Description
This traditional Hungarian Paprikás Csirke recipe features tender chicken breasts cooked in a rich and creamy paprika sauce, served alongside homemade nokedli, soft and fluffy Hungarian dumplings. A comforting and flavorful dish that perfectly balances the smoky sweetness of fresh Hungarian paprika with sour cream richness.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Paprika
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts; diced into ½” cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic; minced
- 2 white onions; diced
- 5 tablespoons fresh Hungarian paprika
- 3 tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2⅓ cups water
- 1 cup sour cream
Nokedli (Hungarian Dumplings)
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 to 3 cups flour (depends on consistency)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: In a deep saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onions, minced garlic, and chicken cubes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is white on the outside and the onions are translucent.
- Add paprika and tomato base: Stir in 5 tablespoons of Hungarian paprika thoroughly to coat the chicken. Pour in 3 tablespoons of ketchup or tomato paste and mix well. Stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch evenly to avoid lumps.
- Simmer the sauce: Add 2⅓ cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper to the pan. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and let it simmer gently while you prepare the nokedli dumplings.
- Prepare boiling water and spätzle maker: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Get your spätzle or nokedli maker ready for use.
- Make the nokedli batter: In a large mixing bowl, whisk 3 eggs until foamy. Add 1 cup of milk and mix well. Gradually add flour, one cup at a time, whisking until you achieve a thick batter texture that resembles muffin batter. Adjust with more flour if too thin or a splash of milk if too thick. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt.
- Cook the nokedli dumplings: Once the water is boiling, use the spätzle maker to press the batter back and forth over the boiling water. The nokedli will rise to the surface when cooked. Use a slotted spoon or spider utensil to remove dumplings and transfer them to a strainer. Rinse them gently with cold water and drain well.
- Finish the paprikás sauce: Check that the sauce around the chicken has thickened. Fold in 1 cup sour cream and cook for an additional 3 minutes over low heat, stirring gently to combine. Do not boil after adding sour cream to prevent curdling.
- Serve: Plate the chicken paprikás and serve hot with the freshly cooked nokedli dumplings on the side. Enjoy this classic Hungarian comfort meal!
Notes
- Using fresh Hungarian paprika is key for authentic flavor—avoid smoked paprika for this recipe.
- If you don’t have a spätzle maker, you can press the dough through a colander or shredder holes into the boiling water.
- The nokedli batter consistency is crucial; it should be thick but still pourable like thick muffin batter.
- Be careful not to boil the sauce after adding sour cream to avoid curdling; low heat is best.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on stovetop.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Hungarian
Keywords: Chicken Paprika, Paprikás Csirke, Hungarian cuisine, nokedli, dumplings, comfort food, traditional recipe
