Broiled Paprika Chicken

There is a classic Hungarian dish in which a whole chicken is coated with a paprika and butter spread and roasted. The resulting chicken is brick red, juicy, and deeply flavored with sweet paprika. We wanted to accomplish the same thing, but in a quick-cooked version using bone-in, split chicken breasts instead of a whole bird. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Make a compound butter with paprika, butter, and garlic and smear it thickly beneath the chicken’s skin. The butter mixture will just slide off the meat unless contained by the skin.
• Coat the exposed surfaces of the breast with additional paprika, salt, and pepper.
• Broil the breasts skin-side down first, and then finish them skin-side up to ensure that the skin crisps.