Here’s a classic Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings (Nokedli)—rich, comforting, and full of paprika flavor 🇭🇺🍗
🍗 Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings (Csirkepaprikás)
Ingredients (4 servings)
Chicken Paprikash
- 1 kg (2–2½ lb) chicken (thighs, drumsticks, or mixed pieces)
- 2 tbsp oil or lard
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2–3 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika (important!)
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced (optional)
- 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock or water
- 200 g (¾–1 cup) sour cream
- 1 tbsp flour (optional, for thickening)
🥄 Dumplings (Nokedli)
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- ¾–1 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Make the paprikash
- Heat oil/lard in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until soft and golden (don’t rush this).
- Remove from heat, stir in paprika quickly (prevents bitterness).
- Add chicken, salt, pepper, peppers, and tomato.
- Return to heat, add stock, cover, and simmer 30–40 minutes until chicken is tender.
2️⃣ Prepare the dumplings
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Mix flour, eggs, salt, and water into a sticky batter.
- Using a dumpling board, spoon, or colander, drop small dumplings into boiling water.
- Cook until they float (2–3 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon.
3️⃣ Finish the sauce
- Remove chicken from the pot and keep warm.
- Mix sour cream with flour (if using).
- Stir a little hot sauce into the sour cream (tempering).
- Gently stir back into the pot—do not boil.
- Return chicken to sauce and warm through.
🍽️ Serve
- Spoon chicken and paprika sauce over dumplings
- Optional: garnish with parsley
- Serve with cucumber salad or pickles
🇭🇺 Pro tips
- Use real Hungarian paprika for authentic flavor
- Never let paprika burn—it turns bitter
- Sour cream should be full-fat for best texture
If you’d like, I can also share:
- A one-pot shortcut
- A slow cooker version
- Or a modern lighter version
Just tell me 😊
