Slow Cook Chicken Paprikash
Serve this flavorful slow-cooker chicken over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Make sure the mushrooms are submerged in liquid while cooking.
Serve this flavorful slow-cooker chicken over egg noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes. Make sure the mushrooms are submerged in liquid while cooking.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons hungarian sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- 6 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless trimmed, about 1 3/4 pounds)
- 3 tablespoons white rice flour
- 2 cups onion (chopped)
- 1 cup red bell pepper (chopped)
- 1/2 cup carrots (matchstick-cut)
- 1 package mushrooms (pre-sliced, 8 ounces)
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth (fat-free, lower-sodium)
- 1/2 cup sour cream (reduced-fat)
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped fresh)
- Carbohydrate 7.87320222095096 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 3.04492611132456 g
- Fiber 2.25920564246627 g
- Protein 1.18128166678179 g
- Saturated Fat 0.29901444447445 g
- Serving Size 1 1 people (40g)
- Sodium 2.66261111178182 mg
- Sugar 5.61399657848469 g
- Trans Fat 0.103866111130454 g
- Calories 58 calories
Step-by-step
- Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour, reserving any remaining flour.
- Heat a large well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer chicken to a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Add onion, red bell pepper, carrots, and garlic to pan; coat vegetables with cooking spray. Cook, stirring constantly, 6 minutes or just until tender. Transfer onion mixture to cooker.
- Coat mushrooms with cooking spray, and add to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer mushrooms to cooker.
- Combine reserved flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, broth, and paprika in a bowl; stir with a whisk.
- Add broth mixture to cooker. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release handle to “Venting†position. Press [Slow Cook], and use [Adjust] to select “Less†mode. Press [-] or [+] to choose 3 hours cook time.
- Remove chicken from cooker, and place on a serving platter. Skim fat from surface of cooking liquid.
- Stir sour cream into cooking liquid. Serve sauce with chicken, and sprinkle with parsley.
Dredging chicken thighs in white rice flour before searing creates a starchy exterior that naturally thickens the cooking broth during the long hours in the cooker. Traditional Hungarian paprikash relies heavily on quality ground sweet paprika, which infuses the entire braising liquid with its characteristic earthy warmth and bright red hue without relying on heavy tomato pastes. While modern adaptations often introduce sour cream for richness, ensuring the dairy is whisked into the warm liquid at the very end prevents curdling. Leftovers can be stored safely in an airtight container for up to three days, where the sauce deepens considerably in flavor as the vegetables continue to meld with the spices.
- Select genuine Hungarian sweet paprika rather than standard Spanish smoked varieties, because the specific regional milling process yields a fruitier and distinctly brighter flavor profile essential to authentic results.
- Maintain a medium-high heat level when browning the skinless chicken thighs in a cast-iron skillet for exactly three minutes per side to develop deep umami notes via the Maillard reaction.
- Submerge all pre-sliced mushrooms fully beneath the 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth before securing the lid to guarantee even softening during the three-hour slow cook cycle.
Substitutions like reduced-fat sour cream modify the final viscosity, requiring careful attention when skimming surface fats before final plating. Proper management of these dairy and flour ratios ensures a silky sauce that coats egg noodles evenly.
