Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika
53 Comments Sep 24, 2024
Updated Jun 27, 2025
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The flavors in this Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika are simply irresistible and a must-try! The rich and savory sweet paprika sauce, infused with garlic and onion, perfectly complements the ultra-tender chicken thighs, creating a truly delightful meal.
You may also like my Slow Cooker Hungarian Goulash recipe if you love the flavors in this paprikash chicken.
In my opinion, the slow cooker is the ideal way to make Chicken Paprika! You can set up the chicken and sauce in the morning, letting it slowly cook to perfection, and have a delicious meal ready when you get home. While this dish isn’t made often, I believe your family will absolutely love it. It reminds me of a chicken stroganoff with a gentle hint of paprika—rich, comforting, and never overpowering.
If you don’t have a slow cooker and want a skillet option for this recipe, try this Chicken Paprikash from Noshing with the Nolands.
What you Need
This vintage recipe has all from scratch ingredients. FInd the full recipe in the recipe card below the images.
This Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs for rich flavor and tenderness. It starts with olive oil for searing, then builds flavor with chopped onion, minced garlic, sweet Hungarian paprika, and a touch of cayenne pepper for optional heat. Chicken broth creates a savory base, while a mixture of sour cream and flour stirred in at the end gives the sauce a creamy, tangy finish. Seasoned simply with salt and pepper and topped with fresh parsley, it’s a well-rounded dish made with pantry staples.
How to Make Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika
You can make this in 3 easy steps!
Step One: Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sear the chicken skin-side down in olive oil until golden brown, about 5–7 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
Step Two: Add chopped onion, garlic, sweet paprika, and cayenne (if using) to the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Place the seared chicken thighs on top, skin-side up.
Step Three: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together sour cream and flour until smooth, stir it into the slow cooker, and cook for 30 more minutes until the sauce thickens.
What to eat with this
- I served this chicken paprika over rice, though traditionally, this dish is served with spätzle.
- Other starch options are mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
- After you have chosen a starch, a green vegetable is always great, such as slow cooker green beans and bacon, or a tossed green salad.
- Dinner rolls or French bread always make a meal extra special.
Featured Comment
“Just like grandma’s except for the crockpot ( they weren’t around yet ). I think the key to any Hungarian meal is authentic paprika ( of course Hungarian ) which also gives it a richer color. I make the dumplings, but served over rice or noodles is also good.”
– Marcia
Slow Cooker Chicken Paprika
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, (can use 4-6 chicken thighs)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika, If possible fine sweet Hugarian paprika, often found in a tin.
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, optional for heat
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs, skin-side down, until crispy and golden brown, about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Place the chopped onion and minced garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add sweet paprika and cayenne pepper (if using). Pour in chicken broth and mix well.
- Place the seared chicken thighs on top of the onion mixture in the slow cooker, skin-side up.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- About 30 minutes before serving, whisk together sour cream and flour in a small bowl until smooth. Stir this mixture into the slow cooker. Replace the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes to thicken the sauce.
- Serve the chicken thighs hot, topped with the paprika sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
- Pair with rice, mashed potatoes, or a side of crusty bread. Enjoy!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
More crockpot chicken recipes:
Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings is a cozy classic made easy with tender chicken, veggies, and fluffy biscuit dumplings. If you love take-out style meals, my slow cooker chicken curry only has 2 ingredients!
Try my Fiesta Chicken Recipe for a simple dump-and-go meal with salsa, black beans, and corn—great for tacos or rice bowls.
Sweet and tangy, Slow Cooker Hawaiian Chicken and Slow Cooker Orange Chicken bring tropical and citrus flavors to your dinner lineup.
Layered with tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese, Chicken Enchilada Casserole is a family favorite straight from the crockpot.
I can;t stand dark meat but this recipe sounds so good – could I use chicken breasts?
Yes, chicken breast will work great.
Hi Sarah… I know you put up this recipe years ago but I’ve just found it and as I love paprika dishes, I thought I’d try it. But I wondered… to thicken the sauce a little more, can the sour cream be replaced by double cream. do you think? Or is that ‘sour’ piquant pop necessary to counter-balance the paprika flavour? Or would you suggest sticking to the ‘sour cream’ and perhaps adding cornflour to thicken it a little more? Or does the sour cream actually thicken it quite substantially? The photo suggests its not quite as thick as I’d like it. My family really like ‘creamy’ dishes with thicker sauces…
It does sound VERY tasty though, so if I could get the sauce thicker, I really think we’ll like this – A LOT! 🙂 Thank you for the recipe!
Sour cream doesn’t thicken things very well! I think cornstarch would be the way to go.
It was awful. Tasteless. And the gravy did not thicken. Threw the leftovers away.
I’ve made a very similar recipe that I adapted for my slow cooker years ago. After the gravy and meat are cooked I remove thighs and strip the meat then set aside. We never used sour cream since my dad wasn’t a fan. We used a cornstarch mixed in more chicken stock. Then add back chicken and serve. Recently I have added fresh sage, rosemary and thyme. I found an herb tube device that I stuff the herbs into then drop into cooker and when dish is finished just toss the herbs. My mom was Irish and learned some Hungarian cooking from her neighbor. Mom called the drop noodles Nookele. It took me years to discover Nokedli, exactly what we made the old fashioned way, haha. I make enough to have dinner and freeze before the thickening step. I don’t measure, mom never had a written recipe.
Just like grandma’s except for the crockpot ( they weren’t around yet ). I think the key to any Hungarian meal is authentic paprika ( of course Hungarian ) which also gives it a richer color. I make the dumplings, but served over rice or noodles is also good.
This is so good my grandma used to make it all the time in a pot, she was a Hungarian and this was my favorite meal of hers
It is also very good with rice!. Great job on all your recipes, love them!
Thank for doing what you love…too bad it’s making me fat…ha ha
This was yummy! My sauce didn’t look so nice and colourful as yours it was a lot paler looking. It tasted yummy but I’m thinking it might need a bit more paprika maybe? I guess that comes down to personal taste. I love the simplicity of this recipe and will definitely do it again maybe with some extra paprika next time as 2 teaspoons didn’t quite seem enough. Thank you for sharing this!
Can you use skinless boneless chicken thighs?
Yes that will work fine.
Could you use chicken breasts with this recipe? I am not a fan of dark meat chicken. Thanks!
Yes, I think it would work fine.
yes, you can use chicken breasts. That is what I did and it was delicious.
Yes white and dark meat is good together, I have been eating paprikash and goulash my whole life. It is great served with creamy cucumber salad recipe. I am a German/Hungarian woman and have grown up on Eastern European food my whole life! Yummy!