Smoked paprika, often labelled as pimentón or smoked Spanish paprika is made from chilli peppers which are smoked typically over oak or beech wood, before being dried and ground to a fine red powder. This key ingredient in most traditional Spanish recipes will add a warming smoky taste to this easy weeknight chicken casserole dish.
You can adjust the “heat factor” of your chicken casserole by choosing either hot or sweet smoked paprika. The main difference is that the hot version is made with the chilli seeds included, whereas they are removed before the grinding in the case of the sweet smoked version.
Sour cream turns this tasty one-pot chicken paprika casserole into a rich and creamy taste sensation while the white wine ensures that the chicken remains juicy and literally falls off the bone. It’s delicious served with mash, long-grain rice or crispy golden potatoes.
CHEF’S TIP:
- Use a light, dry white wine, such as a sauvignon blanc, to enhance the flavour of the chicken casserole dish.
- Chicken thighs stay tender and juicy whereas chicken breast meat cooks a lot quicker than thighs and has a tendency to go dry if overcooked.
Chicken Casserole Smothered In Smoked Paprika Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 spring onions, chopped
- 5 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 10 chicken thighs or chicken pieces, skin removed (optional)
- 1 cup flour
- 4 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 10 baby potatoes, washed and halved
- 3 tbsp tablespoons sour cream
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.
- In a large frying pan, sauté the spring onions, celery, salt, pepper, chilli flakes and garlic until soft, set aside.
- Mix the flour with paprika and coat the chicken pieces with the flour mixture.
- In the same frying pan, add oil and butter and fry the chicken in batches on medium heat until golden brown. Set aside.
- Add the spring onion mixture back with the chicken and 1 cup of white wine.
- Cook off the alcohol, add the sour cream, mustard, and the baby potatoes.
- Add the 3 cups of chicken stock or enough to almost cover the chicken and potatoes.
- Transfer the chicken with the sauce to a greased oven casserole dish.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes and chicken is cooked.
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