Hungarian style chicken livers recipe is a quick simple dish of chicken livers cooked in sweet Hungarian paprika and sour cream. This recipe is actually one of the first Hungarian dishes I ever cooked. I have since discovered many other Hungarian chicken liver dishes. But this Hungarian style chicken livers recipe is still one of my favourite ways too cook chicken liver.
When you add chicken livers to onions, garlic, and some sour cream, they transform into something elegant. The richness of the chicken livers seems to work really well with soft texture of the sour cream sauce.
You can serve Paprikás Csirkemáj with almost anything. It is fantastic to wipe up the leftovers with a nice chunk of crusty bread. But you can also eat these Hungarian style chicken livers with tarhonya, nokedli or rice. And be just as happy.
It wasn’t until I moved to Hungary that I realised that there is no such thing in Hungary as ‘Hungarian style’. This Hungarian style chicken livers recipe is really a ‘Paprikas’ recipe. Paprikas is what Hungarians call any dish you cook with a mixture of sour cream, flour and sweet Hungarian paprikas.
In Hungary, chicken livers are not a gourmet ingredient. They are everyday food. They are readily available at butchers and supermarkets. And Hungarian families cook them often. Especially when they want something tasty that is also quick, inexpensive and nutritious.
Bringing Hungarian Flavours Into Your Kitchen
If you’re new to Hungarian food, this Hungarian style chicken livers dish is a great place to start. Paprikás Csirkemáj teaches you the essentials of the Hungarian paprikás. Sweet Hungarian paprika, onions, and sour cream — all in one pan. From there, you can explore any other paprikás dish such as paprikás csirke (chicken paprikash) or gombapaprikás (mushroom paprikash). Each one builds on the same comforting foundation and shows how versatile Hungarian food can be.
🇭🇺 Jó étvágyat!
Also Read
Looking for more classic Hungarian dishes? Check out these posts:
- Hungarian Chicken Noodle Soup – a delicious soup for any time of the year.
- Töltött Paprika – Hungarian stuffed peppers.
- Cold Sour Cherry Soup (Hidel Meggyleves) – a refreshing Hungarian cold fruit soup
- Hungarian Food – the Ultimate Guide
Or take a look at my full collection of Hungarian recipes for more Hungarian flavours
Hungarian Style Chicken Livers (Paprikás Csirkemáj)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp zsír or pork lard
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- Salt
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed or very finely chopped)
- 2 heaped tsp Hungarian sweet paprika
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 500 grams chicken livers (washed and sinews removed, and cut in half)
- 4 tbsp sour cream
Instructions
- Heat the zsír or pork lard in a pan and sauté the onions over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion soften and turn golden brown. Add the garlic and salt and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the paprika and 3 tbsp water and stir continuously for 1 – 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken livers and sauté until they have browned all over.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the chicken livers are almost cooked through, but just a little pink in the middle.
- Add the sour cream and mix well, and then simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Check the livers are just cooked through, adjust seasoning if required and serve immediately with some crusty bread.
