Regarded as the best known
Hungarian dish after goulash, paprikás csirke is considered by some researchers as one of the four staple dishes of the
Hungarian cuisine, along with gulyás, pörkölt, and tokány. It is a traditional, simple, and homey dish prepared with only a few humble ingredients. Although there are various versions of the recipe, almost all of them start with sautéeing onions in lard, then adding
paprika and lightly toasting it for a few minutes with onions, which will intensify and develop the flavor of the spice. However, the amount of
paprika added will vary from recipe to recipe, most of them calling for only two tablespoons, but some chefs claim that for a dish to have the most satisfying flavor, no less than a quarter of a cup is acceptable. Chicken meat which should preferably be skin-on, is added next. The pot is then covered, and the chicken is simmered over low heat until cooked, at which point sour cream is carefully stirred in. The finished paprikás is traditionally served ladled over galuska or csipetke dumplings, accompanied by cucumber salad.