Chicken Paprikash
By Chef John
I love Chef John and his recipes, and I also love a good chicken recipe, so when I saw this dish I had to try it. And I’m glad that I did. It’s soooo flavorful with the two types of Hungarian Paprika, Garlic, and Onions. Then lay in the sour cream mixed with heavy cream into the mix and you have a serious Wow factor going on. I so hope you give this a try. Thank You Chef John!
Ingredients
- 8 (5 ounce) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- Step 1
Season chicken generously on both sides with salt. Heat olive oil in a heavy, deep-sided pan (that comes with a lid) over high heat and brown the chicken well, skin-side down, about 5 minutes; flip and continue to sear until other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes more. Turn off heat. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and reserve until needed; spoon out excess chicken fat if desired. - Step 2
Add onions and a pinch of salt to the same pan and saute over medium until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and flour and cook, stirring, another 3 to 4 minutes to form a tomato roux. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, smoked paprika, and sweet paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer over high heat. - Step 3
Reduce heat to medium-low and transfer chicken and accumulated juices back into the pan. Baste the tops with the sauce, cover the pan with the lid, and simmer, basting occasionally with the sauce, until the chicken is no longer pink in the centers and is fork-tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the chicken and transfer to a plate. - Step 4
Skim some fat off the top of the sauce if desired. Whisk heavy cream and sour cream into the sauce and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Transfer the chicken and any juices back into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, basting often, until chicken is heated through and very tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Chef’s Notes: by Chef John
Use full-fat sour cream for this. Regular vegetable oil will work instead of olive to brown the chicken–traditionally lard is used, so if you have some, use it.
Tips
Any chicken parts will work for this dish. If you’re using a whole chicken, use bones to make broth.
Recipe by Chef John
