Creamy Chicken Paprikash with Egg Noodles

Why you’ll love it

• Creamy, rosy paprika sauce that soaks into every noodle.
• One pot and affordable: chicken thighs, onions, paprika and sour cream.
• Fall-off-the-bone tender chicken with crisp-edged golden skin.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb / 1.4 kg)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1/4 tsp hot paprika or cayenne (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) low-sodium chicken broth

For the creamy sauce

• 1 cup (240 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

For serving

• 12 oz (340 g) wide egg noodles
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Step-by-step method

1. Season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with paper towels and season all over with 1 tsp of the salt and the black pepper.

2. Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or braiser over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin side down, in batches if needed, and cook without moving 6–7 minutes, until the skin is deep golden. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of the fat.

3. Cook the onions and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter, onions and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, 8–10 minutes, until soft and light golden. Add the bell pepper and cook 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

4. Add the paprika off the heat. Take the pot off the burner and stir in the sweet paprika, hot paprika (if using) and tomato paste for 30 seconds, until fragrant and evenly red. Doing this off the heat keeps the paprika from scorching and turning bitter.

5. Braise. Return the pot to medium heat, pour in the broth and bring to a simmer, scraping the bottom. Nestle the chicken back in, skin side up, with any juices from the plate (keep the skin above the liquid). Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30–35 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and reaches at least 175°F (79°C) near the bone.

6. Cook the noodles. While the chicken simmers, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and toss with the butter.

7. Temper the sour cream. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Skim excess fat from the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream and flour until smooth, then whisk in about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the hot sauce, a little at a time. Stir the mixture back into the pot over low heat and simmer gently, stirring, 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Do not let it boil hard. Taste and add salt if needed.

8. Serve. Return the chicken to the sauce and spoon it over the top. Serve over the buttered noodles, sprinkled with parsley and a pinch more paprika.

How to know it is done

The chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part, next to the bone, reads 175–185°F (79–85°C) and the meat pulls away from the bone easily. The finished sauce should be smooth, pale brick-red and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon; if it looks too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth, and if it is thin, simmer 2 minutes more.

Tips for the best result

• Use a fresh jar of sweet Hungarian paprika: it is the main flavor of the dish, and old paprika tastes dusty.
• Take your time with the onions. Slowly cooked onions melt into the sauce and give it body and sweetness.
• Let the sour cream come to room temperature and always temper it with hot sauce before adding it to the pot, so it stays silky.
• Keep the skin above the braising liquid so it stays golden instead of soggy.

Variations and substitutions

• Boneless thighs: use 2 lb (900 g) boneless, skinless thighs, brown 3 minutes per side and simmer 20 minutes.
• Chicken breasts: use 2 large breasts cut in half crosswise and simmer just until they reach 165°F (74°C), 15–18 minutes.
• Dumplings instead of noodles: serve with Hungarian nokedli or spaetzle, mashed potatoes or white rice.
• Spicier: use 2 tbsp sweet paprika plus 1 tbsp hot paprika.
• With mushrooms: add 8 oz (225 g) sliced mushrooms with the bell pepper.
• Lighter: replace half the sour cream with plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, added off the heat.

Make ahead

Cook the recipe through step 5 up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate the chicken in its sauce. When ready to serve, reheat gently until simmering, cook fresh noodles, and finish with the tempered sour cream as in step 7. The flavor gets even better overnight.

Storage and reheating

Store leftover paprikash in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days, with the noodles in a separate container. Reheat over low heat with a splash of broth, stirring gently and without boiling, so the sauce does not separate; or microwave individual portions at 50% power in 1-minute bursts. To freeze, freeze the chicken and sauce before adding the sour cream for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat and finish with sour cream.