Chicken Paprikash (Hungarian Comfort Food) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

After paprika, garlic and onion bulbs are some of the most popular aromatics, either or both being used in most every savoury dish. Herbs are also a key component of Hungarian cuisine, with dill, bay leaf, marjoram, and parsley being the most common.

The Backbone of Hungarian Cuisine

“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.”

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.

The name originates from the Hungarian gulyás [ˈɡujaːʃ]. The word gulya means 'herd of cattle' in Hungarian, and gulyás means 'herdsman' or 'cowboy'.

What is closest to Hungarian paprika? ›

If a recipe calls for sweet Hungarian paprika and you don't have it in your spice rack, reach for ancho powder if you have it or chili powder. Both have a mild heat that closely mimics paprika.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.