Authentic Chicken Paprikash (Hungarian Paprikás Csirke)

Step 1

Prep all of your ingredients. Slice your onions as thinly as possible. Sprinkle your raw chicken with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. This is a good time to get your spaetzle started if you are making it from scratch.

Step 2

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, melt the fat or oil until hot and shimmering. Brown your chicken skin-side down (if the skinless chicken is being used, it doesn't matter), and do not move it until golden and crispy. This takes about 5 minutes. Moving the chicken too early will tear the skin. Set the chicken aside.

Step 3

Add the onions and a small pinch of salt to the same pot and cook until translucent and turning golden yellow. If required, add more fat.

Step 4

Add the tomato paste and stir until the paste begins to turn a darker red color—about 60 seconds.

Step 5

Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 60 seconds.

Step 6

Once the onions are very soft, turn the heat up and deglaze the pot with your chicken stock, scraping the fond with a wooden spoon. Add the paprika now.

Step 7

Add the chicken (skin-side up) and nestle it into the liquid in the pot. The top should be emerging from the braising liquid you have created.

Step 8

Now, turn the heat up and let it get to a low boil. Once that happens, cover the pot and turn the heat to low.

Step 9

The chicken will take 30 minutes to tenderize and finish cooking unless you are using an older hen or rooster which will take longer.

Step 10

At the end of cooking time, uncover the pot and let the chicken continue simmering. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary.

Step 11

Now you will temper the sour cream so that it does not break: In a small bowl, mix the sour cream and all-purpose flour with a fork. To this bowl of sour cream, very slowly add a ladle full of the hot liquid from the pot and whisk it the entire time.

Step 12

Pour the sour cream mixture into the pot with the fresh parsley and stir it gently around the chicken. Let this simmer, uncovered, on the lowest setting until it thickens up. This should take about 5 minutes.

Step 13

Spoon your buttered spaetzle onto plates. Add the chicken on top. Pour more sauce over the chicken.

Step 14

Add a dollop of sour cream to each plate on the side and finish with a sprinkling of fresh parsley, cracked black pepper, and more paprika. Serve and enjoy.