Molly Yeh’s Top-Rated Food Network Recipe Has Lots of Fans — And Its Share of Critics

Food Network star Molly Yeh brings together super easy and tasty Chicken Paprikash, her top-rated recipe on the culinary channel’s website.

While this dinner is a winner with many home cooks, it also has its share of detractors who challenged the chef’s tweaks on the classic Hungarian dish.

Molly Yeh’s chicken recipe is the perfect weeknight meal

The Girl Meets Farm star’s dish calls for unsalted butter, onions, garlic, Hungarian sweet paprika, cayenne, flour, low-sodium chicken broth, “a pinch of sugar,” skinless boneless chicken thighs that have been chopped into pieces, heavy cream, and white wine vinegar. Of course, as with any savory recipe, salt and pepper to taste as you prepare the dish.

And the meal is incredibly easy to bring together for a quick after-work dinner.

The onions are cooked in a pan in the melted butter, followed by the garlic, paprika, and cayenne. At this point, the flour is added, along with more butter; the broth and sugar are stirred in and the resulting sauce is cooked until it’s thickened. The chicken pieces are nestled into the sauce and it’s all brought to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Finally, the cream and vinegar are mixed in. That’s it!

Get the complete recipe and reviews on Food Network’s site.

Yeh’s top-rated Food Network recipe mostly has fans, but some critics as well

While the culinary personality’s recipe for Chicken Paprikash is her most popular on Food Network’s site with over 100 five-star ratings, it still has its critics. Some of the recipe’s reviewers took issue with the authenticity of Yeh’s take on the meal.

It should be noted that classic paprikash uses sour cream, while Yeh’s version opts for heavy cream instead. She also added other ingredients, not lost on these reviewers, that traditionally are not included in paprikash seasoning.

One reviewer noted that the Spring Baking Championship host’s recipe has “nothing to do with chicken paprikash” because of its use of cayenne pepper, sugar, and vinegar.

Another left no doubt as to how they felt about the recipe: “This is NOT Hungarian at all – and it tastes awful.  Do not use this recipe – it is not authentic and cayenne pepper is not used in Hungarian dishes. Garbage.”

Lastly, a home cook who enjoyed the dish politely noted that it was a meal she regularly had in her childhood and that Yeh had substituted a crucial ingredient: “Nearly perfect recipe, EXCEPT you MUST use sour cream instead of heavy cream. I grew up in a household where this was traditional Sunday dinner. Sour cream is essential to the flavor of this dish. It’s way more traditional and makes the whole works swing.”

Overall, Food Network reviewers loved Yeh’s comforting Chicken Paprikash

Despite its small group of critics, Yeh’s recipe is a hit with so many home cooks, who praised it for its ease of preparation and, above all, its great flavor.

After all, the chef was simply presenting a version of the dish that showcased its versatility with different ingredients. As one reviewer stated: “Authentic not authentic–who cares!! Super tasty!!”

Another home cook stated that they “Made it as written and it turned out amazing. Perfect blend of salty, sweet and spicy. I served it over egg noodles. Going in the weekly rotation.”

And a reviewer admitted Yeh’s spin on the recipe was even tastier than the paprikash they’d had for years: “This is better than the Paprikash recipe I’ve [been] making for decades! I followed the recipe as written except I used 1/4 c sour cream in lieu of cream. Do yourself a favor and make a double batch! I’m adding it to my Comfort Food Sunday rotation!”