There's no need to boil the pasta or pre-cook the chicken! This Dump-and-Bake Chicken Paprikash and Noodles is an entire dinner that cooks in one dish!
You just can't go wrong with a quick and easy weeknight dinner that involves minimal clean-up at the end! This Chicken Paprikash is almost too good to be true...almost!
As my regular readers know, I love to take a traditional, more time-consuming recipe and adapt it to suit our busy lives. At the end of a long day, the last thing that we want to worry about is standing in the kitchen, juggling pots and pans, boiling pasta, roasting chicken, or stirring a roux.
Nope, I'm just not going to do it! My life is too full and there are too many other things that I'd rather focus my time and attention on!
This dump-and-bake version of the classic Chicken Paprikash is a great example of how I feed my family during the week while still maintaining my sanity.
What is Chicken Paprikash?
The traditional Chicken Paprikash (or "Paprika Chicken") is actually the Hungarian national dish.
I don't have any Hungarian blood pumping through my veins, so maybe that's why I'm 100% comfortable with a loose interpretation of the original!
In a traditional Chicken Paprikash, the meat is simmered for an extended time in a sauce that begins with a paprika-infused roux.
The sweet paprika gives the dish a rosy color, and the creamy stew is typically served over egg noodles, dumplings or spaetzle.
Since I don't usually have time to slow-simmer meat, and since I'd rather not dirty another pot by boiling my pasta separately, I just combine everything into one dish that bakes in the oven!
What it Tastes Like
The end result is juicy chicken and tender pasta, all swimming in a creamy, mild sauce. It's a dinner that your children will love too!
With the addition of smoked or spicy paprika, this recipe can easily be tweaked to suit your family's preferences. Make it your own!
Most of all, I know that you will love the minimal prep work, which gets you in and out of the kitchen quickly! And don't skip the fresh herbs on top -- if you like dill, you will LOVE the extra layer of flavor that it adds to the meal!
How to Make Easy Chicken Paprikash
- In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, sour cream, paprika and salt until smooth and completely combined.
- Stir in the uncooked noodles, onion, uncooked chicken and garlic. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente.
- Remove the cover from the dish. Return dish to the oven (uncovered) and bake for for 10 more minutes (or until pasta is tender, chicken is cooked through, and sauce has thickened).
- Give it a good stir, dust with sprinkling of smoked or spicy paprika, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Serving Suggestions and Leftovers
This chicken paprikash is pretty delicious and satisfying just as it is but you could also serve it with a big fresh salad and some crusty bread.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days but the pasta will swell so I recommend enjoying this the same day.
Again, leftovers won't freeze well because of the pasta so if you'd like to prep ahead and freeze it mix all the ingredients together in a ziplock bag except the pasta and freeze.
To cook from frozen, thaw then tip ingredients into a prepared baking dish, add noodles and bake as instructed.
Cook's Top Tips
- Make sure to spray your baking dish with cooking spray to avoid the casserole sticking or burning.
- To cut prep time I use diced frozen onions.
- To reduce sodium look for low salt/sodium chicken broth (you can also use veg broth).
- Make sure to use fresh herbs for best results and flavor.
- Starch is released from the uncooked noodles which helps create a thick and creamy sauce with zero effort.
- This is a mild dish (and kid-friendly) because it uses sweet paprika. If you want to add a smoky or spicy flavor to the meal, add ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika or spicy paprika to the sauce before baking.
- Cooking for a Smaller Family? You can cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the Chicken Paprikash in an 8- or 9-inch square dish.
Other easy chicken recipes that you might enjoy:
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Marsala
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Dump-and-Bake Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake
- Dump-and-Bake Chicken Stuffing Casserole
Dump-and-Bake Chicken Paprikash and Noodles
Ingredients
- 22 ounces Alfredo sauce (about 2 ½ cups)
- 3 cups less-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 ounces (about 6 cups) uncooked wide egg noodles
- 1 cup frozen diced onion, thawed (or 1 cup chopped fresh onion)
- 1 lb. uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- Chopped fresh parsley or dill
- Optional garnish: dusting of smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray your largest baking dish (I used a deep 9 x 13-inch dish) with cooking spray.
- In the prepared dish (or in a separate bowl), whisk together the Alfredo sauce, chicken broth, sour cream, paprika and salt until smooth and completely combined. Stir in the uncooked noodles, onion, uncooked chicken and garlic. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover; stir. At this point you should check the pasta to make sure that it is al dente (firm but just about finished cooking). If it’s still too hard, cover the dish and return to the oven until pasta is al dente. Then move on to the next step.
- Remove the cover from the dish. Return dish to the oven (uncovered) and bake for for 10 more minutes (or until pasta is tender, chicken is cooked through, and sauce has thickened).
- Give it a good stir, dust with sprinkling of smoked or spicy paprika, and garnish with chopped fresh parsley or dill.
Notes
- Make sure to spray your baking dish with cooking spray to avoid the casserole sticking or burning.
- To cut prep time I use diced frozen onions.
- To reduce sodium look for low salt/sodium chicken broth (you can also use veg broth).
- Make sure to use fresh herbs for best results and flavor.
- Starch is released from the uncooked noodles which helps create a thick and creamy sauce with zero effort.
- This is a mild dish (and kid-friendly) because it uses sweet paprika. If you want to add a smoky or spicy flavor to the meal, add ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika or spicy paprika to the sauce before baking.
- Cooking for a Smaller Family? You can cut all of the ingredients in half and bake the Chicken Paprikash in an 8- or 9-inch square dish.
I love that you don't have to boil the noodles! Dump and bakes are my favorite for any time of the week, especially when it's got flavor like this. I can see why this is a winner, love it!
Thank you, Gayle! The ease is the best part! 🙂
Blair, I love this! My only issue is I have a simple Alfredo sauce that we love so-oo much more than bottled. Do you think you could figure out how to incorporate it into dump-and-bake? The recipe is 1 stick of butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup milk, 1/2cup fresh parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Melt the butter, add and melt cream cheese, add other ingredients and whisk together.
Land O Lakes has a good Alfredo recipe too and I usually pass on the bacon part. They use a tiny bit of nutmeg in it and it really makes it great. Nutmeg in Alfredo...who knew?! 🙂
Hey, Barbara! Yes, you can definitely use a homemade Alfredo sauce if you like (and your version sounds perfect). If you do that, then it obviously just adds a bit of prep-work to the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
This looks delicious! 🙂
Thanks, Kingsley! It is!!! 🙂
Ohhh, this looks so good!
Thank you!! 🙂
this sounds great! I'm gonna try it tonite.
Awesome! Enjoy, Charlene!