Martha Stewart Chicken Paprikash Recipe

This is the recipe I make when the temperature drops and I want the house to smell like someone has been cooking all day. Martha Stewart’s Chicken Paprikash is a Hungarian chicken stew made with bone-in chicken legs, sweet paprika, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and sour cream, served over wide egg noodles and done in 45 minutes.

I know chicken paprikash sounds like a big production but Martha’s chicken paprikash recipe is surprisingly simple. Most of the time is just the chicken simmering in the sauce while you boil noodles. I make this all fall and winter when I want something warm and filling without standing at the stove the entire time.

Try More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken And Dumplings
• Chicken Marsala
• Chicken Pot Pie

Why You Will Love This Chicken Paprikash:

• It smells ncredible: I mentioned the house smelling good and I mean it. The paprika, onion, and garlic hit the pot and within a minute the entire kitchen smells like a restaurant. I have had people walk in and ask what I was making before the chicken even went back in.
• Bone-in chicken makes a real difference: Martha uses leg quarters cut at the joint, skin on. The bones add body to the sauce and the skin crisps up during the sear. I tried boneless once and the sauce was noticeably thinner.
• The sour cream at the end changes everything: You stir it into the sauce right before serving and it turns this brick-red stew into something creamy and rich. I was not expecting how much that last step would matter.

Chicken Paprikash Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters, cut in half at joint (about 3 pounds total)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 pound wide egg noodles
• 1/2 cup sour cream or thick plain yogurt

How To Make Martha Stewart Chicken Paprikash

1. Sear the chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high. Cook the chicken skin side down until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Flip and cook 6 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
2. Cook the aromatics: Discard all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot and reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits, until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
3. Build the sauce: Add the paprika and flour, season with salt and pepper, and stir constantly until the paprika is fragrant and the mixture begins to stick, about 1 minute. Add the broth and whisk until smooth. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Braise the chicken: Return the chicken to the pot in a single layer, skin side up. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
5. Cook the noodles: Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Drain.
6. Serve: Divide the noodles among four bowls. Top with the chicken. Stir the sour cream into the sauce in the pot, then ladle over the chicken and noodles.

Recipe Tips

• Get a proper sear: Six minutes per side at high heat. Those browned bits in the pot are the foundation of the entire sauce. I rushed this step once and the paprikash tasted flat.
• Use sweet Hungarian paprika: Not smoked Spanish paprika, which tastes completely different. Martha says sweet for a reason. If you want heat, swap half for hot Hungarian paprika, which Martha suggests too.
• Stir the sour cream in off the heat: If you add it while the sauce is boiling it will curdle. I take the pot off the burner, stir the sour cream in, and then ladle. Stays silky every time.
• This is better on day two: The paprika deepens overnight. I sometimes make this specifically because I know the leftovers will be even better than the first serving.

What I Do Differently

Martha suggests swapping half the sweet paprika for hot Hungarian paprika if you like spice. I tried it and now I do it every time. The heat is not overwhelming, just a warm background that makes the whole dish feel more complex.

• I add a dollop of extra sour cream at the table for anyone who wants it creamier. Some people go heavy on it and I do not blame them.
• I tried boneless thighs once to skip the cutting. The flavor was fine but the sauce was thinner without the bones. Not worth the shortcut for me.

One thing I never change is the wide egg noodles. I tried this over rice once and it was fine, but the noodles catch the sauce so much better. Martha picked the right starch here.

What Goes Well With This Chicken Paprikash

The noodles are already built in so I rarely add a starch. A piece of warm sourdough to mop up the extra sauce is all I usually want. Some buttermilk biscuits work too.

For a vegetable, I keep it cold and light. A simple cucumber salad cuts through the richness of the sour cream sauce. The paprikash is heavy enough on its own.

How To Store Leftovers

Store the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I keep the noodles separate because they absorb all the sauce overnight. The paprika flavor actually gets deeper after a day in the fridge, which is why I love this recipe for meal prep.

Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat with a splash of broth. The sour cream reincorporates once it warms up. I eat leftovers straight from the pot more often than I plate them properly.

FAQs

• Can I use chicken thighs instead of leg quarters? Yes, bone-in thighs work well. I would avoid boneless because the bones add body to the sauce. Martha uses leg quarters because you get both the thigh and drumstick in one cut, but bone-in thighs are the next best option.
• What is the difference between sweet and hot paprika? Sweet paprika is mild with a deep red color and earthy flavor. Hot Hungarian paprika adds heat. Martha uses all sweet but says you can swap half for hot. I do that now and the warmth is noticeable without being spicy.
• Can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream? Martha says thick plain yogurt works as a substitute. I have used Greek yogurt and it is a little tangier but still good. Stir it in off the heat either way or it will curdle.
• Do I need a Dutch oven? Martha says a Dutch oven or heavy pot. I use a Dutch oven because it holds heat evenly during the braise. Any heavy-bottomed pot with a tight lid will work. I would avoid thin pots because the sauce can scorch on the bottom.

More Chicken Recipes:

• Chicken Soup
• Baked Chicken Thighs
• Chicken Tetrazzini

Nutrition Facts

(1 serving, serves 4)

• Calories: 710
• Total Fat: 32g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Cholesterol: 180mg
• Sodium: 750mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 52g
• Protein: 45g