This creamy paprika sauce is made with smoked hot paprika powder both for a good spice kick and a nice smokiness. It goes perfectly with grilled, baked or roasted chicken.
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About the recipe:
I love tasty sauces that take only a few minutes to make and this smoked paprika sauce definitely falls into that category. (As does this 5-Minute Oregano Sauce, which happens to be great on chicken too!)
I made this easy paprika sauce with smoked hot paprika for spici- and smokiness, tomato paste and sour cream for a nice tang and cilantro for freshness. It’s delicious and comes together in no time!
Ingredients you need:
A few notes on the ingredients:
- Be sure to use smoked Spanish HOT paprika and not smoked Spanish sweet paprika for this recipe. (Smoked paprika is a spice powder made from pimiento peppers that have been dried over an oak fire and then finely ground. The spice level of smoked paprika can range from mild and sweet to hot (hot is also sometimes labeled “picante”) and hot is what you want for this sauce.)
- As always, I recommend to get the spice from a dedicated spice shop rather than the grocery store. Freshness and quality of the smoked paprika are definitely important for the flavor of this sauce.
How to make the sauce:
This recipe is very easy to make. These are the steps:
- Saute minced onion in butter.
- Stir in smoked hot paprika powder.
- Pour in chicken broth and cook for a few minutes until reduced by about half.
- Take off the heat and stir in tomato paste, then heavy cream, sour cream and cilantro.
- Turn the heat back on and heat the sauce through.
Can I double or half the recipe?
Yes, easily. The recipe card below is set to 4 servings (which is about 1 cup of sauce) but you can make less or more depending on how much you need.
How to use the sauce:
You have several great meal options for this sauce:
- The sauce is great on grilled, roasted or baked chicken breast with rice. If you’d like to add a vegetable, I recommend to steam some frozen corn, it works great with the spice and the cilantro.
- The sauce is also great on potato gnocchi. Top them with grated Parmesan cheese for a delicious meal.
How to store leftovers:
If you have any sauce left over, transfer it into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Reheat on the stovetop over gentle heat, stirring continuously.
Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. Either tap or click the stars in the recipe card or leave a comment below. Thanks!
Recipe Card
Spicy Smoked Paprika Sauce with Cilantro
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup minced onion (about 1 small onion)
- 2 teaspoons smoked Spanish hot paprika*
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Instructions:
- Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the onion and saute until starting to soften (~2 minutes).
- Stir in paprika and and cook until fragrant (a few seconds).
- Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and boil uncovered until reduced by about half (3-4 minutes).
- Take off the heat and whisk or stir in the tomato paste.
- Stir in heavy cream, sour cream and cilantro.
- Turn the heat back on and heat the sauce through, stirring continuously.
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