Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash. Chicken paprikash with boneless chicken thighs. A quick paprikash recipe with plenty of Hungarian paprika, ready in under an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
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"(It's)…not a chicken dish flavored with paprika and onions, it's a paprika and onion dish in which there is chicken." - JM Hirsch, Milk Street Magazine, Nov-Dec 2022
Growing up in Northeastern Ohio, Hungarian chicken paprikash (Paprikás csirke, aka paprika chicken) has always been around. The national dish of Hungary, paprikash first spread to its Eastern European neighbors and then to Northeast Ohio during the wave of immigration in the Industrial Age of the late 1800s. This easy Instant pot recipe is my version of paprikash chicken, comfort food for my whole family.
(If you're looking for Spanish comfort chicken, check out my Arroz con Pollo - Instant Pot Chicken Legs and Rice).
Ingredients
- Butter
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Paprika (preferably Sweet Hungarian Paprika )
- Fine sea salt
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Garlic
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Tomato paste
- Chicken broth (homemade or store-bought low sodium)
- Sour cream
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make Chicken Paprikash in an Instant Pot
Sear the chicken, on one side, in three batches: Sprinkle the chicken thighs evenly with 3 teaspoons of paprika and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in an Instant Pot set to Sauté Mode - High. Sear the chicken in 3 batches, on one side, transferring each batch to a bowl once seared.
Sauté the aromatics and spices: Add the olive oil, onions, and sliced garlic; sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften, about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of chicken. Add the ¼ cup of paprika, ground black pepper, and tomato paste, and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
Everything in the pot: Pour in the chicken broth (and ½ teaspoon of salt if using homemade broth). Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time to ensure nothing is sticking. Stir in the chicken and any juices in the bowl.
Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid on the Instant Pot. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes ("Manual" or "Pressure Cook" or "Pressure Cook - Custom" mode set for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot). Let the pressure come down naturally for about 20 more minutes. (You can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes if you're in a hurry.)
Thicken and serve: Move the fall-apart chicken to a serving platter. Whisk the sour cream and an equal amount of pot liquid until smooth. Stir the smoothed sour cream into the pot and keep stirring until smooth. Pour the pot sauce over the serving platter of chicken and serve over egg noodles, smothering the chicken and noodles with the sauce. Enjoy!
Substitutions
- Dark meat vs. white meat: You can replace some or all of the chicken thighs with boneless skinless chicken breasts. The dark meat chicken holds up better to pressure cooking, but white meat chicken breasts are not bad. Cut each chicken breast in half, and the cooking time remains the same.
- Bone-in chicken pieces: If you want to cook bone-in chicken thighs, I recommend all chicken thighs. (Or you can use a whole cut up chicken, with breast, thigh, drumstick, and wing pieces - just cut the breast pieces in half.) Brown the pieces skin side down to render some of the fat from the chicken skin, and then increase the pressure cooking time to 20 minutes at high pressure (with a Natural Release).
- Paprika varieties: Hungarian sweet paprika is traditional for this recipe. A mix of hot paprika (sprinkled on the chicken) with sweet paprika (added to the pot) adds extra complexity to the recipe if you can find hot paprika. Smoked paprika is another good option, even if you have to get Spanish smoked paprika. Or, don't be a paprika snob and use the "regular" paprika from your local grocery store.
- Hot paprikash: If you want to add some heat to your paprikash, use hot paprika instead of sweet paprika. Or, add a teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the paprika and black pepper.
Equipment
Scaling
You can double this recipe in a 6-quart pressure cooker or move up to an 8-quart pressure cooker if you want. Cut all the ingredients in half, and this recipe will fit in a 3-quart pressure cooker. The cooking time does not change; it takes the same time to cook each piece of chicken, no matter how many are in the pot.
Storage
Chicken paprikash is excellent, made a day ahead, and reheated. I store leftovers in 2-cup containers, which last for a few days in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.
Top Tip
Don't be shy with the paprika in this recipe! Yes, we're using 5 tablespoons total; this is paprikash after all.
