Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash
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Chicken paprikash is one of those comforting weeknight dinners that never gets old. My mom and grandmother have made it for years, and it’s always a favorite at the table.
It’s a classic Hungarian-style chicken dinner cooked in a paprika-rich sauce and finished with cream or sour cream. This Instant Pot chicken paprikash is my version of their recipe, adapted for the pressure cooker to make it easier on busy nights.
What you get is tender chicken and a flavorful paprika sauce without hovering over the stove.
What to serve with chicken paprikash?
- Spaetzle: those little German egg noodles that soak up the sauce. My spinach spaetzle is a great option if you want something a bit more colorful.
- Carlsbad dumplings: another great option.
- Pasta: the simplest option I often serve this meal with. Use a small type like elbow pasta or small shell pasta.
- Rice or mashed potatoes: also a solid choice when you want something simple that catches every bit of sauce.
Ingredient substitutions
Chicken stock: Chicken broth works well. You can also use vegetable stock. If using bouillon, dissolve it in hot water and use the same amount of liquid the recipe calls for. If you want to make your own, here’s my Instant Pot chicken stock.
Olive oil: Use any neutral oil such as sunflower, vegetable or avocado oil.
Heavy cream: Sour cream is an amazing alternative, and I use it a lot. The more you add, the richer the sauce. Just make sure you stir it in off the heat to prevent curdling. Half-and-half is another option.
Bone-in chicken thighs: Boneless and skinless thighs work well, as do drumsticks. If you are swapping cuts or using larger pieces, add 3 more minutes to your pressure-cooking time. Boneless thighs don’t need any extra time as they are thin.
Chicken breast: It works, but it can dry out faster than thighs. If using breasts, keep the pieces similar in size and avoid overcooking. If you can, use a quick release once cooking is done.
Recipe FAQ
Cornstarch is the easiest, flavorless thickener. Mix it with a little cold water first, then stir it into the hot sauce at the end and simmer briefly until it thickens. Flour also works, but it needs a bit more care: whisk flour into sour cream (or cream) until smooth, then stir it into the sauce and simmer a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
It’s regular paprika you can buy at any grocery store. Sometimes it is labeled sweet paprika and sometimes just paprika. It means it’s not hot or smoked. (If you have Hungarian sweet paprika, even better.)
Yes, you can. You can follow the instructions for the pressure cooker but instead of cooking under pressure, simmer covered until the chicken is tender, about 40 minutes.
Make ahead
It is possible to make this dinner a day ahead, then reheat either in the Instant Pot or on the stove. When reheating, the sauce might need a splash of cream or milk if it thickened too much.
My tips
- The sauce should be medium-thick to thick, like heavy cream or gravy. What you don’t want is a thin, milk-like consistency. The easiest thickener is cornstarch. Flour whisked into sour cream, then added to the sauce will also work, but it might need a bit more simmering.
- Lemon juice makes the sauce pop and keeps it from tasting flat.
- If you sauté in the Instant Pot first, scrape up any browned bits before pressure cooking. That little step helps prevent the burn notice and it keeps the sauce tasting rich, not bitter.
- When adding sour cream, let the sauce cool for a minute, then stir it in. If you want to be extra safe, stir a spoonful of hot sauce into the sour cream first, then add it back to the pot.
Instant Pot Chicken Paprikash Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil see note 1
- 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs , bone-in (900 grams), see note 2
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika see note 3
- 1½ cups chicken stock (360 ml), see note 4
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 ml), see note 5
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 5 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with cold water, see note 6
- ½ lemon juice only
Instructions
- Dice 1 large onion and mince 2 garlic cloves.
- Press SAUTÉ on your Instant Pot. Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into the inner pot. Sauté the onion for a few minutes, then add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn. Add 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side, just to sear them.
- Add the chicken thighs and sear for a few minutes per side, just until lightly browned.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper and 2 tablespoons sweet paprika. Stir so the thighs are coated.
- Pour in 1½ cups chicken stock and add 1 bay leaf. Scrape the bottom of the pot well to remove any stuck-on bits. Close and lock the lid, set the steam release to SEALING. Press PRESSURE COOK (or MANUAL, depending on your model) and set to 5 minutes.
- When the cycle finishes, wait 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure by turning the valve to VENTING. Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf.
