Cook's Illustrated

Chicken Paprikash

Published March 1, 2002.

The secret to this simple chicken braise? Limit the ingredients to the essentials, then add the paprika—twice.

The Problem

In this country, paprikash has been thrown helter-skelter into the melting pot, often resulting in dry chicken, muddled flavors, mile-long ingredient lists, flabby skin, and gluey sauce. On top of that, most recipes fail to highlight the defining flavor of the dish: paprika.

The Goal

We wanted an easy-to-make version of this dish that would produce succulent chicken, a nice balance of heat, spice, and aromatics, and a rich flavorful sauce, that could by no means double as wallpaper paste. Best of all, it would put the paprika where it belonged: at center stage.

The Solution

Pare down the ingredients to chicken thighs, onion, bell pepper, white wine, tomatoes, and sour cream, then add the paprika twice: once while sautéing the vegetables to let its flavor bloom, then once again after adding the sour cream to finish the dish. Serve over buttered egg noodles.

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