Difficulty Level: moderate
Paprika is the headline ingredient in this Hungarian-style comfort food. Some may call it an oldie-world meal, but what’s not to love. It’s packing tender chicken, creamy sauce, and a fantastic smoky flavor that’s hard to forget.
This chicken paprikash is an Instant Pot solution for busy nights. Best of all, the sauce tastes like something you have to babysit over a low heat for hours (but you don’t).
Another great thing about this dish is that it’s a budget stretcher. You can easily cook enough for a couple of nights and put half away for the next day without any hassle.
This dish is traditionally served over egg noodles or dumplings, but we love it over mashed potatoes. Whichever route you take, it’s worth trying for the delicious sauce. Check out the recipe below.
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 lbs total)
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp of sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 tsp of smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup of tomato paste
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 1/2 cup of full-fat sour cream
- 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 tsp of black pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (medium). Add the oil and let it heat until it shimmers.
- Pat the chicken dry, then season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the thighs skin-side down for 5 minutes, then flip for a quick sear.
- Pull them out before they cook through.
- Add the onions to the pot and cook for 4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits as you go.
- Stir in both paprikas and the tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the broth right away to stop the spices from scorching.
- Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
- Move the chicken to a plate.
- Whisk the flour into the sour cream in a bowl.
- Spoon about 1/2 cup of the hot sauce into the sour cream mixture, whisking the whole time, then pour it back into the pot.
- Turn Sauté back on and simmer for 3 minutes to thicken.
- Serve over egg noodles, dumplings or mashed potatoes and top with parsley.