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Ragù Paprikash

4.7

(10)

Ragù Paprikash on white plate
Photograph by Isa Zapata, food styling by Judy Kim, prop styling by Nicole Louie

Chicken paprikash is a classic Hungarian dish that relies on a serious scoop of paprika for both mild peppery flavor and a vibrant red color. Here that recipe’s building blocks are reimagined as a ragù, with ground chicken, aromatics, and a dollop of sour cream swirled in for richness.

Two notes for shopping. If you can find dark meat ground chicken, definitely grab it; dark meat has more fat than white meat, which is welcome in a ragù (traditionally made with pork or beef, both with higher fat content than chicken). And in the spice aisle, seek out Hungarian paprika, which is very bright red and more flavorful than “sweet paprika” or just “paprika” (though either will do in a pinch). The only variety to avoid here is smoked, or Spanish, paprika, which will provide a different flavor profile and a much darker color to your finished pasta.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    45 minutes

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4

Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

1

large onion, finely chopped

4

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1

lb. ground chicken

¼

cup Hungarian sweet paprika

½

tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2

tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, divided, plus more

4

Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, divided

1

14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1

lb. pappardelle or other long, flat pasta

¼

cup sour cream

Finely chopped parsley (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high heat. Cook 1 large onion, finely chopped, stirring often, until softened, 5–7 minutes. Add 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    Step 2

    Add 1 lb. ground chicken, ¼ cup Hungarian sweet paprika, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt to pot. Cook, stirring and breaking up meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot. Add one 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ragù is thickened and saucy, 12–14 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar.

    Step 3

    Meanwhile, cook 1 lb. pappardelle or other long, flat pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid.

    Step 4

    Add pasta and remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter to ragù. Increase heat to medium and cook, tossing and gradually adding pasta cooking liquid, until ragù is glossy and clings to pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in ¼ cup sour cream. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

    Step 5

    Divide pasta among shallow bowls; top with finely chopped parsley.

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  • A perfectly good recipe that is almost entirely ruined by the absolutely unnecessary amount of paprika. Will 100% make it again with about 1/4 of the paprika next time and it will be great!

    • Anonymous

    • 4/8/2024

  • Really enjoyed this dish. Followed recipe to the letter. Didn't know quite what to expect. Definitely has Hungarian-inspired flavor profile but also reminds me a bit of Stroganoff. Loved it and will make again. Clearly a well-tested recipe.

    • Dave

    • Big Sky, MT

    • 3/16/2024

  • This is a great recipe! My 4 and 6 year old even ate it despite it being a red sauce haha. The paprika, vinegar, and sour cream all meld together with the tomatoes for a unique flavor. I was worried 4 tbsp of vinegar would make it taste too tangy, but it was quite good. It still had a bit of a tang, but it grew on me the more I ate it. I did end up adding a hefty amount of fresh grated parm on top which I think was important. I did not add parsley for fear my kids would refuse to eat something with green in it, but I think that freshness would have been a great flavor to include. My 6 year old kept saying "this is sooo good", so it all worked out great!

    • Fran

    • Omaha, NE

    • 3/5/2024

  • I loved this recipe, simple, delicious, and fast. I added a little shredded parm on top and added a smidge of smoked paprika in additional to normal paprika that I thought added a lot. Delicious, will definitely make again!

    • Maggie Roderick

    • Sacramento, CA

    • 3/3/2024