Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Chicken and Dumplings)
Instructions
1. Cook the Onions
Heat the lard or oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and cook for 6–8 minutes, until soft and lightly golden.
2. Add the Paprika
Remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in the Hungarian paprika, making sure the onions are well coated.
Avoid cooking paprika over very high heat because it can burn and become bitter.
3. Add the Chicken
Add the chicken pieces, garlic, bell pepper, and tomatoes.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Return the pot to medium heat and stir everything together.
4. Simmer the Chicken
Pour in the chicken broth or water.
Cover the pot and simmer gently for approximately 35–45 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Turn the chicken occasionally so it cooks evenly.
5. Make the Sour Cream Mixture
In a bowl, whisk the sour cream and flour until completely smooth.
Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the hot cooking liquid.
This helps warm the sour cream gradually and prevents it from curdling.
6. Finish the Paprikash
Slowly stir the sour cream mixture into the pot.
Cook gently for another 5–8 minutes, until the sauce becomes creamy and slightly thickened.
Don’t allow the sauce to boil vigorously.
Make the Hungarian Dumplings
7. Prepare the Nokedli Dough
Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
Add the eggs and gradually mix in the water until you have a soft, sticky dough.
The dough should be thicker than pancake batter but soft enough to drop into boiling water.
8. Cook the Dumplings
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Using a spaetzle maker, dumpling press, or the edge of a spoon, drop small pieces of dough into the boiling water.
Cook for approximately 2–4 minutes, until the dumplings float and are tender.
Drain well.
9. Serve
Place a generous portion of nokedli on each plate.
Top with tender chicken and plenty of creamy paprika sauce.
Add a small spoonful of sour cream and fresh parsley if desired.
Tips for Perfect Chicken Paprikash
Use bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks for especially flavorful and tender meat.
Choose good-quality Hungarian paprika.
Never let the paprika burn.
Temper the sour cream before adding it to the hot sauce.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer after adding sour cream.
Make the nokedli just before serving so the dumplings remain soft.
Recipe Summary
Cuisine: Hungarian 🇭🇺 Course: Main Course Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: About 1 hour 5 minutes Servings: 6
Final Thoughts
Hungarian Chicken Paprikash (Paprikás Csirke) is one of the most comforting dishes in Hungarian cuisine. Tender chicken is slowly cooked with onions and fragrant paprika, then finished with a creamy sour cream sauce.
Serve it over homemade nokedli dumplings for the classic combination—the soft dumplings are perfect for soaking up the rich, flavorful sauce. 🇭🇺🍗🥣✨
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