Lighter Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

Hungarian chicken paprikash is an old world peasant dish that is such a perfect display of scrappy, resourceful cooking. Similar to a French Coq au Vin, this dish takes a humble chicken, a few vegetables, a gorgeous spice (helllooooo paprika) and elevates them all into a satisfying dish that has been celebrated and enjoyed for centuries.

Today, I’ve got a version that follows the path of an authentic Paprikash but only strays from tradition a little bit, to keep things lighter and leaner all the way through. Traditional paprikash is very rich, and because I love it, I needed to find some solid ways to lighten it up a bit, so I can enjoy it all the time.

You will see the authentic recipe in my lighter version, and I will point out ways to stick to that tradition, if you’d prefer to do that. But the simple swaps I’ve included here still result in a dish that honors the classic, but that just eats a bit lighter.

What is Chicken Paprikash?

Chicken Paprikash is a classic dish from Hungary, that traces its roots to farmers in the countryside. It gets its name from the peppers that are dried and ground to create paprika, the spice with which the gravy is deeply flavored.

Paprika peppers have been grown in southern Hungary since their importation from Turkey in the 16th century. The perfect match between the Hungarian soil and the red peppers has fostered a Hungarian culinary tradition that is largely centered around the love and use of paprika. This vermilion spice creates the backbone of many Hungarian dishes.

“Paprikash” derives from the Hungarian word for paprika, and it actually includes a range of stews comprised of meat/protein, a lot of onions, ample paprika (of course), tons of garlic (according to my friend, Marti) and sour cream.

Is classic Chicken Paprikash made with tomatoes?

NO. Okay, mostly not.

I studied a lot of (American published) recipes when learning about this dish, and saw that tomatoes were included in so many of them. But, I also consulted with my friend Marti – who is from Hungary and loves to cook. According to her, tomatoes are almost never found in the authentic Hungarian dish, which is truly so, so simple and gets all of its red-orange hue from the red pepper powder (paprika), not tomatoes.

She did say, though, that sometimes you’ll see Hungarian cooks adding one tomato to the dish. Just one. I love that, and I love a tomato, so I went ahead and included that in my recipe.

Can Paprikash be made with other meats besides chicken?

While chicken appears to have been the original meat used in classic paprikash, pork, lamb and veal are also used. Mushrooms and seitan make good meat substitutes for vegetarian/vegan versions.

Traditionally, Chicken Paprikash is served with a dumpling-style noodle, but wide noodles have now become common.

A quick history of Chicken Paprikash

To be honest, the precise history of Paprikash isn’t as defined as that of say, Goulash. Goulash can trace its origins to Magyar tradesmen and trail herders from centuries ago, but it seems plausible to assert that Paprikash was more of a farm-derived dish, similar to a French Coq au Vin, which was invented to use up parts of the chicken that were tougher or less desirable.

The cooking method used in a Paprikash is perfect for those cuts of the bird, because it slowly breaks down the meat and coaxes out a succulence that might otherwise be missed. So, a peasant dish it may be, but it’s something fit for kings, when all is said and done.

What is the main difference between Paprikash and Goulash?

Goulash is typically made with potatoes, whereas Paprikash is not.

How to make Authentic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

Classic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash is a braise, essentially, of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces that simmer and tenderize gradually in a creamy, rich, paprika-laced gravy.

A small yet mighty collection of aromatics and fresh vegetables work in harmony to help build an absolutely delicious flavor base for the gravy/sauce. The gravy coats the chicken beautifully, and it also just looks so gorgeous, with it’s orangey-red glow and creamy consistency. It’s a great star of any dinner table, a main course that’s sort of impossible not to love and it also happens to work really well with most anything you choose to serve alongside it.

Core Hungarian Chicken Paprikash Ingredients

• lard
• bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
• salt and pepper
• lots of onions
• Hungarian bell pepper
• garlic
• chicken stock
• paprika
• sour cream

What is the difference between Hungarian paprika and regular paprika?

While you can definitely substitute “regular” paprika for the authentic Hungarian variety that I call for in this recipe, there is something to be said for making the (very small) effort to procure some of the real deal.

In America, you’ll find three main varieties of paprika at almost any supermarket: hot, sweet, and smoked sweet. In Hungary, where manufacturers blend paprika with the artistry of wine makers blending grapes for wine, there are actually seven gradations, or varieties.

From mildest and sweetest to the strongest and spiciest, they are:

• Special Quality
• Exquisite Delicate
• Pungent Exquisite Delicate
• Rose
• Noble Sweet
• Half-Sweet
• Strong

Where can I find authentic Hungarian paprika?

Here is the kind I keep around, and it’s easy to find at many grocery stores, but can be ordered online as well.

The Classic Chicken Paprikash Method

This recipe follows a very classic braising method, that you will actually see all over this blog.

1. Brown the meat in fat (lard, authentically), and get the skin and golden brown and crispy as you can. Because that, my friends, is where the flavor lives. Move the chicken to a tray to wait in the wings (see what I did there?) while you jump into the veggie portion of the program.
2. Sauté the onion – lots of onion – and Hungarian bell peppers in the leftover rendered chicken fat until translucent. Add in a couple of chopped tomatoes and some garlic (lots of garlic also). This is the veggie flavor base of the dish. So simple, yet undeniably effective.
3. Add the stock!
4. Stir in a “paste” made from sour cream, heavy cream, and flour. This will thicken the gravy, creating the perfect consistency to coat the pieces of chicken.
5. Add the chicken back into the gravy, so it’s mostly submerged (about 3/4 of the way submerged), and allow it to simmer and cook, covered, until the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender. This takes about 45 to 50 minutes.

Now, let’s talk about how to lighten the classic up a little bit, so we can eat more of it …

1. I nix the lard/butter in the beginning and just brown my chicken pieces in olive or grape seed oil.
2. After browning my chicken pieces, I drain my pan really well. You’ll end up with so much greasy chicken fat in your gravy if you don’t do this. So, I think it’s worth the drain.
3. You can also lighten up the dish by using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. This will not only reduce the amount of fat running throughout the dish, but it will also reduce the cook time as well. It takes less time to brown these pieces of chicken, and they cook through much faster.
4. You can use plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream and milk in place of the heavy cream.
5. To make things gluten free, I use corn starch in place of the flour.

What should I serve my Paprikash with?

Classically, you’ll see Paprikash served with noodles. In Hungary they serve a noodle/dumpling dish that’s very similar to a German spaetzele, called Nokedli. This would be the ultimate thing to serve alongside my recipe today, and if you can find a great version online – I say go for it, and let me know how you fare …

If you like the looks of this Lighter Hungarian Chicken Paprikash recipe, you might also enjoy:

Basque Style Braised Chicken and Chorizo (Chicken Basquaise)

Shoyu Chicken

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