Shredded Chicken Paprikash Recipe (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.

Sour Cream – This will help add fat and thicken up our sauce. Flour – All-purpose flour is used to help thicken the Paprikash sauce.

Both paprikash and goulash are paprika-based stews, but goulash is made with beef and vegetables, while paprikash is most typically made with chicken. Recipes vary, but goulash is usually not thickened with flour like paprikash is, and goulash typically isn't enriched with cream or sour cream.

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.

McCormick® Culinary® Hungarian Style Paprika uses only the highest quality peppers to deliver a sweet and slightly pungent flavor, and a deep red color.

Due to its smokiness, lively colour and the surprising fresh or even spicy taste of some varieties, paprika is a wonderful ingredient that's deeply rooted in the traditions of Hungarian gastronomy.”

In Hungary there are many kinds of paprika, but in U.S. grocery stores you will likely just find one version that either comes from Hungary or from California. Paprika is the Hungarian word for pepper, and Hungarian-style paprika is not smoked, but rather fairly sweet.

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.

Some recipes use flour to thicken the sauce. I don't find that necessary if you use fresh tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes, as they break down to thicken the sauce. It also makes the stew sauce taste less tomatoey which lets the paprika and other flavours come through more. Onion and garlic – flavour base.

In terms of thickening, the important part of the roux is the flour, or specifically, the starch in the flour. Cooking a starch causes it to expand and gelatinize, absorbing liquid like a sponge. Think of the way rice or oatmeal absorb water and swell up when you cook them.

Why is it called paprikash? ›

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.

Smoked paprika is perfect for adding a depth of flavour to paella, stews, soups, casseroles, pizza and pasta. Smoked paprika is also commonly referred to as Spanish paprika. Hot paprika is, unsurprisingly, hot. Also known as Hungarian paprika, a little goes a long way so use it sparingly to spice up dishes.

Hungary's national dish

Gulyás, known to English speakers as goulash, is a spicy meat stew containing lots of paprika pepper. Originally, it was eaten by the country's cattle herders and stockmen.

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.