This quick and easy chicken paprikash uses simple, on-hand ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
It’s rich and full of flavor and great paired with potatoes, noodles, polenta, rice, or even dumplings or biscuits for an amazing meal.
FEATURED COMMENT From Linda: Hi. I’m Hungarian and the way I make Chicken Paprikash is a much longer process. I made your recipe and it is absolutely delicious! I will be making your recipe often!
Today’s recipe for chicken paprikash is one I’ve made so many times over the years.
It originally came from a magazine - Cooking Light, from the looks of the battered and torn page that is missing any marking of it's origin - but I’ve tweaked and adapted and written notes and crossed things out on the original over the years.
And that leaves us with this incredibly rich and delicious recipe that uses simple ingredients, is easy to make and is ready in just 20 minutes!
The sauce is just incredible and you’ll love how everything comes together for a killer meal.
Other 20-minute meals you might like are this 20-minute chicken piccata, coconut chicken curry and this 20-minute chicken picadillo!
First things first though, let’s tackle the basics of what we're making.
Traditional: Chicken paprikash is a popular recipe of Hungarian origin in which chicken is browned in butter and cooked with onions and plenty of paprika seasoning. The dish is finished with sour cream stirred into the sauce.
Updated: In my version, we’re adding mushrooms for flavor and heartiness, cutting the chicken into small pieces so it cooks more quickly and evenly and streamlining the overall cooking process.
Cause smart shortcuts are a busy mom’s best friend.
Recipe Notes:
Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for added richness and flavor. However, you can also substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. They are cut into small pieces and so the cook time is about the same.
Flour: All-purpose flour and white wheat flour both work here. If you need this to be gluten-free, you could try subbing a gluten-free flour, but I haven’t tested it that way.
Mushrooms: Buy a package of white button mushrooms and clean and slice them yourself or go with a pre-sliced package if you want to make things easier. You can also skip them if you aren’t a fan.
Greek yogurt: I opt for plain Greek yogurt (nonfat, 2% or 5% are all fine to use), but sour cream would be an easy swap if that’s what you have on hand.
Parsley: The parsley adds some freshness and brightness to the dish at the end when serving, so I do recommend using it if you can.
You're gonna serve it up with something to soak up that amazing sauce (mashed potatoes are our favorite), add a vegetable and dinner is ready!
Seriously easy, seriously scrumptious.
I hope you give this recipe a try soon. I have a feeling it will be on the regular rotation.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
20-Minute Chicken Paprikash
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 (8 oz.) package white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl (or ziptop bag) and add the flour, paprika, salt and cayenne. Mix to coat all of the chicken pieces well.
- Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the onion and mushrooms and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Next, add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 more minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
- Remove the pan from the heat then stir in the Greek yogurt or sour cream until incorporated into the sauce. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Linda
Hi. I’m Hungarian and the way I make Chicken Paprikas is a much longer process. I made your recipe and it is absolutely delicious! I will be making your recipe often!
Kathryn Doherty
Oh wow, that's the best compliment! I know this is a shortcut version, but I'm so thrilled to hear you loved the flavor! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Paige
I cooked the onions first in butter until translucent then added the chicken with a little extra butter. A little spicy for my taste but nothing a little extra sour cream couldn't fix. I'll use this recipe again thanks!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it Paige! Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂
Marilyn
I make chicken paprikash often from the original recipe I saw years ago in a Gourmet magazine. Over the years I have added slices of red pepper to the sauteeing onions and then added microwaved peas to the "finished product". I also mix a bit of flour with sour cream which I use to thicken the sauce. I may add a dab of cayenne pepper to the paprika. I serve it with noodles or, occasionally, potato pierogies.
Gwyn Linster
I have 4 different recipes for chicken paprika that take one to one and half hours so I'm interested in making this to save time. Our absolute favorite recipe that I've made for several years uses 1 to 2 tablespoons of Sweet Hungarian Paprika as do the other ones. I'm curious that this one only uses 2 teaspoons. It doesn't seem like enough?
Kathryn Doherty
Hi, I'm not sure what quantities the other recipes use and if it's comparable, but I've found these measurements to be spot on. Of course, you can taste and add additional paprika as you go if you'd like!
Sandye F
I am Hungarian. I did not put mushrooms because I don’t like them and I used sour cream instead of the Greek yogurt because that’s what we use and I want to tell you I will be making this again it taste amazing. Just getting ready to make up some spaetzels for it.
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved this! Thank you so much for sharing, it means a lot!