Season chicken with salt & pepper. Heat fat in a heavy pot. Brown chicken pieces lightly on both sides — just color, not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
2. Build the Base
In the same pot, add onions. Cook slowly until soft and golden — about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in sweet paprika (and hot paprika/caraway). Mix well — paprika must not burn!
3. Add Vegetables (Optional)
Add bell pepper and tomatoes. Cook a few minutes until softened.
4. Add Chicken & Simmer
Return chicken to pot. Pour in broth just to partially cover chicken (not drown).
Simmer covered, on low for 45–60 minutes, until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
5. Make the Cream Mixture
Mix sour cream + flour in a bowl until smooth. Add a ladle of hot cooking liquid to temper. Whisk until smooth.
6. Add to Pot
Remove pot from heat. Stir in sour cream mixture. Return to heat low and simmer a few minutes — do not boil, or it may curdle.
Taste and season with salt & pepper.
🍽️ Serve With:
Nokedli (Hungarian dumplings)
Buttered egg noodles
Mashed potatoes
Rice
Traditional side: Hungarian pickles 🥒
🔥 Flavor Tips
Use Hungarian sweet paprika — Spanish paprika tastes different.
Onion-heavy base = rich flavor.
Don’t skip tempering the sour cream.
Sauce should be silky, not watery.
🧁 Optional Add-Ins
A splash of white wine near the end
Chopped parsley for freshness
1 tsp lemon juice to brighten
💡 Want It Creamier?
Add 2–3 tbsp cream cheese before sour cream (modern twist).
🍽️ Nokedli (Hungarian Dumplings) Quick Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
Directions: Mix until sticky dough. Push through colander or spaetzle maker into boiling salted water. Cook 2–3 minutes. Drain, toss with butter.
Perfect with paprikash!
🕰️ Storage
Keeps 3 days. Better next day. Freezes without sour cream added.
❤️ Why It’s Special
Modest ingredients, BIG flavor
Rustic, home-cooked comfort
Generations-old recipe
One of Hungary’s proudest dishes
If you want, I can give you: ✔ Slow cooker version ✔ Instant Pot version ✔ Chicken breast + faster version ✔ Low-carb / keto version ✔ Facebook-friendly short caption ✔ Story-style blog intro
