Slow Cooker Hungarian-Style Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

I acquired my last name Dudash from my husband, who bears Hungarian lineage. Since we met 10 years ago, he’s raved about Chicken Paprikash, a traditional Hungarian dish that he used to make with his mom. While he cooks at home regularly, it was only recently when his mom visited that he prepared the dish at home. It tasted amazing—comforting, warming and curiously complex in taste despite its simple ingredient list.
I observed quietly as they worked together in the kitchen, pondering how I might add my personal touch and simplify the procedure. For my version I choose to finish cooking the chicken and vegetables in the slow cooker, easing the mad early evening dash and adding more vegetables (of course). I also decided that the sour cream was unnecessary, especially with the richness from the chicken skin. My husband insisted on swirling soft goat cheese into his portion—fine. Other creamy goods you might have on hand would complement the dish nicely too, like plain Greek yogurt, lowfat sour cream, a bit of light cream cheese, or even a splash of coconut milk.
If you’re watching your saturated fat intake closely, remove the skin from the chicken before cooking. You may need to use a couple of extra teaspoons of canola oil while cooking the chicken and mushrooms.
Slow Cooker Hungarian-Style Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms
3 1/2 pounds (1,588 g) chicken parts, skin-on, bone-in breasts and thighs (or 1 whole chicken, cut into parts)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (1/4 tsp. for chicken, 1/4 tsp. for sauce)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) expeller-pressed canola oil
1 (8-ounce, or 227 g) container crimini mushrooms (about 2 1/2 cups), thickly sliced
2 tablespoons (2 ounces) white whole-wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 (14-ounce, or 392 g) can whole tomatoes in juice
1 1/4 cups (292 ml) reduced-sodium or organic chicken broth
1 small onion, diced finely (about 1 cup or 60 g)
2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika, plus more to taste at the finish
Cooked whole-wheat egg noodles
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
Rinse and drain the chicken in a clean sink, then arrange it with rounded sides facing up. Blot the skin dry with a paper towel and sprinkle the tops with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place a large sauté pan or skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken to the pan with salted sides down and press gently on the centers with tongs. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes, tilting pan occasionally to redistribute fat under the chicken and facilitate browning. Turn and cook a few minutes longer, until golden. Move chicken to slow cooker.
Pour excess fat from the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms to the same pan and sauté, scraping the brown bits up from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the liquid releases. Once mushrooms have browned and shrunk slightly, add the flour and cook a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms to the slow cooker.
Squeeze tomatoes into the slow cooker with a clean hand and pour in the juice. Add broth, onion, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Add up to one more teaspoon of paprika if desired.
Serve chicken with vegetables and sauce over egg noodles and sprinkle with parsley.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes, plus 4 hours in the slow cooker
Makes 6 servings, 1 large or 2 small pieces of chicken each (with 2/3 cup vegetables and sauce)
Nutrition Facts (per serving): 364 calories, 19 g total fat (5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat), 436 mg sodium, 117 mg cholesterol, 8 g total carbohydrate (1.5 g fiber), 35 g protein, 16% DV iron, 5% DV calcium, 21% DV Vitamin A, 23% DV Vitamin C.
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My Cookbook: Clean Eating for Busy Families
Slow Cooker Hungarian-Style Chicken with Tomatoes and Mushrooms

By December 12, 2012
Published:- Yield: 1 large chicken pice and 3/4 cup vegetables with sauce (6 Servings)
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Ready In: 50 mins
Traditional Hungarian chicken paprikash served with tomatoes and mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 pounds (1,588 g) chicken parts, skin-on, bone-in breasts and thighs or 1 whole chicken, cut into parts
- 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 tsp. for chicken, 1/4 tsp. for sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) expeller-pressed canola oil
- 1 8-ounce, or 227 g continer crimini mushrooms (about 2 1/2 cups), thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons (2 ounces) white whole-wheat flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 can (14-ounce, or 392 g) whole tomatoes in juice
- 1 1/4 cups (292 ml) reduced-sodium or organic chicken broth
- 1 small onion diced finely (about 1 cup or 60 g)
- 2 teaspoons (5 g) sweet paprika plus more to taste at the finish
- Cooked whole-wheat egg noodles
- 1/4 cup (15 g) Italian flat-leaf parsley chopped
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the chicken in a clean sink, then arrange it with rounded sides facing up. Blot the skin dry with a paper towel and sprinkle the tops with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place a large sauté pan or skillet on medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the chicken to the pan with salted sides down and press gently on the centers with tongs. Cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes, tilting pan occasionally to redistribute fat under the chicken and facilitate browning. Turn and cook a few minutes longer, until golden. Move chicken to slow cooker.
- Pour excess fat from the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms to the same pan and sauté, scraping the brown bits up from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as the liquid releases. Once mushrooms have browned and shrunk slightly, add the flour and cook a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms to the slow cooker.
- Squeeze tomatoes into the slow cooker with a clean hand and pour in the juice. Add broth, onion, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Add up to one more teaspoon of paprika if desired.
- Serve chicken with vegetables and sauce over egg noodles and sprinkle with parsley.
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