Perfect Pairings: 8 BEST Side Dishes for Chicken Paprikash

Chicken paprikash is a dish that originates from Hungary.

The sauce that binds the chicken and rice or noodles, paprika, is key to giving it flavor and color.

The taste of chicken paprikash is unlike anything you have ever had before.

The blended flavors of the chicken, spices, onion, and sour cream make for a perfect bite every time.

Garnish with parsley or dill weed to bring out even more flavor.

Serve with a side of mashed potatoes or noodles for an unforgettable meal.

Chicken paprikash is a perfect dish for all occasions.

Enjoy it for a date night, romantic dinner, or a casual party with friends.

With this recipe, you cannot go wrong.

Many great side dishes go well with chicken paprikash; however, we have narrowed it down to our eight favorites.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Chicken Paprikash?

Chicken paprikash is a popular entree, especially for dinner.

However, one of the best things about chicken paprikash is that it goes well with side dishes.

Here are just three reasons why you might want to consider making side dishes to go along with your favorite meal.

First, side dishes can provide a nice addition to your meal.

Chicken paprikash is a hearty, filling dish packed with spices and flavor.

But sometimes, it’s not the best option as an entree for lunch or dinner because it can be too heavy.

On such occasions, you will find that certain side dishes go well with chicken paprikash and can provide a nice contrast to the main plate.

Second, you should consider side dishes because they add variety and diversity to your meal plan.

Side dishes are especially helpful when you need more than one or two options, but you don’t want to prepare a full second entree.

Some suitable side dishes for chicken paprikash include homemade mac and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans with almonds.

Third, side dishes offer the opportunity to adjust your meal according to everyone’s tastes.

You can prepare a solo entree for yourself or another family member who prefers just chicken paprikash as their meal.

Or, you can serve a variety of options suggested above for those who like chicken paprikash and want to see it as a side dish option.

What to Serve with Chicken Paprikash? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here, we discuss the top 8 side dishes that go well with chicken paprikash.

1 – Classic Mashed Potatoes

Classic mashed potatoes are made with potatoes, butter, and whole milk.

If desired, you can add some garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper to the mix before boiling them together in a pot.

Once they’re done boiling (until fork tender) and then reduced to the right consistency, they should be mashed with some cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Top this classic dish with some French fried onions before serving for an added crunch.

2 – Dumplings

Dumplings are an excellent side dish to serve with chicken paprikash.

These fluffy dumplings are made by whisking all of the dough ingredients together, covering the dough with a kitchen towel, and letting it sit for about 20 minutes.

Afterward, you roll out the dumplings on a floured surface until they are thin enough to cut through with the tines of a fork.

This makes them easy to eat because they act like spoons – scoop some sauce up with each dumpling, and the paprika chicken will slide right off.

As for what sauce you can use to top your dumplings, we recommend trying something simple such as a white gravy or cream of celery soup that is made into a thick consistency.

3 – Almond Rice Pilaf

Rice pilaf is the perfect accompaniment to chicken paprikash, but almond rice pilaf is even better.

You can make it by first sautéing some bell pepper, garlic, onion, and celery before whisking in some beef broth.

After this comes to a boil, you add the rice, cover it, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

Afterward, you add some toasted slivered almonds as well as a little bit of salt and black pepper to taste before giving it a quick stir.

The dish is then ready to be served alongside your chicken paprikash.

4 – Cheesy Bread

Cheesy bread is great for soaking up any remaining sauce that might be left on the plates after eating chicken paprikash.

That’s because cheesy bread begins with white sandwich bread (or French baguette) and is topped with cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone cheese, as well as garlic powder and black pepper.

After baking the bread until it is crispy and golden brown, cut it into diagonal slices and serve it alongside the chicken paprikash.

You can also add some parsley or dried oregano to capture the flavors of the Mediterranean in this easy side dish.

5 – Roasted Green Beans

Green beans are a great vegetable to serve with chicken paprikash because they offer a crisp, refreshing element missing from other side dishes like mashed potatoes and rice.

You can make green beans even better by tossing them in olive oil, salt, and black pepper before roasting them in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Afterward, remove the pan from heat and garnish it with some slivered almonds to give your green beans a pleasant crunch.

You can also add some red peppers to the mix for an extra pop of color.

6 – Egg Noodles

You can make egg noodles as a side dish for chicken paprikash with just three simple ingredients: self-rising flour, baking powder, and salt.

To turn these into egg noodles, you first mix the dry ingredients before adding some water and an egg.

After kneading the dough until it has a smooth texture and forms like a ball, you roll the dough on a floured surface until it is thin enough to cut.

After cutting it into noodle-sized strips with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, you can cook them in boiling water for about 5 minutes before adding them to your chicken paprikash.

7 – Roasted Carrots

Carrots are not usually associated with chicken paprikash, but they can be used in this dish to great effect.

For example, you could roast the carrots by cutting them into slices and lining them up on a baking sheet before sprinkling salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and oregano over them.

Afterward, you can roast the carrots in the oven until they are tender and golden brown.

You could then serve them alongside some chicken paprikash or place them on it to act as an edible plate.

Either way, you’ll love how these roasted carrots enhance your meal with their rich flavors.

8 – Bread Dumplings

Bread dumplings make a wonderful side dish for chicken paprikash because they add an air of authenticity to the meal.

You need some self-rising flour and yeast and milk, salt, sugar, and shortening to prepare these.

You can then mix them all into a dough similar in texture to a biscuit dough before adding garlic, basil, and oregano.

After forming the dough into balls, you can add them to your chicken paprikash when about 10 minutes of cooking time is remaining.

After this, they will need to cook for another 15-20 minutes for them to be done.

Keep a close eye on them, so they don’t become too soft and mushy.

Conclusion

Chicken paprikash is a wonderfully flavored Hungarian dish that has brought joy to people worldwide for generations.

Many side dishes can be served alongside this meal, but the ones listed above are the most popular and delicious options.

However, if you’re still struggling to choose a side dish for your chicken paprikash, then there’s no harm in serving it with two or three different types.

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