- Press CANCEL. Stir in 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons sour cream.
- Press SAUTÉ again and add the cornstarch slurry (5 tablespoons cornstarch diluted in a little water) a bit at a time, stirring until the sauce thickens. Simmer briefly if needed.
- Stir in the juice of ½ lemon and taste. Add more seasoning or lemon juice if needed.
- Serve warm.
Video
Notes
- Oil: Olive oil can be substituted with sunflower, vegetable or avocado oil.
- Chicken: Bone-in thighs work best here. Boneless, skinless thighs also work with the same pressure time. You can also use chicken breasts (pressure cook 5 minutes). For extra-large thighs, increase pressure cook time to 7 minutes.
- Paprika: Use regular (sweet) paprika, not smoked.
- Stock: If you don’t have chicken stock, use vegetable stock or chicken broth instead.
- Cream: Heavy cream can be substituted with sour cream. To achieve a smooth and creamy sauce, take about a cup of the sauce from the chicken and mix it with sour cream before you pour this mixture into the pot.
- Cornstarch slurry: If you prefer a thicker sauce, add more cornstarch slurry (cornstarch whisked with a little cold water until smooth). You can start with 3 tablespoons and add more as needed, but from my experience, the sauce doesn’t need more than 5 tablespoons.
- Instant Pot size: This recipe was developed in a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1.
- Timing note: Cook time doesn’t include time to come to pressure or release pressure. Plan on about 15 minutes extra.
- Serving suggestions: small pasta shapes (like elbow pasta), spaetzle or Carlsbad dumplings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and may vary based on ingredient brands, substitutions, and portion sizes.
Just finished it in my ninja 9in1, used to do it on hob. Its grear User soured cream and added a bit of hot paprika too, it nice, just leant that when pressure cooking need to add more salt and spices than on hob and nailed it
I’ve made this many times in my instant pot and the whole family always love it. I’m looking for slow cooker or Dutch oven conversion so I can make when visiting parents who don’t have an instant pot.
Hi Mandy. For Dutch oven I would follow the recipe but instead of pressure cooking I would probably cook it (first bring to a boil and then simmer on low-medium, preferably covered) until the chicken is soft or fork-tender. Count with at least 40 minutes. Then finish off following the recipe. Hope this helps.
Accident my mixed up the amounts of sweet paprika and corn starch. Oops about 4tbs went in before I realized hopefully still good. In Aus so hard to find Hungarian paprika so hoping the regular one will do. Just stumbled upon your site but so many good looking recipes. Excited. Added mushrooms and had already roughly cut chicken breast so hoping it’s ok substitute.
Hi Jodie. Thanks for your comment. I hope the paprikas turned out good for you. Normal paprika works just fine so don’t worry about that!
Loved the recipe! I bought everything to make this but got held up at work, so my boyfriend offered to start it. To put into context, I think my boyfriend has followed a recipe maybe 3 times in his life, and I have only ever seen him make grilled meat or microwaved vegetables. It was simple enough that even he was able to follow the instructions and have it turn out delicious. Ours was a lot lighter color, but I think that was more the paprika we had on hand to use. My boyfriend said he is adding it to his repertoire, and I can’t be more excited! :)
Thanks so much for your feedback, Liz! I am happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe :)
I’ll make it again, but there’s WAY too much cornstarch. It turned the sauce into thick sludge. Maybe one or two tablespoons, not five.
Hi Kim. Thanks for your feedback. It is important to use measuring tablespoons (leveled) when measuring. However, sometimes our readers say it was not enough so it depends on the process of adding it in. You can add less by all means next time. I will make the instructions clearer so.
I’ve made this and it’s delicious. I’m wondering if it can be frozen and reheated.
Hi Julie. Sorry for the late reply. I don’t recommend freezing dishes with any kind of cream in it as they tend to change their texture after thawing. But, you could follow the instructions up to step 5, then freeze it and finish it off after you thaw it (on a stovetop or in instant pot). Hope this helps!
I’m new to the world of instapot cooking. I found it intimidating and was scared of having an explosion. But this week I’ve made 2 dinners, and feel like I’m over the intimidation. Your chicken paprikash was easy but more importantly delicious. It is our favorite meal at a local Hungarian restaurant, what a joy to discover we can enjoy this at home. Thank you for such a good treasure! It will be part of our regulars!
Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback and rating, Luann James. We have a good collection of easy instant pot recipes on the blog so hopefully you will find something more to try! Happy Instant Pot Cooking!
I tried this recipe for the family I nanny for. The mother is Hungarian so I figured I would give it a shot. They don’t like chicken thighs, so I used chicken breasts instead and added extra onion and they loved it! Now I’m making it for myself today.
Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback, Emily. I am so happy to hear you and your nanny’s family loved it. Perhaps try and make our Langos for them too! :)
Yum! So easy and delicious, one of our favorites! Finally something my kid will eat too. I use chicken breast, and never have the bay leaf, but don’t think I’m missing much without it. We also go heavy on the paprika and lemon, and it is so flavorful! Thank you!
You are welcome :) Thanks so much for finding time to leave feedback and rating!
The whole family lives this recipe!!! Question, how can I make this a soup??? I don’t want to add broth, will just dilute it.
Hi Jessica. I am afraid I won’t be able to help as I have never tried it. Please do let us know if you decide to experiment!
When I make this I serve it with rice. The next day I warm it up, add more paprika and add dill. I also add more stock and left over rice. Yum
My family loves this recipe. I have made it four times now, with no substitutions, and we have loved it every time.
That is so good to hear, Erin. Thanks so much for finding time to leave the feedback!
I’ve just realized how remiss I have been in not reviewing this sooner. I’ve made this on numerous occasions, and by far it’s a firm favorite with everyone!
Personally I leave out the sour cream as for 2 tablespoons I don’t think it’s worth buying it, and also feel the lemon makes it a bit too tart for our taste.
It’s absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
Today I doubled the recipe so there will e plenty in the freezer ;)
After watching a friend make chicken paprikash, I have never tried making it myself because I thought it was too complicated.
But I loved hers, and really wanted to enjoy it again.
Now thanks to your recipe and my 8 quart Instant Pot I’m able to make it simply and easily in one pot.
Thank you for your recipe!
You are welcome, Linda. :) Thanks so much for your for your feedback!
This was really good! However I wouldn’t thicken the sauce with corn starch, I would use regular flour instead. It was too custard like :) but otherwise the flavour was great! Almost like my grandma used to make.
Delicious!
I was entranced by this recipe but made a few changes. I had to use 2 chicken breasts diced and a pkg of chicken wings. I also added a tbs of Turmeric for its ‘warmth’. Delicious recipe and so easy to make. Oh, next time I would brown the chicken BEFORE sauteing the onions and garlic
I added Turmeric also! So good.
I made this tonight, and I was feeling like it needed some veggies, so I shredded up some frozen zucchini I had from the garden and threw it in there (don’t hate me… It was imperceptible) and we had it with bowtie pasta. My family loved it. I also used smoked Spanish paprika because that is what I had.
Since we ate all the chicken tonight and still had leftover sauce, my family requested that I make it again tomorrow. Haha.
Thanks for the recipe!
You are welcome, Marcie! Glad to hear it was a hit in your family. :) You can just re-heat the sauce with some rotisserie chicken as well.
Sooooo My grandmother is Slovak. I used your recipe (sort of) and mixed it with what she does.
Basically a can of evaporated milk in place of the cream and a lot more paprika.
Turned out great with the halusky I made :) thanks!
Thanks so much for finding time to comment, Mark! I will try using evaporated milk next time I make it, it sounds like a great substitution. My mom often makes this with halusky, me not so much but they are the best, aren’t they? :)
This was the 5th recipe I have made from this blog, every single one was excellent! I don’t often find food bloggers that fit my exact cooking style (easy, affordable, no weird ingredients and finger lickin gooood family food!).
Got a big new fan here I am going to keep trying your recipes, they seem extremely reliable!
Hi Angelika! Thanks so much for your feedback. It always makes my day when I see readers coming back trying more recipes and more importantly enjoying them! Thanks again for finding time to comment.
This was my 1st meal I made with my new Intant Pot. Everyone loved it even though I had to omit the sourcream and used coffee 1/2&1/2 cream. Would have liked the sauce a bit thicker though. (Sour cream would’ve helped but can’t use it) I’ll make it again for sure. Thank you, Julia!
You are welcome, Cyndy!