My Grandmother’s Hungarian Chicken Paprikash

There are recipes you follow because they are delicious—and then there are recipes you remember because they feel like home. My Grandmother’s Hungarian Chicken Paprikash is one of those special dishes.

Made with tender chicken, sweet Hungarian paprika, onions, and plenty of creamy sour cream, this traditional comfort food is simple, rustic, and incredibly flavorful. Served with soft Hungarian dumplings called nokedli, it becomes the kind of meal that brings everyone to the table.

Every Hungarian family has its own version of paprikash, and this grandmother-style recipe celebrates the comforting, homemade character that makes the dish so beloved.

🍗 Ingredients

For the Chicken Paprikash

• 3–4 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil, or butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1½ cups chicken broth or water
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

For the Nokedli

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup water, approximately
• 1 tablespoon butter, optional