Grandma Gitta’s Chicken Paprikash
4.6
(13)
Chicken paprikash is a comfort food classic originating from Hungary. My Austrian great-grandmother, Gitta, used to make it for our family. This version is minimally updated from Grandma Gitta’s. I bumped up the paprika quantity—and threw in a pinch of cayenne—for a punchier sauce. And while she skipped sour cream (and you could too), I love the lushness that even a small amount adds. It cooks entirely on the stovetop over low heat, until the paprikash is fork-tender.
I like to serve mine with cooked egg noodles, but dumplings, mashed potatoes, or spaetzle would all be equally as delicious. Since this dish revolves around paprika, I suggest buying a high-quality sweet Hungarian paprika. My go-to is Burlap & Barrel’s Noble Sweet Paprika. Just make sure you’re not accidentally reaching for Hungarian hot paprika, Spanish paprika, or smoked paprika, which all have unique flavor profiles.
This chicken paprikash gets better with time, so feel free to make it ahead, store in the fridge for up to three days, and gently reheat on the stove.
Recipe information
Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt and 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper all over 3 lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (about 9 pieces), patted dry. Heat 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a medium Dutch oven or large high-sided skillet with a lid over medium-high. Working in batches if needed, cook chicken, skin side down, in a single layer, until golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Turn and cook on other side until golden brown, 5–7 minutes (chicken won’t be cooked all the way through at this point). Transfer to a large plate or baking sheet. Carefully pour off all but 1 Tbsp. fat from pot.
Step 2
Add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter to pot and heat over medium-high until melted. Add 2 large onions, thinly sliced, and 6 garlic cloves, finely grated; cook, stirring often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until onions are softened and garlic is fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Add ¼ cup Hungarian sweet paprika, 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and ½ tsp. cayenne pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until a thin film starts forming on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Gradually pour in 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Nestle chicken into sauce (they should be almost completely submerged) and cover pot. Reduce heat to low and cook 1 hour. Uncover pot and skim off excess fat; discard. Re-cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender and meat is falling off the bone, 30–35 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a platter.
Step 4
Increase heat to medium-high and bring sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened to the consistency of heavy cream, 6–8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup sour cream. Taste sauce and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Spoon sauce over chicken, top with parsley leaves with tender stems, and serve with buttered cooked egg noodles if desired.
