RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
December Pick: Instant Pot Meals

Chicken Paprikash

Chicken thighs pressure-cooked with sweet Hungarian paprika, onions, and red peppers, finished with sour cream, over buttered cauliflower rice.

Why you'll love Chicken Paprikash

Chicken paprikash is Hungary's great comfort dish, and it is made for a cold December night: tender chicken in a brick-red sauce of onions, peppers, and a generous amount of sweet paprika, turned silky with sour cream at the end. The Instant Pot gets it to the table in under an hour, with the chicken tender and the sauce full of flavor.

Paprika is the whole dish, so how it goes in matters. It is ground dried peppers, and its color and flavor dissolve in fat, which is why it is stirred into the buttery onions instead of the broth. It also scorches and turns bitter quickly over direct heat, so the pot is switched off for those 30 seconds and the paprika blooms in the heat already in the pan. Three tablespoons give the sauce its deep red color and sweet, earthy warmth.

Sour cream finishes the sauce, and it is tempered first. Whisking a ladle of hot sauce into the sour cream warms it gently, so when it goes into the pot it blends smooth instead of breaking into curds. Buttered cauliflower rice soaks up every spoonful of sauce.

Quick overview: This Chicken Paprikash takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 1 hr in all and makes 4 servings, each about 1 1/2 cups chicken and sauce with 1 cup cauliflower rice. You'll need an Instant Pot and a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Chicken paprikash over cauliflower rice with parsley
Prep 15 minCook 45 minTotal 1 hrServes 4Serving about 1 1/2 cups chicken and sauce with 1 cup cauliflower riceYou'll need Instant Pot, Skillet

Ingredients

  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 3 tbsp butter, divided
  • 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 3/4 cup chicken bone broth Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature Label: cream and cultures
  • 1 large head cauliflower, riced (about 5 cups)
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

  1. Season the chicken: Toss the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and set it aside while the onions cook.
  2. Cook the onions: Set the Instant Pot to Sauté on normal. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter, add the onions and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and cook, stirring often, for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Add the peppers and cook for 3 minutes, then the garlic for 30 seconds. Slow-cooked onions melt into the sauce and give it its body and sweetness.
  3. Bloom the paprika: Press Cancel to turn off the heat. Stir in the paprika and tomato paste and keep stirring for 30 seconds, until the butter turns brick red and the paprika smells sweet. The heat left in the pot is enough to wake up the paprika without scorching it.
  4. Deglaze: Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly with a wooden spoon, loosening every browned bit. Anything left stuck can set off the overheat warning under pressure. Nestle the chicken into the sauce.
  5. Pressure-cook: Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the rest. Check that the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F (74°C).
  6. Make the cauliflower rice: While the chicken cooks, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring now and then, for 5 to 6 minutes, until tender with a few golden spots.
  7. Thicken the sauce: Lift the chicken onto a plate. Set the pot to Sauté and simmer the sauce for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring, until it has reduced and thickened. Press Cancel and let it stop bubbling for 2 minutes.
  8. Temper the sour cream: Whisk a ladle of the hot sauce into the sour cream in a bowl until smooth, then stir the mixture back into the pot. Return the chicken and stir gently to coat. Keep it off the heat from here on, since boiling makes sour cream separate.
  9. Serve: Spoon the cauliflower rice into bowls, top with the chicken and plenty of sauce, and scatter the parsley over the top.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the paprikash and cauliflower rice in separate sealed containers for up to 4 days.

Reheat the paprikash gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, until it reaches 165°F (74°C); high heat can make the sour cream separate. The sauce does not freeze well once the sour cream is in, so to freeze, stop before tempering, freeze for up to 3 months, and stir in the sour cream after reheating.

Variations

  • With mushrooms: Cook 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms with the peppers.
  • Hot paprika: Use 1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika in place of 1 tablespoon of the sweet for a spicier sauce.
  • Over cabbage: Serve over green cabbage cut into ribbons and sautéed in butter in place of the cauliflower rice.
  • Bone-in thighs: Use 3 lb bone-in, skinless thighs and cook them 12 minutes at high pressure with the same natural release.

Notes and tips

  • Buy fresh paprika: Paprika fades within a year. Hungarian sweet paprika, labeled édesnemes, has the deepest color and flavor; its label should read paprika and nothing else.
  • Bring the sour cream to room temperature: Cold sour cream is more likely to break when it hits the hot sauce. Take it out when you start cooking.
  • Rice the cauliflower quickly: Pulse florets in a food processor in batches until they look like rice, or grate them on the large holes of a box grater.
  • Make it on the stove: Follow the same steps in a Dutch oven, simmering the chicken covered over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Chicken thighs bring protein along with iron and zinc, and they stay juicy under pressure.
  • Paprika and red peppers bring carotenoids, the pigments behind their color, and the butter in the sauce helps your body take them in.
  • Onions, peppers, and cauliflower make this a big bowl of vegetables, with fiber that keeps the meal digesting slowly.
  • Sour cream and butter are the real fats here, and they turn the sauce rich and silky.
  • As you eat, notice the sweet warmth of the paprika and the cool tang of the sour cream, and check in through the evening: a full bowl should hold you 4 hours or more, warm and steady, with no pull toward a late snack.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Chicken Paprikash? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Is chicken paprikash spicy?

Made with sweet paprika, it is warm and mellow. Hot paprika or a pinch of cayenne adds spice if you want it.

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes. Cut it into large pieces and cook at high pressure for 8 minutes with a 10-minute natural release, until it reaches 165°F (74°C).

Why did my sour cream curdle?

The sauce was too hot or the sour cream was too cold. Temper it with hot sauce first and keep the pot off the heat once it goes in.

Can I use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream?

Yes. Whole-milk Greek yogurt gives a tangier sauce. Temper it the same way and never let it boil.

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Tags: December Pick, Instant Pot Meals, Hungarian