Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
Cook the onion: In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent (5–7 minutes).
Add paprika: Remove the pan from heat briefly and stir in the paprika. This prevents it from burning and turning bitter.
Add garlic, peppers, and tomato: Stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Brown the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to the pan and brown lightly on all sides (about 5 minutes per side).
Simmer: Pour in chicken broth, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 30–40 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.
Thicken the sauce: In a small bowl, mix sour cream with flour (optional) to make a smooth paste. Temper it with a few spoonfuls of hot sauce from the pan, then stir it into the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens.
Adjust seasoning: Taste and add more salt or pepper as needed.
Serve: Traditionally served over Hungarian dumplings (nokedli/galuska) or wide egg noodles.
💡 Tips for authentic flavor:
Use Hungarian sweet paprika, not smoked or hot paprika.
Avoid boiling the paprika directly in the hot oil to prevent bitterness.
For extra richness, use bone-in chicken with skin.
If you want, I can also give you a step-by-step version with homemade Hungarian dumplings (nokedli) to serve with it, so it’s fully traditional!
