Chicken Paprika! Chicken PapRIKa! CHICKEN PAPRIKA! With homemade dumplings. Can you say comfort food?

When I was growing up, my mom would make this dish all the time. It was a favorite in our house. She always served her chicken paprika over wide, slippery egg noodles to soak up all the creamy delicious sauce. It was one of my most beloved childhood meals.

But then I grew up, moved out and forgot about ol’ chicken paprika. I never see it on any dinner menus and my mom is now 3,000 miles too far to make it for me. Boo.

I had some chicken defrosting in the fridge a few days ago and half a container of sour cream left over from my last chili making adventure, and instantly chicken paprika popped into my head! What a perfect meal to make on a chilly Fall night. Easy, too! You really only need a few ingredients for this one: chicken (duh), paprika (double duh), onion, garlic, sour cream and chicken broth. I’m willing to bet many of us have those ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Want me to wait while you check?

Okay good, we’re back.

I like to serve my chicken paprika with dumplings because, well, dumplings make just about anything better. And these dumplings are so quick and easy to make that they probably take the exact amount of time it takes to bring water to a boil and cook egg noodles. No lie. They’re like rustic homemade noodles without a fancy pasta maker.

So good. Sometimes I think I could live off dumplings alone. But then I remember how much I love chocolate….and grapefruits…and bread….and wine.

You get the point.

Chicken Paprika with Homemade Dumplings

serves 4

Print this recipe!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, diced

32 oz chicken broth

1 tbsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp flour

for dumplings:

1 cup flour

1/2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup milk

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and briefly saute until tender. Add the garlic, chicken, paprika, salt and pepper and saute until the chicken has browned (about six to eight minutes). Once the chicken has browned, add one cup of the chicken broth to the pot and increase heat to high. Bring mixture to a simmer and continue cooking for another five minutes or so until the chicken is done. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Reduce heat to low and add the sour cream and flour to the one cup of simmering broth. Whisk well so there are no clumps and continue whisking and simmering until mixture is very thick. Add chicken back in pot and stir well.

Now, make the dumplings. Pour the remaining broth (3 cups) into another pot and bring to a boil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with your fingertips, working the mixture together until all butter has been incorporated. Add milk and stir so a dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out to 1/8th inch thick. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut thin strips of dough and then across the strips so you have small dough squares. Drop dough squares into boiling chicken broth and cook for about five minutes, until the dumplings float. Drain (reserve the broth for another use if you like) and drop cooked dumplings into chicken paprika. Stir and serve.

Time:

45 minutes