Slow cooker paprika chicken

Name: Slow cooker paprika chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 5–6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil; 2 onions, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2–3 tsp hot smoked paprika, to taste; 1 tbsp plain flour; 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes; 3 tbsp tomato purée; 50ml/2fl oz chicken stock, made with 1 chicken stock cube; 1 tsp dried mixed herbs; 1kg/2lb 4oz chicken thigh fillets (around 12 thighs), boneless and skin removed; 1 each large red, yellow and green pepper, seeds removed and cut into roughly 3–4cm/1¼–1½in chunks; salt and freshly ground black pepper; soured cream, half-fat crème fraîche or full-fat Greek-style yoghurt, to serve; chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to serve (optional)

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

over 2 hours

Serves

Serves 5–6

Chicken paprika is lightly spiced stew with tender chicken thighs, made super easy in the slow cooker. The colourful peppers and rich tomato and paprika sauce make it bright and warming. It freezes well too. Serve with rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, topped with lots of soured cream, crème fraîche or yoghurt.

By Justine Pattison

Shopping list

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

over 2 hours

Serves

Serves 5–6

Ingredients

2 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2–3 tsp hot smoked paprika, to taste
1 tbsp plain flour
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato purée
50ml/2fl oz chicken stock, made with 1 chicken stock cube
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1kg/2lb 4oz chicken thigh fillets (around 12 thighs), boneless and skin removed
1 each large red, yellow and green pepper, seeds removed and cut into roughly 3–4cm/1¼–1½in chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
soured cream, half-fat crème fraîche or full-fat Greek-style yoghurt, to serve
chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, to serve (optional)

Recipe tips How-to-videos

Method

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the onions over a medium–high heat for 5 minutes, or until softened and lightly coloured, stirring regularly. Stir in the garlic and paprika and cook for a few seconds more, stirring constantly. Tip into the pot of a slow cooker, sprinkle over the flour and toss to thoroughly coat.
Add the tomatoes, tomato purée, stock and mixed herbs to the slow cooker pot. Season well with a little salt and lots of ground black pepper and stir well.
Keeping each fillet in a neat shape, add to the slow cooker pot, nestling well into the sauce and leaving a little room between each one if possible. Don’t stir again at this point as you want the thighs to retain their shape once cooked. Scatter the pepper chunks on top of the chicken and sauce but do not stir.
Cover with the lid and cook on High for 4–5 hours or Low for 6–8 hours, until the chicken is tender.
Top with generous spoonfuls of soured cream, crème fraîche or Greek-style yoghurt and scatter the parsley on top, if you like. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or buttered pasta.

Recipe Tips

Use any colour of pepper you like for this spicy stew, but a mixture looks great.

You will need a slow cooker that holds around 4 litres/7 pints for this recipe.

This stew freezes well but if you are making ahead, stick to the shorter cook time as freezing will further soften the ingredients. Thaw fully before reheating thoroughly in a microwave for the best results.