What to Serve with Chicken Paprikash
The best thing to serve Chicken Paprikash with is a starchy side dish to soak up the sauce. My favorite is egg noodles, especially Kluski-style egg noodles, probably because of the Polish influence here in Northeastern Ohio. Another classic is small dumplings, like nokedli or spaetzle. Or, serve the Paprikash with mashed potatoes. If you want to be fancy, also serve it with Kielbasa and Sauerkraut as a side dish.
FAQ
I've discussed the difference between Paprikash and Hungarian Goulash. The difference is subtle; they're both paprika-based stews, but Paprikash has a bit more sour cream mixed in. (If you're Hungarian and can explain the difference to me, leave a note in the comments below.)
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash recipe (with boneless chicken thighs)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 12 cups of paprikash 1x
Description
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash. Chicken paprikash with boneless chicken thighs. A quick paprikash recipe with plenty of Hungarian paprika, ready in under an hour thanks to pressure cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 3 teaspoons paprika (preferably Hungarian Hot or Sweet Paprika)
- 1½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thin sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup paprika (preferably Hungarian Sweet Paprika)
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth (homemade or store-bought low sodium)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (if using homemade broth)
- ¾ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Sear the chicken (on one side) in three batches: Sprinkle the chicken thighs evenly with the 3 teaspoons of paprika and 1½ teaspoons of salt. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode - high (medium high heat in other pressure cookers) and heat the tablespoon of butter until it melts. Add ⅓ of the chicken (about a pound) in a single layer and sear until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. (Don't crowd the pot, or the chicken will steam, not brown). Move the browned chicken to a bowl, add half of the remaining chicken to the pot, and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Move the browned chicken to the bowl. Add the rest of the chicken to the pot and sear until browned on one side, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to the bowl.
- Sauté the aromatics and spices: Add the olive oil, onions, and sliced garlic to the pot and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Sauté until the onions soften around the edges, about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a flat-edged wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits of chicken. Once the onions soften, stir in the ¼ cup of paprika, ground black pepper, and tomato paste, and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
- Everything in the pot: Pour in the chicken broth (and ½ teaspoon of salt if using homemade broth). Scrape the bottom of the pot one last time to ensure nothing is sticking. Stir in the chicken and any juices in the bowl.
- Pressure cook for 15 minutes with a Natural Release: Lock the lid. Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (use "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" or "Pressure Cook - Custom" mode set for 15 minutes in an Instant Pot), or for 12 minutes in a stove top PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, for about 20 more minutes. (If you're in a hurry, you can quick release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes.) Remove the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid the hot steam.
- Thicken and serve: Move the chicken to a serving platter. (Be gentle, the chicken is fall-apart tender. Or, if you want a chicken paprikash stew, shred the chicken once it's on the platter.) Put the sour cream in a medium bowl, add an equal amount of pot liquid, and whisk together until smooth. Pour the smoothed sour cream into the pot and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour the pot sauce over the chicken and serve. (I put a piece or two of chicken on egg noodles and then smother them with sauce.) Enjoy!
Notes
If you want to use bone-in chicken pieces, you can. Cut any breast pieces in half, sear the chicken skin side down, and increase the Pressure Cook time to 20 minutes.
You can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Cut each breast in half, and everything else in the recipe stays the same.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Sunday Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Hungarian
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My complete Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker Recipes List
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Sharon
Can't thank you enough for this recipe. No one could make Paprkash like my mother in law. Sadly we lost her last year and we miss her terribly. She was an amazing cook who delighted in making Eastern European dishes for the family. I tried this recipe a few weeks ago and was overwhelmed with how much this resembled her version (done on the stovetop for many hours). My family is so happy and the Paprikash is presently in the instant pot being prepared for Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you thank you thank you. BTW, I used "no name" basic paprika...nothing fancy and wow, it was perfect.
Mike Vrobel
You’re welcome!
Peter T
Looking forward to trying this one, thank you!
Mike Vrobel
It's great, try it!
Sidrid
Why would cooking time be the same if using breasts instead of thighs? Seems the chicken breasts would be a bit dry.
Mike Vrobel
Chicken breasts are a lot thicker than chicken thighs - it works out to the same cooking time. And, yes, the breasts are a little drier than the thighs; that's why I recommend dark meat chicken for pressure cooking, because the thighs just work better than the breasts in the high heat of a pressure cooker.