This slow cooker chicken paprikash stew is comfort food at its finest! Picture sinking your teeth into soft, shredded chicken floating in a rich and creamy paprika sauce. Sounds heavenly, right? It tastes more heavenly than it sounds. I originally prepared it on one of my particularly awful days, Lisa gave me this recipe and it was just so perfectly warming and comforting. This is my new favorite for a comfort food supper! This is really easy to prepare, even a new cook can prepare it.

What I love the most about this recipe is the versatility. It's incredibly easy to make it your own. Need a little more kick in your stew? Add more cayenne pepper. Want it thicker, creamier? Add more sour cream. Feel free to experiment with various herbs and spices! I've even thrown in a dash of sherry or white wine here and there. It provides yet another richness and richness to this dish. It's a great way of learning about taste pairings!

Slow Cooker Chicken Paprikash Stew

Name: Slow-Cooker-Chicken-Paprikash-Stew
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 8 h
Total time: 8 h 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Slow-Cooker
Ingredients: 2 pounds Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces; 2 tablespoons Olive oil; 1 Large onion, chopped; 2 Garlic cloves, minced; 2 tablespoons Sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 (28 ounce) can Crushed tomatoes; 1 cup Chicken broth; 1 teaspoon Caraway seeds; 1 Bay leaf; Pinch Cayenne pepper; 1/2 cup Sour cream or crème fraîche; to taste Salt and pepper

This slow cooker chicken paprikash stew is a flavorful and comforting dish, perfect for a cozy night in. Tender chicken is simmered in a creamy paprika sauce, making it a simple yet delicious meal.

⏳ Yield & Time

Yield: 4 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 480 minutes

Total Time: 525 minutes

📖 Instructions

First things first, prep your chicken. Pat 2 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season them generously with salt and pepper. Don't be shy with the seasoning, it's crucial!
Next up, the aromatics. Finely chop 1 large onion and 2 cloves of garlic. You want a good amount of garlic because, well, garlic is amazing. Seriously.
In your 6-quart slow cooker, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions and garlic until softened and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Take your time, its worth it.
Now, we add the paprika! Stir in 2 tablespoons of sweet Hungarian paprika and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast it slightly. This intensifies the flavor and its just a pleasing sight to watch.
Okay, here’s where it gets exciting! Add your chicken to the slow cooker and coat it with that gorgeous paprika mixture. It will look fantastic.
Pour in 1 (28 ounce) can of crushed tomatoes, 1 cup of chicken broth, 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1 bay leaf, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. We're not making it too spicy, just a gentle hint of heat.
Give everything a good stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, until the chicken is cooked through and falling apart easily. This will be the best thing you make all week.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks. It should practically fall apart.
Stir the shredded chicken back into the stew and then stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream (or crème fraîche) until it's smooth and creamy. Gently mix this in to avoid curdling the sour cream.
Taste and season to your liking, maybe adding a little more salt, pepper, or paprika if needed. Don't forget to remove that bay leaf!
Serve it hot over egg noodles or your favorite side dish. Honestly, you won't want to share it, but you should... maybe. But not really. Enjoy!

📝 Notes

Don't overcook the chicken, or it will become dry. Make sure to shred it gently.
Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste preferences.
If the stew becomes too thick, add a little more chicken broth to thin it out.
You can use other vegetables besides the onion and garlic. Try adding some carrots or bell peppers!