Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken)
Pan-seared thighs in a velvety paprika-onion cream — Hungarian comfort, weeknight scale.
Ingredients
- 700 g Chicken thighs
- 2 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 150 ml Heavy cream
- 200 ml Chicken stock
- 30 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Method
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Slice the onions thin; mince the garlic.
- Brown chicken in oil and butter over medium-high, 4 minutes per side. Set aside.
- Soften the onions in the pan for 8 minutes until jammy. Add garlic for 1 minute.
- Off the heat, stir in the paprika. Pour in the stock; nestle chicken back. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
- Stir in cream; bubble 2 minutes more.
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About Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken)
Csirkepaprikás is one of Hungary's cornerstone dishes — chicken braised with onions and paprika, then enriched with cream into a velvety, russet-coloured sauce. It sits alongside goulász in the national repertoire, and paprika is not a garnish here but the defining flavour, the spice that colours and seasons the whole pot. This version scales the classic to a weeknight, using seared thighs so the whole thing lands in around thirty-five minutes.
The technique that carries the dish is the onion base: sliced thin and cooked slowly until jammy, they dissolve into the sauce and give it body and sweetness. A crucial detail is stirring the paprika in off the heat, because paprika scorches and turns bitter if it hits hot fat directly — a small move that keeps the flavour sweet and round. The sauce finishes silky with cream, gently smoky from the paprika, and rich against the tender braised chicken. Traditionally it's served over nokedli, the little Hungarian egg dumplings, though buttered noodles or bread to mop the sauce do the job just as well.
Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken): frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken)?
A serving has about 666 calories — 32.8g protein, 13.9g carbs, 53.6g fat, 3.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 32.8g of protein, roughly 20% of its calories.
Is Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken) gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken) has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken) dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Heavy cream, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How many servings does Csirkepaprikas (Hungarian Paprika Cream Chicken) make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.