Don't Use This Cut Of Chicken For The Best Chicken Paprikash

If you're a fan of stew-like meals, there's nothing like getting served a hot plate of chicken paprikash. According to Fork n' Plate, this Hungarian dish dates back several centuries and takes its name from the local word for paprika. The stew-like dish typically includes chicken, onions, sour cream, a ton of paprika, and, traditionally, a side of dumplings, while American versions almost always include tomatoes in the cooking process. The recipe has humble origins — it can trace its origin to Hungarian farms, where the dish made use of tough, older birds that had stopped being useful around the farm.

If you've eaten some variant of paprikash in the United States, you probably had a version that would make a Hungarian wince. According to Serious Eats, the trick to making a paprikash that can make anyone come back for seconds lies in avoiding breast meat. Thighs and leg pieces contain more fat than the breast of chicken, preventing the stew from tasting dried-out. Since you need to cook this dish at low temperatures over several hours, you need a cut of chicken that can handle long cook times, and breasts just can't cut it.

While it takes some time to master chicken paprikash at home, you can rely on a few useful tricks to ensure the most flavorful chicken ever. In order to make your paprikash shine, you definitely want to use the right (and freshest) paprika. According to Daring Gourmet, ensure you grab some authentic sweet Hungarian paprika to use in your dish, as standard paprika just can't capture the depth of flavor you want to aim for. Don't feel afraid to mix it up with this dish — opt to fry your chicken in straight lard if you can find it and use a full-fat sour cream in order to capture the spirit of the dish.

While a ton of paprikash recipe variants have popped up over the centuries, sometimes you just can't beat the original recipe. If you want to try this recipe, have no fear — just make sure to avoid using a chicken breast to ensure the most flavorful and moist version of paprikash your mouth has ever tasted. With a little bit of practice, your friends and family will demand you keep serving up this rich, flavorful chicken dish that chefs have perfected for generations.