Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: ~50 minutes | Serves: 4–6 Difficulty: Easy | Taste: Melts in your mouth at the first bite 🤤
🛒 Ingredients
For the Chicken Paprikash:
1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg / 3 lb), cut into pieces (or 6–8 chicken thighs/drumsticks)
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 tbsp lard, goose fat, or sunflower oil
2 tbsp Hungarian sweet paprika
½ tsp hot paprika (optional)
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 tbsp tomato paste)
1 Hungarian wax pepper (or green bell pepper), sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
250 ml (1 cup) chicken broth
200 ml (¾ cup) sour cream
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
Salt & black pepper to taste
For the Nokedli (dumplings):
2 eggs
250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
150 ml (⅔ cup) water
Pinch of salt
To serve:
Extra sour cream
Fresh parsley, chopped
Pickles (optional, traditional side)
👨🍳 Instructions
Make the Paprikash:
Sauté the onions: Heat lard or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and golden, about 8 minutes.
Add the paprika: Remove pot from heat. Stir in sweet and hot paprika — the residual heat blooms the flavor without burning.
Brown the chicken: Add chicken pieces, garlic, tomatoes, and pepper. Toss to coat. Return to low heat and cook 5 minutes.
Simmer: Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for 35–40 minutes until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
Make the Nokedli:
Mix the batter: In a bowl, whisk eggs with water and salt. Gradually add flour, stirring until you get a thick, sticky, smooth batter.
Cook the dumplings: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Using a nokedli maker (or a spoon/colander), drop small bits of batter into the boiling water. They’re done when they float to the top — about 2–3 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon.
Finish & Serve:
Make the sauce creamy: In a small bowl, whisk sour cream with flour until smooth. Temper it by adding a ladle of hot sauce, then stir it back into the pot. Simmer 3–5 minutes — do not boil.
Serve: Plate the nokedli, spoon the chicken and creamy paprika sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley and an extra dollop of sour cream.
💡 Tips
No nokedli maker? Use a colander with large holes or flick small bits off a wet spoon.
Temper the sour cream — adding it cold to a hot pot will make it curdle.
Better the next day: Like most Hungarian stews, the flavor deepens overnight.
Lighter version: Use skinless chicken breasts and olive oil instead of lard.
Serve with: Pickles or a simple cucumber salad to cut the richness.
Jó étvágyat! (Enjoy your meal!) 🇭🇺❤️
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