Chicken Paprikash Recipe | Small Town Woman (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken paprikash sauce made of? ›

Paprikas csirke is made with pan seared bone-in chicken pieces tat are then braised in a simple sauce made with chicken stock, onions, garlic, tomato paste or tomatoes, and lots of good quality sweet Hungarian paprika. The one thing you mustn't skimp on is using good Hungarian paprika.

Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add onion and cook until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour in water and season with paprika, pepper, and salt. Continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 10 to 15 more minutes.

Paprikash, or paprikas in Hungarian, is a traditional paprika-based stew. The most famous preparation is chicken paprikash (paprikas csirke), although veal is sometimes used. Bone-in chicken pieces are browned in butter or lard, then braised until tender in a sauce of onions, garlic, water and paprika.

Chicken paprikash (Hungarian: paprikás csirke or csirkepaprikás) or paprika chicken is a popular dish of Hungarian origin and one of the most famous variations on the paprikás preparations common to Hungarian tables. The name is derived from paprika, a spice commonly used in the country's cuisine.

Spanish paprika is typically of the sweet variety and is made from Spanish chiles. Hungarian paprika is often lauded as the most desirable and most flavorful iteration of the spice. It can be either hot or sweet and is made using ground Hungarian paprika chile peppers.

If you don't have this everyday version on hand, you can use sweet Hungarian paprika as a substitute. Because regular paprika is mainly used for color rather than flavor, though, expect the flavor of your dish to change if the recipe calls for a decent amount of the spice.

Hungarian paprika is made from peppers that are harvested and then sorted, toasted, and blended to create different varieties. All Hungarian paprikas have some degree of rich, sweet red pepper flavor, but they range in pungency and heat.

Paprika is the spice of life in Hungary. The full-bodied, warm taste of Hungarian paprika has no burning heat to it; the zing of the bright red pepper slowly buzzes through, illuminates, and lifts the other flavors of many national dishes while adding a sweet finish to every bite.

“It's an essential ingredient in Hungarian cuisine and it gives many dishes their brilliant, orange-red colour and intense, peppery flavour and aroma. Paprika can be sweet, hot and even smoked – and it comes in different grades of coarseness and colour.”

Goulash terminologies can be confusing. Abroad, goulash has retained its original meaning — a paprika-strewn beef stew usually served with egg dumplings (galuska or nokedli) on the side. A paprikash is essentially the same thing except it's made with chicken or veal and finished with sour cream.

Who invented chicken paprikash? ›

The History of Chicken Paprikash

My belief is that, unlike goulash, which was invented by trail herders on the move, Chicken Paprikash originated among the farmers of southern Hungary.

In Hungary this traditional food is called veresbors, while the pepper itself is called fűszerpaprika.

McCormick® Culinary® Hungarian Style Paprika uses only the highest quality peppers to deliver a sweet and slightly pungent flavor, and a deep red color. Specially made for chefs to inspire extraordinary menus and deliver consistent recipes.

The rose paprika of Hungary is generally considered the finest variety. It is made from choice dark red pods that have a sweet flavour and aroma. A sharper Hungarian variety, Koenigspaprika, or king's paprika, is made from the whole pepper.

What wine goes with Chicken Paprikash? Serve Chicken Paprikash with a lively, full-bodied white wine or a light-bodied red wine.

This aromatic pepper paste is made from varietals of the Hungarian wax pepper. Although such a type is sometimes green, the paste employs red, fully-ripened fruits to lend its bold color. To achieve its desired flavor, producers often blend together varying peppers, combining notes of spice and sweetness.

The spice Paprikash, or paprika, has a mild, sweet, earthy, sometimes musty flavor. Note that there are different types of paprika – sweet (called for in this recipe), spicy and smoked.

Paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper, and Hungarian-style paprika is not smoked, but rather fairly sweet. It was the Turks who introduced the chilies to Hungary, and it's a very popular spice in Hungarian cuisine, giving distinctive flavor to soups and stews such as chicken paprikash and beef goulash.