This easy chicken paprikash recipe transforms chicken thighs into fall-off-the-bone tender perfection bathing in a comforting, creamy Hungarian paprika sauce blanketed over egg noodles or homemade spätzle. The ultimate old world comfort dish your family will ask for again and again!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and adjust the oven racks so to the middle-low tier.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season all sides with salt.
Preheat a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium high heat.
Place the chicken in the hot pan, skin side down until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
Flip the chicken over and brown the other side, 3 to 4 minutes.
Carefully transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board or dish and set aside.
Carefully drain the fat from the hot Dutch oven and return it to the medium heat.
Braise the Chicken
Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.
Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until translucent.
Add the pepper cook another 3 minutes, until just softened.
Add the minced garlic, and cook 30 seconds longer.
Add the flour and black pepper and stir to coat.
Add a splash of the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the remaining chicken broth and stir in the paprika and cayenne.
Add in the tomatoes and allow the liquid to come to a simmer, stirring gently.
Remove from heat.
Nestle the chicken back into the pot, keeping the skin above the liquid, and carefully transfer to the oven.
Cook until the chicken reaches 175 degrees F and the sauce has thickened 25 to 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the pan from the oven.
Transfer the chicken to a clean platter while you make the sauce.
Make the Sauce
With an immersion blender, puree the cooking liquid.
Add the sour cream to a small bowl.
Ladle in a half cup of the cooking liquid into the bowl with the sour cream, whisking to combine.
Next, whisk the sour cream mixture into the Dutch oven to combine completely.
Bring the liquid to a gently simmer over medium-low heat and stir to thicken, about 5 minutes longer while the chicken rests.
Serve
When ready to serve, nestle the chicken back into the Dutch oven to coat with the sauce.
Serve the chicken with sauce ladled overtop with egg noodles, spaetzle, or sautéed cabbage.
Notes
Paprika loses its potency quickly. If making paprikash, it's best to use fresh sweet paprika for the best flavor.
Normally, we would add spices to the pan before the liquid. However, paprika burns quickly, so we do not recommend adding it to a hot pan without first adding the liquid.
To make sure the sour cream incorporates smoothly into the sauce, make sure to add a little of the hot liquid to the sour cream and mix it together, tempering it before adding it to the pot.
Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches at least 170 degrees F. Chicken is done at 165°F according to the USDA, but the dark meat can handle cooking to temps past that to become even more tender.
Pat chicken thighs with paper towels to remove excess moisture before searing them. If you can, leave them on a wire rack, over a baking sheet, skin side up, in the fridge overnight to air dry. This will help the chicken thighs get that nice golden brown crust on the outside.
Play around with the spices according to your personal preference. If you're not a spice fan, dial down the cayenne pepper and paprika a bit and vice versa.