Chicken paprikash is the kind of dish that reveals itself immediately and inarguably as comfort food, even if you’ve never eaten it before in your life.
It’s a classic Hungarian dish which features chicken, onions, broth, tomatoes (sometimes, not always) and of course copious amounts of paprika. I have been playing around with my tin of smoked paprika for quite a while now, and while I love the flavor, it can come on strong. So here I relied primarily on the typical sweet Hungarian paprika, then added a little bit of smoked to give it another level of flavor. You also could add a bit of hot paprika to give the dish a different kind of kick.
If you are the kind of person to make your own dumplings or noodles, this is a great moment to whip out that skill set. For the rest of us, and for a weeknight dinner, a bag of egg noodles fits the bill perfectly. You don’t want to heat the sour cream in the sauce over the stove, or it might curdle. Just stir it into the pot at the very end and it will add a tangy-creamy note to the warm sauce.
CHICKEN PAPRIKASH
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 large yellow onions, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon smoked or hot paprika (optional)
2 bay leaves
14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup sour cream
16-ounce bag egg noodles
Nutrition information per serving: 520 calories; 140 calories from fat (27 percent of total calories); 15 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 245 mg cholesterol; 410 mg sodium; 49 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 44 g protein.
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