Chicken paprikash with dumplings: the classic recipe, step by step

Chicken paprikash comes from Hungary and is also loved across Romania and much of Central Europe. It uses few ingredients and one pot. The flavour comes from slowly softened onions and plenty of good sweet paprika.

Serves: 4 · Preparation: 20 minutes · Cooking: 45 minutes

Ingredients for the chicken

• 1 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in
• 2 large onions (about 300 g), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 250 ml water or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 200 g sour cream
• 1 tablespoon flour

Ingredients for the dumplings

• 300 g plain flour
• 2 eggs
• About 150 ml water
• 1 teaspoon salt

Cook the chicken

1. Soften the onions. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Cook the onions with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden but not brown.
2. Add the paprika off the heat. Take the pot off the stove and stir in the paprika for 20 seconds. This is the step that matters most: paprika burns easily and turns bitter over high heat.
3. Add everything else. Return the pot to the heat and add the chicken, pepper, tomato, salt and water. The liquid will not cover the chicken, and it should not.
4. Simmer. Cover and cook gently for 35 to 40 minutes, turning the chicken once. It is done when the juices run clear and the thickest part reaches 75 °C.
5. Finish the sauce. Mix the sour cream and flour until smooth. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the hot sauce so the cream warms up, then stir it all back into the pot. Simmer gently for 3 minutes and taste for salt.

Make the dumplings

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
2. Beat the eggs with the water and salt, then stir in the flour. You want a thick, sticky batter that falls slowly from the spoon. Add a little water or flour if needed.
3. Push the batter through a dumpling grater, or cut small pieces off a wet board with a knife, straight into the water.
4. They are done when they float, after about 2 minutes. Lift them out and toss with a little butter.

Tips and swaps

• Paprika: use a fresh tin. Old paprika tastes of dust, and it is the main flavour here.
• Chicken: thighs and drumsticks stay juicy. Breast dries out quickly, so if you use it, add it for the last 15 minutes.
• No dumplings: serve with broad egg noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.
• Lactose-free: use a lactose-free sour cream, or finish the sauce with a spoonful of flour stirred into cold stock.
• Heat: add a pinch of hot paprika along with the sweet one.

Storing it

Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently and do not let it boil, or the sour cream may split. It usually tastes even better the next day. Store the dumplings separately so they do not soak up all the sauce.

Cooking for more or fewer people

The DevQuake Cookbook recalculates every quantity when you choose the servings, and eggs stay whole. Save this recipe there to cook it for two or for eight without doing the sums, and follow it step by step in cooking mode. The Shopping app can turn the ingredients into your list.

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