This is a dish that I learned to cook way back when I started cooking. I’ve tweaked it a bit over the years, but it’s still that same comforting dish that reminds me of the days when I would cook dinner for my mom and dad. They would come home from work and dad or mom would help out in the kitchen if I needed some finishing touches on the meal. We would all sit at the table together and just enjoy the moment of simply being together at the end of the day.
This is not authentic, but it still has that same rich flavorful sauce. I usually use boneless chicken breasts, but this time I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead. I also added bacon, which is not in a traditional Chicken Paprikash, but I wanted that smokiness that you can get from the bacon….. not to mention….well…I love bacon in just about anything. This is great served with rice on the side to soak up all of that delicious sauce, or even pasta.
Here’s what you need:
*Boneless, skinless chicken thighs
*4 slices of bacon, cut into pieces
*3 TBS flour divided (2 TBS to coat the chicken and 1 TBS for the sauce)
1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
*2 TBS butter
*1 small onion, chopped
*1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
*1 TBS olive oil or canola oil if needed
*2 large garlic cloves, minced
*2 TBS paprika; I recommend using a good quality, nothing expensive, but the better the quality, the better the flavor
*1 3/4 cups chicken broth; I used Better Than Bullion
*1/3 cup sour cream or more to taste
*Parsley to garnish; I used dried because it was what I had on hand, but you can use fresh
30 minutes before cooking, take chicken out of the refrigerator and dry with paper towels; set aside.
Heat a large pan on medium high heat and add the bacon pieces.
Stir frequently until bacon browns. If the bacon starts to cook too quickly, turn the heat down to medium. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pan and onto a small paper towel lined bowl to drain; set aside.
Pour off the bacon fat from the pan except for 1 TBS; add butter to the pan and turn heat up to medium high once again.
In a large zip top bag, combine 2 TBS of flour and the salt. Add the chicken and shake to coat all sides. Take out the chicken one piece at a time, shaking off any excess flour and place into the pan, repeat with the remaining chicken that is in the bag.
Cook for about 3 minutes or until chicken turns a deep golden color, turn over and cook the other side until it browns.
You only want to sear the meat, not cook it. It will continue cooking in the sauce.
Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions, bell pepper and garlic to the pan. If there is not enough oil in the pan to brown them, add in the olive or canola oil.
Turn the heat down to medium if the pan appears too hot. Frequently stir the vegetables until they are soft, about 3 minutes, be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the bacon back to the pan and cook a few seconds more.
Add the paprika and the remaining flour, stir to combine for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Paprika can burn easily so be sure to keep stirring.
Slowly stir in the chicken broth.
Stir until the broth and the paprika flour mixture is well combined and the sauce slightly starts to thicken.
Place the chicken into the sauce.
Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked thru and the sauce has slightly thickened even more, about 20 minutes.
Take the chicken out of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sour cream.
Add the chicken back into the sauce and garnish with parsley.
Serve over rice or noodles.
Enjoy!
A Foodie In The South 