Hungarian Paprikás Sauce

Name: Hungarian Paprikás Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Hungarian
Ingredients: Onion, finely diced — 1 large; Lard or vegetable oil — 30 g (2 tbsp); Sweet Hungarian paprika — 20 g (2.5 tbsp); Chicken stock — 300 ml (1 1/4 cups); Sour cream — 150 g (2/3 cup); All-purpose flour — 15 g (2 tbsp); Salt and pepper — to taste

The Quirky Foodster Team

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10 min

Prep

25 min

Cook

Ingredients

Onion, finely diced — 1 large
Lard or vegetable oil — 30 g (2 tbsp)
Sweet Hungarian paprika — 20 g (2.5 tbsp)
Chicken stock — 300 ml (1 1/4 cups)
Sour cream — 150 g (2/3 cup)
All-purpose flour — 15 g (2 tbsp)
Salt and pepper — to taste

Method

Heat lard or oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat; cook onion slowly until very soft and golden, about
12-15 minutes.
Remove pot from heat briefly, stir in paprika (to prevent scorching, which turns it bitter), then return to low heat and
stir 30 seconds.
Gradually add stock, stirring to combine, then simmer 10 minutes.
Whisk sour cream with flour in a separate bowl until smooth, then temper with a spoonful of the hot sauce before
whisking back into the pot.
Simmer gently a few minutes until thickened; season with salt and pepper.

Cultural Background: A creamy, paprika-rich sauce built on onions, sour cream and generous sweet Hungarian paprika, paprikás sauce underlies the beloved dish csirke paprikás (chicken paprikash), a defining flavour of Hungarian home cooking.

Tips: • Removing the pot from heat before adding paprika prevents it from scorching and turning bitter, a common mistake. • Whisking flour into the sour cream before adding it to the hot sauce prevents curdling.

Variations: • Use smoked paprika for a deeper, smokier variation. • Add a diced bell pepper and tomato for the fuller lecsó-influenced version.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Reheating: Reheat gently over low heat, stirring occasionally; avoid boiling. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 75 kcal, 1.5 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 5 g carbohydrate per 60 ml serving.

FAQs: What is paprikás sauce traditionally served with? Chicken (csirke paprikás) served over nokedli (Hungarian egg dumplings/spätzle). Why does the sauce need sour cream added carefully? Sour cream can curdle if added directly to a very hot sauce; tempering it first with warm sauce prevents this.