I have fond memories of spending many Friday night dinners at the home of family friends who immigrated from Hungary – their kitchen always smelled of sweet red peppers and slowly simmered chicken. If there’s one dish that captures the essence of Hungarian home cooking, it’s chicken paprikash: a staple Hungarian Jewish dish, where chicken is stewed with peppers and paprika in a rich savory sauce, and typically served over egg noodles. To make this dish kosher, Hungarian Jewish cooks omit the heavy cream and sour cream that are often found in traditional paprikash. It wasn’t Shabbat at my friend’s house without this deeply comforting dish.
Paprika is a prized spice of Hungary, and is made from dried peppers, specifically “capsicum annuum.” Hungarian paprika differs from the regular American grocery store sweet paprika in that it is typically made from a different pepper with a touch of heat; spice levels vary from mild to hot depending on the grade. Hungarian paprika is also known for its vibrant red hue. In the 16th century, it was brought to Hungary by the Turks, and it soon became a key ingredient in the local cuisine.
This simple sheet pan chicken paprika is inspired by the flavors of the Jewish version of paprikash. Bone-in chicken is combined with colorful bell peppers, juicy cherry tomatoes and loads of peppery paprika for a craveable meal that’s easy enough to make on a weeknight and stunning enough to serve for Shabbat or holidays. Full disclosure: This is not a true paprikash, but rather a simplified dish that nods to the nostalgic flavors.
While Hungarian paprika is worth searching for in your grocery spice aisle or online, if you can’t find the real deal, a sweet (not smoky) dried paprika will work in its place. Round out the meal with a side of rich egg noodles or freshly steamed rice and it will hit all the notes of classic paprikash.
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Notes:
- If you can’t source Hungarian paprika, substitute it with sweet paprika plus ½ a teaspoon of chili flakes for added heat.
- Double the recipe as needed.
- You can make this recipe ahead (see Direction 6).
Sheet Pan Chicken Paprikash Recipe
This simple sheet pan chicken paprika is inspired by the flavors of the Jewish version of paprikash.
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 3 lbs chicken — bone-in, skin-on thighs; drumsticks or breasts
- 2 large (450 g) bell peppers, red, orange or yellow
- 2 medium (400 g) red onions
- 1 pint (340 g) cherry tomatoes
- 3–4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp mild Hungarian paprika, divided*
- salt and pepper, to taste
- olive oil, as needed
- freshly chopped parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Prepare your vegetables: Remove the top and seeds from the peppers, then slice into 1.5-2-inch-thick strips. Peel the onion, halve and slice into 1-2-inch-thick wedges, about 8 per onion. Lightly smash and peel the garlic cloves.
- Add the peppers, onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes to a sheet pan (you can line it with parchment or foil for easier clean up, but it chars better when unlined). Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the veggies, 1 tsp paprika, salt and pepper, and toss until well coated.
- Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp Hungarian paprika (if substituting with sweet paprika, add chili flakes at this stage as well). Make sure each piece of chicken is generously coated.
- Nestle the chicken pieces into the veggies on the sheet pan. Make sure everything is in an even layer. If your sheet pan is small, you may need to use two.
- Place in the oven and roast for 45-50 minutes, or until the veggies are browned and the chicken is cooked through with an internal temperature of 175°F for dark meat, and 165°F for light meat.
- Once cooked, serve immediately with freshly chopped parsley.
- To make ahead: Fully cook the chicken and vegetables as directed, but omit the parsley. Transfer to a baking dish, with the veggies on the bottom and chicken on top. Reheat in a 375°F oven until heated through.
Notes
- If you can’t source Hungarian paprika, substitute it with sweet paprika plus ½ a teaspoon of chili flakes for added heat.
- Double the recipe as needed.
- You can make this recipe ahead (see Direction 6).
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-pot
- Cuisine: Ashkenazi
This is a really excellent dish, easy to make and tasty to eat . You don’t need to be Jewish to enjoy this, as an old Celt I thought it was great !
I’ve used this recipe several times, my family loves it. Very easy. Thank you
Sounds wonderful but not like my grandmother who was Hungarian made it.
I’m a proud Hungarian Jewish woman, on both sides of the family. My mom and her younger sister (their names should be for a blessing), used make Chicken Paprikash, 2 different ways. Mom did in the pressure cooker, she got as a wedding gift 1947}, served it over rice, and Aunt Charlene made it and served it over homemade dumplings… what a feast, either way.
My Hungarian grandmother used to make chicken paprikash, also different, served with rice, it was my favourite, I make it, never tastes the same. She also used all home-grown vegetables.