Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings

Ahhh yes 😍 Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings — classic comfort food! Tender chicken in a rich, paprika cream sauce served over soft dumplings. Here’s a full recipe:

🍗 Hungarian Chicken Paprikash with Dumplings (Csirke Paprikás)

Ingredients (4 servings)

For the Chicken Paprikash:

1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg / 3 lbs), cut into pieces or 4–6 chicken thighs
2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
2–3 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
½ cup sour cream (or crème fraîche)

For the Dumplings (Nokedli / Spaetzle style):

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
¼ cup water (adjust as needed)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1️⃣ Make the Chicken Paprikash

Heat oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onions until golden.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
Remove pot from heat, stir in paprika (prevents burning).
Return to heat and add chicken pieces, lightly browning all sides.
Stir in tomato paste and optional caraway seeds.
Pour in chicken broth, season with salt and pepper.
Cover and simmer 35–45 minutes until chicken is tender.

2️⃣ Make the Dumplings

In a bowl, mix flour, egg, water, and salt to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Using a spaetzle maker or a spoon, drop small dumplings into boiling water.
Cook 2–3 minutes until they float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

3️⃣ Finish the Paprikash

Remove chicken from heat and let cool slightly.
Whisk sour cream (temper with a few spoonfuls of hot sauce first to prevent curdling) and stir into the pot. Heat gently—do not boil.
Add dumplings to the sauce or serve them on the side.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot 😍