Chicken Paprikash Under 45 Minutes
Creamy, cozy chicken paprikash when you want dinner to feel like a reset.
Make this on a tired night when you want something warm, familiar, and clearly dinner without a lot of thinking. Chicken paprikash is a classic comfort dish: tender chicken in a paprika-rich onion sauce finished with sour cream. This version keeps the spirit of the dish but trims the path to the table, so it fits a weeknight in under 45 minutes. Expect a silky, mildly smoky sauce and plenty of cozy flavor, not a complicated braise. Serve it over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes if that’s what you have. It’s the kind of meal that feels bigger than the effort, which is exactly the point.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs — Cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — Thinly sliced
- 3 unit garlic cloves — Minced
- 2 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 0.5 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 8 oz egg noodles — For serving
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley — Optional, for serving
Method
- 1 Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil for the noodles. While that heats, season the chicken with salt and black pepper.
- 2 Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then transfer it to a plate; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
- 3 Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and tomato paste for 30 seconds.
- 4 Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to keep the sauce smooth.
- 5 Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Simmer gently, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens a bit, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- 6 Turn off the heat. Stir 2 tablespoons of the hot sauce into the sour cream in a small bowl, then stir that mixture back into the skillet with the lemon juice.
- 7 Taste and adjust salt or pepper. Serve over the egg noodles and finish with parsley if you want.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Swap the chicken for 2 cans of drained chickpeas and use vegetable broth; simmer just long enough for the sauce to thicken.
- Faster swap — Use thin chicken cutlets instead of thighs and cut the simmer time to about 6 minutes.
- Substitutions — Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream for a tangier finish, or skip the noodles and serve over toast, rice, or mashed potatoes.
Notes
For the smoothest sauce, keep the simmer gentle once the sour cream goes in. If the sauce gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth or hot water. This also works well over rice or potatoes.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — It gives the chicken room to brown and leaves enough space for the sauce to simmer evenly.
- Medium pot — You can cook the noodles while the chicken simmers so dinner comes together faster.
Find more dinners like this
More like this
