This is not a traditional goulash recipe. It’s is based on my mom’s favorite goulash recipe, which is from Food + Wine. We use sour cream and chicken stock for the sauce as well as Hungarian paprika. A deep red powder that we get at our favorite health food store, about a 20 minute drive from home. We pick up a bag about every 6 months. The flavor and depth and color of the spice is incredibly special.
Hungarian Stews
I don’t remember when we started making our goulash recipe, but it was experimental. My mom’s father Jacob (Jack) was a chef. He died of cancer when I was 10, so I didn’t get to eat much of his cooking, or remember much of it. He was a rough-voiced pirate of a man. 6’4”, bearded, and a deep-sea diver. He also dabbled in magic. He loved vampire novels. And he taught me how to swim. When he died, we never thought to look at his recipes. But a few years ago, our family started talking about his legendary Paprikash, which is very similar to goulash. A chicken stew recipe native to Hungary.
So, I think my mom subconsciously was drawn to making goulash to reconnect with her father in some way. The first time we made it we followed to recipe precisely, and made the accompanying drop biscuits to bake on top. We pulsed flour and butter and chicken stock in a food processor, and I added a little bit of paprika for flavor. I remember first seeing the bubbling orange-red sauce and feeling enamored with the color. It creates this swirling, marbled whirlpool or orange/gold liquid in the pan which is pretty magical. When we first ate it, it was a Sunday. I was in high school. It was rich, velvety, a flavor profile I hadn’t tried before. Like a smoky gravy with delicate, falling apart chicken thighs. The biscuits soak up the sauce and pool with orange on the bottoms. I immediately fell in love with it.
Our Own Goulash Recipe
Over the years we adapted the recipe to fit our palates. We leave out the onion and peppers for my dad (who has the palate of a 5 year old) and we leave off the drop biscuits. For the sake of time. We also learned to carefully cook the paprika with butter in a clean pan before adding the chicken stock and sour cream, which helps keep the flavor and color clean. We cook it a little longer than the original recipe to get the chicken even more tender and the sauce a little more thickened. I’ve made this goulash for family, friends, and for myself, countless times. It’s one of my all time favorite chicken recipes.
This week was a doozy. We had quite a wind storm, which knocked out our power around 11 pm on Saturday. I calmly proceeded to bundle up and get some sleep. I woke up to a cold house and a broken generator. So I spent the day wearing about 6 layers. Gloves, 2 pairs of socks. A beanie. All on the second day of spring. But, as cold as it was, I was so excited. I love being forced to turn off my technology, to get a little uncomfortable, and to find other ways to stay busy. Reading. Being outside. Napping. So, I made the most of the day. I read 100 pages in a book I haven’t touched in a year. I cooked quesadillas on our propane grill and melted a scoop of snow in a stock pot for drinking water and tea.
A Dish Perfect for a Cold Sunday
Just as it started to get uncomfortable and we accepted the fact that it may take days to get our power back. I, being a dreamy optimist when I’m at my best, said out loud that I could almost imagine the sound of the power turning back on. The familiar click and buzz. Moments later, it happened, and we jumped for joy. We had chicken thighs in the refrigerator, and if we had waited another 3-4 hours without power, they would have spoiled. Nevertheless, I checked their temperature and smelled them for good measure. All good.
I spent the day coming to terms with the fact that I couldn’t use the kitchen. So, when the power came back on, the first thing I did was gather ingredients to make our Goulash recipe. I scooped paprika from a small orange-lid glass spice jar. Then I trimmed the fat off the chicken thighs. Measured sour cream and chicken stock and butter and tossed the chicken in a bag of flour. I was ecstatic, and still cold, and I couldn’t wait to eat. I seared the floured chicken in butter and oil and let it rest. Then, I cleaned the pan and melted butter, sprinkling the paprika into the golden liquid. I whisked the powder into a clumpy roux and then slowly streamed in chicken stock. I added the sour cream and whisked away.
A gold-flecked Orange Sauce
Soon, I was standing in front of a familiar red-orange whirlpool with flecks of gold glimmering throughout. The smell started to flow into the house. Once it bubbled, I placed the chicken thighs in the sauce and popped the old pan into the oven. With a timer set, I made myself a cup of tea and put my novel back on the book shelf for another year. We cooked homemade biscuits from a local grocery store in the toaster and buttered them as the goulash came out of the oven. I photographed my creation – a bubbling pot of lava with chicken islands. The sauce thickened as it sat. We crumbled our biscuits over the top and it ate just like that first time with the homemade drop biscuits. And just as the heat began to circulate through the house again, our bodies warmed from the stew.
This goulash recipe is definitely in my pantheon of favorite family dishes. And it’s one of the most beautiful and easy dishes you can make for a special occasion. I think of my grandfather every time I make it. I think of him teaching me how to swim in his back yard pool in the summer, in the early 2000’s, as I dunk chicken into orange liquid. I’m wrapped up in a blanket as I write this, and grateful to have power and a kitchen to cook in. And I’m grateful for family and the memories of our Sunday dinners.
If you like this recipe, check out my recipe cards and food prints on Etsy! Thank you for reading.
Easy Chicken Goulash
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless + skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup AP flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp Hungarian paprika
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Place flour in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken and seal shut, shaking to coat chicken completely with flour.
- Heat 2 tbsp butter and a drizzle of cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium/high.
- In 2 batches, cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate to rest. When you make the second batch, add another 2 tbsp of butter and another drizzle of oil.
- When chicken is done, deglaze the pan with 1-2 cups water. Reserve the liquid and carefully wipe pan clean.
- Over medium heat, add remaining 2 tbsp of butter and melt.
- Add your paprika and whisk to combine. It should be thick and clumpy.
- Gradually add your chicken stock while stirring to combine the paprika roux with the liquid. You can use your liquid from deglazing the pan in place of some of the boxed chicken stock for added flavor. Make sure to strain it to remove any burnt clumps or chicken pieces.
- Add your sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine.
- Turn heat up to medium/high until the sauce begins to bubble. Add your rested chicken to the sauce and arrange evenly so each piece is mostly submerged in sauce.
- Cook for 23-25 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- It may be tempting to leave the flavor from searing the chicken in the pan when you add your chicken stock and sour cream, but it will make the sauce too dark (literally and flavor-wise). Make sure to wipe the pan clean. You can deglaze the pan with water or wine and reserve for another time if you want to save the flavor.
- Let the goulash rest after cooking for 5-10 minutes. This allows the sauce to thicken, which achieves a velvety texture.
- Serve with biscuits to sop up any extra sauce! It’s the best part.
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