tender, juicy chicken
• Classic Hungarian flavors
• Perfect with noodles or nokedli
• Great for a comforting family dinner
• Easy enough for a weeknight meal

📝 Ingredients

For the Chicken Paprikash

• 1 kg chicken thighs or chicken drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 300–400 ml chicken broth or water
• 150–200 g sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

For the Noodles

• 300 g egg noodles or Hungarian-style dumplings
• Salt, for the cooking water
• 1 tablespoon butter

👩‍🍳 How to Make Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

Step 1: Prepare the Chicken

Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them lightly with salt and black pepper.

Heat the oil or lard in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and brown it lightly on both sides. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the Onions

Add the chopped onion to the same pot. Cook for about 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Step 3: Add the Paprika

Remove the pot from the heat briefly and stir in the Hungarian paprika.

Tip: Avoid frying paprika over very high heat because it can become bitter.

Add the chopped tomato and bell pepper, then return the pot to low-medium heat.

Step 4: Simmer the Chicken

Return the chicken to the pot and pour in enough chicken broth or water to create a rich sauce.

Cover and simmer gently for approximately 35–45 minutes, or until the chicken is completely tender and cooked through.

Step 5: Make the Creamy Sauce

In a small bowl, mix the sour cream with the flour until smooth.

Take a little of the hot sauce from the pot and gradually stir it into the sour cream mixture. This helps prevent the sour cream from curdling.

Slowly stir the mixture back into the pot. Simmer gently for another 5–8 minutes, until the sauce becomes creamy and slightly thickened.

Step 6: Prepare the Noodles

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions in salted water.

Drain well and toss with butter.

For a more traditional Hungarian presentation, serve the chicken with nokedli, small homemade Hungarian dumplings.

🍽️ How to Serve

Spoon a generous portion of buttery noodles onto each plate and place the chicken on top. Pour plenty of the creamy paprika sauce over the chicken and noodles.

Finish with freshly chopped parsley for a beautiful contrast and fresh flavor.

💡 Recipe Tips

Use authentic Hungarian paprika:
Sweet Hungarian paprika gives the dish its characteristic color and flavor.

Choose chicken thighs:
Bone-in thighs are especially flavorful and remain tender during simmering.

Don't boil the sour cream:
Keep the heat gentle after adding the sour cream mixture to maintain a smooth sauce.

Let the sauce develop:
A slow simmer allows the onions, paprika, chicken, and spices to create a deeper flavor.

🔄 Easy Variations

Chicken Breast Paprikash

Chicken breast can be used instead of thighs. Reduce the cooking time to prevent the meat from becoming dry.

Spicy Paprikash

Add a small amount of hot Hungarian paprika or fresh chili pepper for extra heat.

Traditional Nokedli

Replace the egg noodles with homemade Hungarian nokedli for a more traditional serving.

📌 Recipe Card

Recipe: Hungarian Chicken Paprikash
Cuisine: Hungarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45–55 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour
Servings: 4–6
Difficulty: Easy to Intermediate

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken thighs or drumsticks
• 2 tbsp oil or lard
• 1 large onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tomato
• 1 green bell pepper
• 300–400 ml chicken broth
• 150–200 g sour cream
• 1 tbsp flour
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh parsley
• 300 g egg noodles
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. Season and lightly brown the chicken.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the paprika.
4. Add the tomato, bell pepper, chicken, and broth.
5. Cover and simmer for 35–45 minutes.
6. Mix sour cream with flour and temper it with hot sauce.
7. Stir the mixture into the pot and gently simmer until creamy.
8. Cook the noodles and toss them with butter.
9. Serve the chicken generously covered with paprika sauce alongside the noodles.
10. Garnish with fresh parsley and enjoy warm.

❤️ Final Note

This Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Creamy Paprika Sauce is a wonderful example of traditional Hungarian home cooking: simple ingredients, bold paprika flavor, tender chicken, and a comforting creamy sauce. It is especially delicious served with buttery noodles or homemade nokedli.