Slow Cooker Pierogie Chicken Paprikash recipes
This recipe guides you through creating a comforting Slow Cooker Pierogie Chicken Paprikash. Tender chicken breasts, sautéed aromatics, and rich Hungarian paprika are slow-cooked in a savory broth. Finished with creamy sour cream and hearty cheese and potato pierogies, this dish offers a convenient yet deeply flavorful Central European-inspired meal, perfect for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
Equipment
- 1 Slow Cooker
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Large Skillet or Sauté Pan For sautéing aromatics
- 1 Whisk and Medium Bowl For tempering sour cream
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 2 TB butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 whole celery stalks chopped
- 4 TB sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 pint sour cream
- 1 box cheese and potato pierogies
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Dice the onion and celery. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the diced onion and celery until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the sweet Hungarian paprika and cook for 1 minute, being careful not to burn it. Immediately transfer the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken breasts, chicken broth, a pinch of salt, and pepper to the slow cooker.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the chicken is fork-tender.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken breasts from the slow cooker and shred them using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a separate bowl, whisk a ladleful of the hot liquid from the slow cooker into the sour cream to temper it, preventing curdling.
- Stir the tempered sour cream into the slow cooker, ensuring it's well combined.
- Add the cheese and potato pierogies to the slow cooker, nestling them into the liquid.
- Cover and continue to cook on low for another 30-60 minutes, or until the pierogies are tender and heated through.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed before serving hot.
Notes
Achieve maximum flavor by sautéing the chopped onion and celery in butter until softened and slightly caramelized before adding to the slow cooker; this builds a crucial aromatic base. When blooming the Hungarian sweet paprika, ensure the heat is gentle to prevent burning, which can turn it bitter. Always temper the sour cream by whisking a small amount of the hot broth into it before incorporating it into the main dish; this prevents curdling and maintains a silky texture. Add the pierogies in the final 30-60 minutes of cooking to ensure they are tender but not mushy. Finally, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.