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So chicken paprika isn’t typically prepared as a ragu or served on tagliatelle but I challenge you to give it a try. In my admittedly biased opinion, it’s quite excellent. And while the overall style of this dish deviates from traditional recipes, the underlying flavors and ingredients are quite similar. I’ve just had a little fun with the cooking method and given it a gourmet twist. The end result is a richly flavored luxurious chicken stew that is divine served over a fancy wide noodle pasta like tagliatelle. It’s a perfect dish for fall dinner parties too.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Charred red peppers and paprika give this ragu a rich smokey flavor. Served on top of tagliatelle pasta, it’s a gourmet experience. Top it with a bit of creamy homemade creme fraiche for an extra special touch.
How to make it
This recipe takes a little over 2 hours from start to finish. I find the process enjoyable and not too labor-intensive. The broad strokes are described below. If you are looking to save time, see my shortcut tips.
Step One: Chicken and stock preparation
Toss the whole chicken and stock ingredients into a pot and simmer them for about an hour. Pretty easy right? Then transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool, discard the veggies, and boil down the remaining cooking liquid to get a rich broth. This should take 15 to 30 minutes. Stop when you have about two cups left in the pot. Shred the chicken and discard the skin and bones.
Step Two: Roast your red peppers
While the chicken simmers, roast the red bell peppers. You can do this with a grill, in the oven, or with a gas burner. I provide grilling instructions with the recipe. This Kitchn article provides detailed instructions for each method. Once your peppers are nicely charred, put them in a ziplock bag to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, stems, and seeds. The last step is to puree the peppers with the two cups of chicken stock.
Step Three: Make the ragu
Sautee onion, celery, and garlic. Add the paprika, our star ingredient, the pepper mixture, tomatoes, and chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes and then stir in creme fraiche. Serve over pasta with fresh parsley.
Ingredient Notes
Paprika: Paprika is a very common spice. However, it is worth noting that there are different varieties including domestic, Hungarian, and Spanish varieties. To add to the confusion you can find sweet, hot, and smokey versions of each. For an in-depth discussion of different paprika varieties, see this article from Kitchn.
Hungarian paprika often labeled “Sweet Hungarian” is easy to find in grocery stores and is perfect for this dish. I always have this on hand along with a smokey Spanish variety. I avoid the paprika without a labeled origin as it tends to be bland. It is also worth noting that spices lose their flavor over time. Because paprika is an essential ingredient for this dish, make sure yours hasn’t been sitting in the cupboard for 2 years.
Creme Fraiche: I love creme fraiche – it’s like gourmet sour cream. You will find it is a bit thicker, with higher fat content, and a bit milder flavor. This makes it suitable for savory dishes as well as desserts. Perhaps most notably, creme fraiche can be simmered in soups and stews without curdling the way sour cream does (due to the fat content). Creme fraiche is more expensive than sour cream (again due to the higher fat content) but you can save money by making your own homemade creme fraiche with just two ingredients – cream and cultured buttermilk. I use this Serious Eats recipe.
You can swap sour cream for creme fraiche.
Shortcuts
If you are pressed for time, you can buy a cooked rotisserie chicken and proceed straight to making the ragu. I kind of hate to suggest this because you lose the rich boiled-down chicken stock which adds flavor and complexity. However, when pressed, the storebought stock will do.
If you don’t have time to char your own peppers, you can use the jarred roasted peppers from the store. You will want about 32 oz (about 8 oz per whole pepper).
Kitchen Tools
I use an immersion blender to quickly process my roasted bell peppers and chicken stock into a lovely puree. A food processor or regular blender will also do the trick but I prefer the immersion blender because it is way more convenient – easy to access and super easy to clean.
Suggested sides and pairings
Pair this dish with a simple green salad and a Spanish Rioja. My current favorite is Nucerro Reserva 2014.
Looking for more fall chicken stews?
Here are three more chicken stew recipes that are perfect for the fall season: Hunter’s Chicken Stew Chicken Normandy, and another Chicken Paprika. I love to hear from readers. What are your favorite fall dishes? If you like what you find here please leave a comment or review.
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Chicken Paprika Ragu
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Description
Smokey and complex. Perfect for Fall gatherings!
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, 4-6 pounds
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 10 peppercorns
- 1 onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 carrot, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1 celery stalk, chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- a few sprigs of thyme and parsley (optional)
Parika Ragu
- 4 red bell peppers
- 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 28 can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
- ⅓ cup creme fraiche, plus a few tablespoons more for serving
- fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
- 1 pound tagliatelle or egg noodles
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a large stockpot or dutch oven and fill it with water (3 to 4 quarts depending on chicken and pot size). Add all stock ingredients and bring to a boil. Once the pot reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer over medium for 1 hour. If the chicken is not fully submerged, turn it halfway through the hour.
- While your chicken cooks, roast your bell peppers. You can do this with a gas burner, a grill, or your oven. I prefer the grill method for this recipe (seen notes for others). Heat your grill to high. Place whole peppers over the heat. Turn every 2 to 3 minutes – until they are nice and charred. Remove peppers from heat and transfer them to a gallon Ziploc bag. Close the bag and let the peppers cool.
- When the chicken is done, transfer it to a cutting board. Return the cooking liquid to a boil and boil it down for about 30 minutes – until you have about 2 cups. Discard the veggies and transfer the stock to a glass pyrex or bowl. Shred the chicken discarding skin and bones.
- When the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove their skin. Then tear out their stems and seeds and rip them into 3 or four pieces. Combine the peppers and chicken stock and blend with an immersion blender. A food processor or regular blender will work too.
- Rinse out your stockpot and return it to the stove. Heat the olive oil and add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium for about 7 minutes. Add the paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and pepper mixture. Stir in shredded chicken. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in creme fraiche, adjust seasoning, and heat through.
- Serve over pasta and garnish with a spoon of creme fraiche and fresh parsley.
Keywords: peppers, paprika, tagliatelle, chicken, ragu, stew
