VERONICA HINKE
author • speaker • journalist • coach
Recipes & Food Styling
Chicken Paprikash
Hungary? Chicken Paprikash is a beautiful, colorful Christmas dinner that is loaded with flavor. My great-grandma came to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia, but I hadn’t heard of Chicken Paprikash, which is a customary dish of neighboring Hungary, until I was almost 50! I was deployed to Tomah, Wisconsin and went to lunch with a few of the people who were also working there after severe flooding in central Wisconsin in 2010. We went to a wonderful grocery store, Burnstad’s, and there was a lovely sit-down restaurant. I bought some autumn decorations in the gift section, and they are still some of my favorites.
Sadly, Burnstad’s closed in 2017. When we had our lunch there, one of my co-workers spotted Chicken Paprikash on the menu and ordered it right away. She let me sample some, and I loved it. I love paprika, and Chicken Paprikash is loaded with it. I thought it would be impossible to re-create it just like Burnstad’s, but it was so easy. Here is how I made my Chicken Paprikash:
Chicken Paprikash
In Dutch oven, cook bite-size pieces of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning until each piece is cooked through. Add desired amounts of chopped red pepper, salt, pepper, thinly sliced onion, tomatoes, minced fresh garlic and, of course, plenty of paprika.
When onions become translucent, add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 can diced tomatoes. Add sprinkle of red chile pepper flakes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together until thoroughly mixed, 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Add to chicken in pot and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.
Plate chicken over egg noodles. Top with dollop of sour cream, bits of bright green fresh parsley and a sprinkle of paprika and red chile pepper flakes.
