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Hungarian chicken paprikash with orange-red sour-cream paprika sauce over small hand-cut egg dumplings, garnished with fresh herbs

Photo: Paprikapete4467 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Nokedli Dumplings

Tender bone-in chicken simmers in a brick-red sweet-paprika sauce, then meets soft hand-cut egg dumplings and a cool swirl of sour cream.

Developed for DishGal · Updated 2026-09-16

Family FavoritesEasy Chicken Recipes
Prep35 min
Cook60 min
Total105 min
Cost$4.65

Directions

  1. Season and dry the chicken

    Pat the chicken very dry, then season it on all sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Let it stand for 15 minutes while you dice the vegetables. Keep the raw-chicken tray and utensils separate from the dumpling workspace.

  2. Brown the chicken in batches

    Heat the oil in a wide 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the chicken skin-side down without crowding and brown for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Transfer each golden batch to a clean plate; the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.

  3. Build the paprika base

    Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, bell pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pull the pot off the heat, stir in both paprikas for 20 seconds, then immediately add the tomato so the spice blooms without scorching and becoming bitter.

  4. Braise the chicken gently

    Stir in the broth, scraping up the browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the sauce skin-side up and bring just to a simmer. Cover partially, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 to 38 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the thickest meat away from bone reaches at least 165°F. Move the cooked chicken to a clean platter and tent loosely.

  5. Mix and rest the nokedli batter

    While the chicken braises, whisk 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat in the eggs and 2/3 cup water with a sturdy spoon just until a thick, sticky batter forms. Add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed; the batter should fall slowly from the spoon. Rest for 15 minutes.

  6. Cut and cook the dumplings

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a steady boil. Working in three batches, spread batter on a damp cutting board and flick 1/2-inch pieces into the water with the back of a knife, or press it through a spaetzle maker. Stir once and cook for 2 minutes after the dumplings float. Lift them into a colander, drain well and toss with the butter.

  7. Temper the sour cream

    Whisk the sour cream and 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot paprika sauce a spoonful at a time, then take the pot off the heat and stir the tempered mixture into the remaining sauce. Warm over low for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly thickened; do not boil or the sour cream may split.

  8. Finish and serve

    Taste the sauce and adjust salt. Return the chicken and any platter juices to the pot for 3 minutes over low heat, keeping every piece above 165°F. Spoon buttered nokedli into warm shallow bowls, top with chicken and plenty of paprika sauce, and finish with parsley and an optional small spoonful of sour cream.

Why this works

Why it worksRemoving the pot from direct heat before adding paprika protects its sweet, fruity flavor; tomato and broth then stop the spice from scorching.
Why it worksBone-in chicken develops a fuller sauce while a gentle, partially covered braise keeps the skin from turning rubbery and the meat from drying out.
Why it worksTempering room-temperature sour cream with hot sauce and avoiding a final boil produces a smooth, tangy finish instead of curds.

Useful kitchen gear

Tools that make this easier.

Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.

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Red enameled Dutch oven on a kitchen work surface Compare on Amazon6-quart Dutch ovenA wide heavy pot browns the chicken in batches and holds a gentle, even braise without crowding the bone-in pieces.See current options → Two digital probe cooking thermometers beside prepared ingredients Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck the thickest chicken away from bone and confirm every piece reaches at least 165°F before it returns to the finished sauce.See current options → Long stainless-steel kitchen tongs turning food over a grill Compare on AmazonLong stainless-steel tongsA secure reach makes it easier to turn browned chicken and move cooked pieces without piercing the meat or splashing hot sauce.See current options →

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

  • Use all thighs or all drumsticks if preferred, keeping the total near 3 pounds. Boneless pieces cook faster, so start checking at 18 minutes and still verify 165°F.
  • For store-bought noodles, replace the nokedli with 12 ounces dry wide egg noodles cooked and buttered according to the package. The result is convenient but less traditional in texture.
  • Full-fat plain Greek yogurt can replace sour cream. Temper it carefully off heat and do not boil; lower-fat yogurt is more likely to separate.

Cook notes

  • The 105-minute total includes the 15-minute chicken seasoning and dumpling-batter rest, which overlap with vegetable prep and braising.
  • Paprika is the defining ingredient, so use a fresh Hungarian sweet paprika rather than smoked paprika; old spice gives color but very little aroma.
  • The licensed photograph visibly shows one sauced chicken portion centered over small irregular egg dumplings with a creamy paprika coating and herb garnish; the recipe matches that finished form, sauce and presentation.

Storage

Refrigerate chicken and sauce in one shallow airtight container and dumplings in another within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Reheat the chicken gently in a covered saucepan over medium-low, adding a splash of broth and stirring without boiling, until the thickest piece reaches 165°F. Warm dumplings separately with a teaspoon of water and a little butter. Freeze the chicken and paprika sauce for up to 2 months, but make fresh dumplings after thawing for the best texture.

Questions

Why did my chicken paprikash sauce taste bitter?

Paprika scorches quickly in a hot, dry pot. Move the pot off heat before stirring it into the softened onions, work for only about 20 seconds, and add tomato promptly to cool the mixture.

Can I make nokedli without a spaetzle maker?

Yes. Put one-third of the sticky batter on a damp cutting board held over the pot and use the back of a wet knife to flick narrow 1/2-inch pieces into the water. Small irregular shapes are correct and cook evenly.

How do I keep sour cream from curdling in paprikash?

Use full-fat sour cream at room temperature, whisk it smooth with flour, gradually warm it with hot sauce, and stir it into the pot off heat. Reheat only gently and never let the finished sauce boil.

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Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Nokedli Dumplings
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1. Season and dry the chickenPat the chicken very dry, then season it on all sides with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Let it stand for 15 minutes while you dice the vegetables. Keep the raw-chicken tray and utensils separate from the dumpling workspace.
2. Brown the chicken in batchesHeat the oil in a wide 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the chicken skin-side down without crowding and brown for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Transfer each golden batch to a clean plate; the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
3. Build the paprika baseReduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, bell pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pull the pot off the heat, stir in both paprikas for 20 seconds, then immediately add the tomato so the spice blooms without scorching and becoming bitter.
4. Braise the chicken gentlyStir in the broth, scraping up the browned bits. Nestle the chicken into the sauce skin-side up and bring just to a simmer. Cover partially, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30 to 38 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the thickest meat away from bone reaches at least 165°F. Move the cooked chicken to a clean platter and tent loosely.
5. Mix and rest the nokedli batterWhile the chicken braises, whisk 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Beat in the eggs and 2/3 cup water with a sturdy spoon just until a thick, sticky batter forms. Add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed; the batter should fall slowly from the spoon. Rest for 15 minutes.
6. Cut and cook the dumplingsBring a large pot of salted water to a steady boil. Working in three batches, spread batter on a damp cutting board and flick 1/2-inch pieces into the water with the back of a knife, or press it through a spaetzle maker. Stir once and cook for 2 minutes after the dumplings float. Lift them into a colander, drain well and toss with the butter.
7. Temper the sour creamWhisk the sour cream and 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot paprika sauce a spoonful at a time, then take the pot off the heat and stir the tempered mixture into the remaining sauce. Warm over low for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly thickened; do not boil or the sour cream may split.
8. Finish and serveTaste the sauce and adjust salt. Return the chicken and any platter juices to the pot for 3 minutes over low heat, keeping every piece above 165°F. Spoon buttered nokedli into warm shallow bowls, top with chicken and plenty of paprika sauce, and finish with parsley and an optional small spoonful of sour cream.