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Meat, European

Chicken Paprikash with Nokedli

Chicken paprikash with nokedli is a Hungarian dish for 4 people, ready in 1 hour, easy level, around €2.80 per person. Chicken thighs simmer in a paprika, bell pepper and tomato sauce, smoothed with sour cream, served with nokedli, small egg dumplings poached in water. The key is adding the cream off the heat so it doesn't split.

Tonight, the dish that wins over every Hungarian family, chicken paprikash in a pink, creamy paprika sauce, with little nokedli dumplings on the side.

Chicken Paprikash with Nokedli
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.80
Calories per person
650 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter, Spring
The kids
They generally like it

The sauce is a warm pinkish orange, fragrant with sweet paprika, with that gentle smoky sweetness that gives this dish its character. The chicken turns tender as it simmers with onions, bell pepper and tomato, and the cream stirred in at the end rounds out the paprika without hiding it.

Nokedli, those small irregular egg dumplings, stand in for rice or regular pasta and soak up the sauce better than anything else. It's a great dish for a family Sunday, kids usually love the mild sauce, and it works well when you want a dinner that feels a bit different without extra effort.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 4

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Green bell pepper 1
  • Tomato 1

Pantry

  • Sweet paprikaoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Flouroften in the pantry 350 g
  • Lard or oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Sour cream 20 cl
  • Eggs 2

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the sliced onions in the lard over low heat until golden. 10 min

    Stir often so they don't burn, they shouldn't brown too much.

  2. Take off the heat, stir in the paprika and the salted, peppered chicken thighs, then return to the heat. 5 min

    Off the heat, the paprika keeps its bright red color and natural sweetness.

  3. Add the bell pepper, tomato and a glass of water, cover and simmer until the chicken is tender. 35 min

    Turn the thighs halfway through so the sauce colors them on every side.

  4. Meanwhile, make the nokedli by mixing the flour, eggs, salt and a little water, then drop the batter into boiling water through a colander. 8 min

    The stickier the batter, the softer the nokedli.

  5. Mix the cream with a ladle of sauce, pour it all into the pot and warm gently without boiling, then serve with the nokedli. 3 min

    Don't let it boil again after adding the cream, or the sauce may split.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a good, fairly fresh sweet paprika, since its flavor fades quickly once the jar has been open a while.
  • If the sauce reduces too much while the chicken cooks, add a splash of hot water rather than cold, so you don't stall the cooking.
  • Mix the nokedli batter right before poaching it, since it loses its light texture if it sits too long.

The variations

  • Swap the green bell pepper for a red one for a sweeter, less bitter sauce.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with button mushrooms and cauliflower, and simmer for a shorter time.
  • For a quick kid friendly version, serve the sauce over store bought short pasta instead of homemade nokedli.

What to serve it with

  • A cucumber salad with dill
  • Bread for mopping up the sauce
  • Sparkling water with lemon

Storage

Chicken paprikash keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well without the cream, which you should add only when gently reheating. Nokedli also keep for 2 days, best reheated in a pan with a little butter.

Questions about this dish

Can I use regular heavy cream instead of sour cream?

Yes, but the sauce will be a bit thinner. Add it off the heat too, mixed with a ladle of hot sauce first, so it doesn't split.

Can I make chicken paprikash ahead of time?

Yes, cook the chicken and sauce the day before without the cream, then add it the next day while gently reheating. Nokedli are best made fresh right before serving.

How do I get soft, fluffy nokedli?

The batter should be quite sticky, almost hard to scoop with a spoon. That stickiness is exactly what makes the nokedli tender once poached in boiling water.

What if I don't have a nokedli press or colander?

Wet a cutting board and scrape small pieces of batter off it with a knife straight into the boiling water. The dumplings will be a bit more irregular but just as good.

How long does it take to make a chicken paprikash with nokedli?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken paprikash with nokedli?

About 650 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken paprikash with nokedli cost?

About €2.80 per serving, or €11.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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