NOTE: This is a great recipe that I remember growing up on, that my grandmother Catherine used to make. It is a staple of Hungarian cooking, even though I am Yugoslavian / Italian, and not Hungarian at all. But, it is all the same neighborhood of Eastern Europe as far as I am concerned! With lots of paprika, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and fresh peppers in it, the sauce has a nice kick to it, and the egg noodles and sour cream mellow it out. This colorful dish has all the best tastes of Eastern Europe.
Ingredients:
– 4 Chicken Breasts (with or without skin), or Chicken Thighs
– 1 large Red Bell Pepper, sliced into slivers
– 1 large Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced into long slivers
– 1 large Onion, sliced into long slivers
– 1 14.5 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
– 1 14.5 ounce can of Chicken Broth
– 1 teaspoon Salt
– 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
– 1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic, or Garlic Powder
– 1 tablespoon Paprika
– 1/4 cup Olive Oil
– 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
– 1 cup of Sour Cream
– 3 tablespoons of Flour
– 1/4 cup of Water
– 1/2 cup of chopped Parsley (broad leaf or curly leaf)
– 1-pound Wide Egg Noodles
NOTE ON CHICKEN: I wrote this recipe up using four boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, it is your call as to the chicken parts. It could be wings, breasts, drumsticks, or thighs or any combination. And, there is also the decision about “bone in” and intact skin. You can easily prepare this chicken-based recipe with the skin and bones attached, or you can go with boneless and skinless chicken.
Directions:
In a large pot or large frying pan, brown the chicken on all sides in the olive oil, on medium high heat. (Don’t worry about getting the middle of the chicken done; it will be simmering in the sauce for 30 minutes after the browning phase.) Since you are going to have a lot of sauce to stir and simmer, using a Dutch Oven (very large pot) is an ideal pot for this recipe.
When the chicken is brown on both sides, remove it from the pot, and set it aside in a bowl or plate. Add the onions and peppers to the chicken flavored olive oil, and sauté them until they begin to soften.
When the vegetables are starting to soften up, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped parsley, and stir the mixture. While the sauce and vegetables heat up, place the chicken back in the pot. Using a spoon or tongs, submerge the chicken in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn down the heat to medium low and continue to simmer it for 30 minutes. This will continue to thoroughly cook and tenderize the chicken.
After 15 minutes, place a pot of water on the stove to boil for the noodles. Mix the flour and water together to remove all of the lumps from it. Pour the flour and water mixture into the sauce and chicken, and stir it in. The flour will cook into the sauce and thicken up the liquid into spicy tomato gravy.
When the water has boiled, begin cooking the noodles. When the noodles are nearly done, remove the chicken from the pot, and set aside in a bowl. Add the cup of sour cream, and stir it into the sauce, then replace the chicken, giving the entire concoction one last stir.
When the noodles are done cooking, drain them. On each dinner plate place desired amount of noodles. Remove individual pieces of chicken, and place them on top of the noodles, and cover the chicken and the noodles in the desired amount of sauce, onions and peppers. Garnish with the other half of the chopped parsley, and serve.
NOTE FROM THE OLD COUNTRY: Many thanks to my Aunt Alice for helping me recreate this recipe that Grandma used to make for us. This recipe is fantastic and will serve 4 – 6 hungry people. Take it from me, this Hungarian Chicken Paprikash is a real treat!
– 4 Chicken Breasts (with or without skin), or Chicken Thighs
– 1 large Red Bell Pepper, sliced into slivers
– 1 large Yellow Bell Pepper, sliced into long slivers
– 1 large Onion, sliced into long slivers
– 1 14.5 ounce can of Diced Tomatoes
– 1 14.5 ounce can of Chicken Broth
– 1 teaspoon Salt
– 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
– 1 teaspoon Chopped Garlic, or Garlic Powder
– 1 tablespoon Paprika
– 1/4 cup Olive Oil
– 1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
– 1 cup of Sour Cream
– 3 tablespoons of Flour
– 1/4 cup of Water
– 1/2 cup of chopped Parsley (broad leaf or curly leaf)
– 1-pound Wide Egg Noodles
NOTE ON CHICKEN: I wrote this recipe up using four boneless, skinless chicken breasts. However, it is your call as to the chicken parts. It could be wings, breasts, drumsticks, or thighs or any combination. And, there is also the decision about “bone in” and intact skin. You can easily prepare this chicken-based recipe with the skin and bones attached, or you can go with boneless and skinless chicken.
Directions:
In a large pot or large frying pan, brown the chicken on all sides in the olive oil, on medium high heat. (Don’t worry about getting the middle of the chicken done; it will be simmering in the sauce for 30 minutes after the browning phase.) Since you are going to have a lot of sauce to stir and simmer, using a Dutch Oven (very large pot) is an ideal pot for this recipe.
When the chicken is brown on both sides, remove it from the pot, and set it aside in a bowl or plate. Add the onions and peppers to the chicken flavored olive oil, and sauté them until they begin to soften.
When the vegetables are starting to soften up, add the chicken broth, tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, and half of the chopped parsley, and stir the mixture. While the sauce and vegetables heat up, place the chicken back in the pot. Using a spoon or tongs, submerge the chicken in the sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn down the heat to medium low and continue to simmer it for 30 minutes. This will continue to thoroughly cook and tenderize the chicken.
After 15 minutes, place a pot of water on the stove to boil for the noodles. Mix the flour and water together to remove all of the lumps from it. Pour the flour and water mixture into the sauce and chicken, and stir it in. The flour will cook into the sauce and thicken up the liquid into spicy tomato gravy.
When the water has boiled, begin cooking the noodles. When the noodles are nearly done, remove the chicken from the pot, and set aside in a bowl. Add the cup of sour cream, and stir it into the sauce, then replace the chicken, giving the entire concoction one last stir.
When the noodles are done cooking, drain them. On each dinner plate place desired amount of noodles. Remove individual pieces of chicken, and place them on top of the noodles, and cover the chicken and the noodles in the desired amount of sauce, onions and peppers. Garnish with the other half of the chopped parsley, and serve.
NOTE FROM THE OLD COUNTRY: Many thanks to my Aunt Alice for helping me recreate this recipe that Grandma used to make for us. This recipe is fantastic and will serve 4 – 6 hungry people. Take it from me, this Hungarian Chicken Paprikash is a real treat!