Paprika Chicken is juicy, packed with flavor, and one of those dishes that gets made all the time at our house because it's always delicious and super easy.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Recipe: Paprika Chicken

This recipe was originally published on alittleandalot.com. For more information, please see the original recipe: Paprika Chicken

For the buttermilk brine:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

For the Paprika Chicken and Peppers:

• 4 pounds chicken pieces, bone-in, skin-on (Use a whole cut-up chicken or any combination of pieces.)
• 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• Dash of ground cayenne pepper (optional)
• Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers (*See note)
• 3 cups of arugula or other tender greens for serving (optional)

For the herbed yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain, unsweetened greek yogurt (or, use homemade labneh)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Brine Chicken in Buttermilk (*Optional):

1. Pour the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon salt into a large zip-top bag. Add the chicken pieces. Zip the top (make sure it's completely closed!) and smush the chicken around in the bag a bit to coat evenly with buttermilk and salt. Put in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Make the chicken:

1. If roasting chicken, heat the oven to 425 degrees F. If grilling the chicken, prepare the grill.
2. Lay the chicken out on paper towels and pat dry on all sides.
3. In a large bowl, add the paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, and cayenne. Stir to mix. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss it around in the spices to coat the chicken completely.
4. If roasting in the oven put the chicken in a roasting pan and cook for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. When pierced with a fork, the chicken's juices should run clear.
5. If cooking the chicken on the grill, place the chicken over a low-heat section, cover it, and let roast for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over, cover, and cook for another 15 minutes, until cooked through.

Make the Herbed Yogurt Sauce:

1. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to mix. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired. Chill the sauce until ready to serve.

To Serve:

1. Add a pile of greens to each plate and top with a few slices of marinated peppers and a drizzle of the vinaigrette the peppers are soaking in. Top with a piece or two of chicken. Serve with the yogurt sauce.

Recipe Notes

• You can substitute 2 jars of roasted red peppers instead of preparing marinated roasted bell peppers yourself.
• No buttermilk? No problem. DIY Buttermilk: How to make your own

Paprika Chicken with Marinated Peppers and Herbed Yogurt Sauce

As is the case with most simple recipes, paprika chicken is super versatile. Besides the fact that it's so delicious, it's simple versatility one of the reasons it's a staple recipe in our house.

Most of the time I make it exactly as you see here, with bone-in dark meat chicken served on a bed of arugula with marinated peppers and a dollop of yogurt sauce. But, you can also make it with boneless, skinless chicken - white or dark meat, or a combination of the two.

• Instead of serving it over arugula and marinated peppers, shred the meat and layer it in warm tortillas with a bit of sour cream and Salsa Verde for delicious, unique tacos.
• Chop it up into bite size pieces and serve it in bowls over rice.
• For a delicious Spanish-and-Mediterranean inspired appetizer, cut the baked chicken into bite size pieces and serve it skewered on a toothpick or bamboo skewer along with pieces of marinated feta.

One of my daughters has even made this while camping, cooking it over an open flame. It's all good.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Marinated Bell Peppers are a Delicious Compliment to Baked Paprika Chicken

Roasted Bell Peppers marinated in a simple vinaigrette flavored with garlic and fresh herbs are one of my favorite refrigerator staples.

Usually, when I make this dish, I roast and marinate many more peppers than what I know we'll eat that night with paprika chicken because they are delicious. Also, they'll last in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Having them in the refrigerator means I can add them to salads, sandwiches, omelettes or frittatas throughout the week. They also make a delicious addition to a cheese board.

Making marinated peppers is easy, but make sure to do it before you begin cooking the chicken so they have plenty of time to soak in their vinaigrette. The peppers can be made 3 weeks ahead of time, kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

--> Get the recipe for Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Herbed Yogurt Sauce Gives Paprika Chicken a Tangy, Creamy Finish

Just like the paprika rub for the chicken and the vinaigrette for the marinated peppers, the herbed yogurt sauce in this recipe requires little more than dumping some stuff in a bowl and giving it a stir.

And, to be honest, on my laziest nights, I don't even bother with the yogurt sauce at all. But, that's also ridiculous, because it literally takes about 2 minutes to make and is such a lovely contrast to the smokiness of the chicken.

Bake Paprika Chicken is still delicious without it. But, even better with it.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

More simple recipes you might like

• If you have leftover paprika chicken, use it to make this super easy 30-minute chicken soup!
• If you can't get enough paprika, add chicken paprikash, Spanish potato soup, and Spanish seared pork bites to your must-make list pronto.
• For more quick weeknight chicken recipes try chicken piccata, Mexican chicken adobo, or chicken enchiladas verdes.
• And, for dessert, try these butter white chocolate chip cookies or these colossal milk chocolate chip pecan cookies.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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