Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken Paprikash Recipe

Name: Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken Paprikash Recipe
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 large onion, diced or thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups); Kosher salt; 1/4 cup (1 ounce) high-quality Hungarian sweet paprika (see note); 4 whole chicken legs, split into thighs and drumsticks (about 2 pounds); 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish; Egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle for serving; Minced fresh parsley leaves or dill (optional)

Why This Recipe Works

Using high-quality paprika and toasting it in oil brings out its best flavors.
Chicken added raw and cooked slowly under a cover produces its own rich, flavorful sauce.

This version of chicken paprikash uses only four ingredients (okay, six if you count oil and salt), but it packs in the flavor by using high-quality paprika and a low-and-slow cooking technique to naturally draw flavorful juice out of the chicken as it cooks.

The Long and Short Paths to Chicken Paprikash | The Food Lab

Easy 4-Ingredient Chicken Paprikash Recipe

Active 15 mins

Total 60 mins

Serves 4 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced or thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
Kosher salt
1/4 cup (1 ounce) high-quality Hungarian sweet paprika (see note)
4 whole chicken legs, split into thighs and drumsticks (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
Egg noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle for serving
Minced fresh parsley leaves or dill (optional)

Heat oil in a large straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until completely softened and just starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add paprika and cook, stirring, until nutty and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken pieces, season with a little more salt, and turn them with tongs until well-coated in the onion/paprika mixture. Nestle the chicken in a single layer in the bottom of the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to the lowest setting, and cook until chicken is completely tender and pulls easily from the bone, 30 to 45 minutes.
Remove chicken pieces and set aside on a large plate. Pour liquid into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Skim off excess fat and discard. There should be about 1 cup of liquid remaining in the cup. If not, add water or low-sodium chicken broth to the measuring cup for a total of 1 1/2 cups. Return liquid to the pan and whisk in the sour cream. Season to taste with salt and more paprika if desired. Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce.
Serve immediately over noodles, boiled potatoes, or spaetzle, tossing the noodles or potatoes with the sauce and placing the chicken on top. Garnish with more sour cream, paprika, and minced fresh parsley or dill (if using)

Notes

It is important to use fresh, high-quality paprika for this recipe. Don't use the old jar you've been saving for three years in the back of your pantry. I recommend sweet Hungarian-style paprika from Penzeys, available at local outlets or online. The recipe is quite simple on its own but to bump up flavor, try adding a teaspoon or two of lemon juice and a dash of Maggi seasoning or fish sauce to the finished sauce before serving. Do not attempt to make this dish by searing the chicken before covering and cooking. It will not produce enough liquid and will end up burning.

Special Equipment

4 1/2-quart straight-sided sauté pan or large Dutch oven

This Recipe Appears In

The Food Lab: The Long and Short Paths to Chicken Paprikash

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
451	Calories
25g	Fat
12g	Carbs
44g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	451
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g	32%
Saturated Fat 7g	37%
Cholesterol 233mg	78%
Sodium 733mg	32%
Total Carbohydrate 12g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 4mg	20%
Calcium 82mg	6%
Iron 4mg	20%
Potassium 765mg	16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)