Learn how to make Nokedli or Hungarian dumplings, the perfect side dish for goulash, paprikash, or pörkölt. A fool-proof nokedli recipe for the best dumplings. And you will not need a spaetzle maker.
These are the best Hungarian nokedli I've ever had! They are easy to make, perfect every time, so delicious and comforting!
Table of contents
What are nokedli?
Nokedli or Hungarian dumplings are fresh pasta made with eggs and flour, the Hungarian version of a small Central European dumpling, related to the German Spätzle, the Romanian galusti, Swiss Chnöpfli or Slovak Halusky. They are a traditional Hungarian specialty, which is very popular in Transylvania as well. I grew up with my grandma’s nokedli, a family recipe that we always had with Chicken Paprikash.
Why will you love this recipe?
- Fool-proof: The one issue I had with making nokedli ages ago when I started cooking was that my grandmother’s recipe was vague; she never knew how much flour she added, “just enough flour to get the batter right,” she used to say. Those are unhappy instructions if you’ve never made the nokedli batter before; it took many tries to get a consistent recipe. But now it’s perfect; if you follow these instructions, you will get excellent dumplings each time.
- Larger: These Hungarian dumplings are a bit larger than the standard small noodles. You can make them smaller, of course, but once you’ve had them this size, you’ll probably never go back. They are so incredibly fluffy and comforting!
- No equipment needed: There is no need to stress yourself with a Spaetzle maker, potato masher, or knife. These amazing Hungarian noodles are shaped with a teaspoon.
- Versatile: You can serve nokedli with any kind of goulash or stew (meaty or vegetarian). They are also great in a simple chicken soup.
Expert tips
Every time, the secret of making perfect nokedli dumplings lies in the egg-flour proportion. That’s why it’s better to weigh the flour with the digital kitchen scale; it eliminates variations (Amazon affiliate link). Using a cup to measure flour is adventurous, and in this case, a slight variation will affect the quality of the dumplings.
I saw many recipes using a Spaetzle maker to form the dumplings. We never used that in our family; we always form “galuste” with a teaspoon. This way, these Hungarian nokedli are larger than the German Spätzle but equally delicious.
Another bonus of using a teaspoon is that the procedure is easier, faster, and less messy; the chances of batter landing on the stovetop or the floor are zero. That’s never the case when you use a dumpling maker.
Recipe ingredients
There are only four simple ingredients: all-purpose flour, eggs, yogurt or sour cream, and salt.
- Eggs: I use German medium eggs, the equivalent of large eggs in the US.
- Dairy: Smetana would be the dairy you would use in Romania. I buy the German Schmand from time to time, but not especially to make nokedli; I just use it if I happen to have some leftovers in the fridge. Otherwise, use full-fat Greek yogurt or a bit of sour cream.
Two easy steps
Make the batter:
- Combine eggs and dairy using a fork. Mix well and add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Slowly start adding the flour while beating with the fork and incorporating the flour until the batter is smooth (1).
- Depending on the size of your eggs, you might need one extra tablespoon of flour. Or ½ - 1 tablespoon less if your eggs are small. See the pictures below; that is the batter consistency you should achieve. The nokedli dough should be relatively thick and slowly fall off the fork (2).
Cook nokedli:
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil on high heat. Add salt to the boiling water. Turn the heat down and let it come to a simmer; it should not boil when you add the dumplings.
- Scoop a small amount of dough using a teaspoon; it should only be half full with batter. Add to the hot water.
- Let the nokedli simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir a couple of times carefully in between to turn them on the other side.
- Once ready, they will be puffed and larger and will swim at the top of the pot.
- Drain well in a sieve or remove them with a large slotted spoon.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe FAQ
Adding a bit of yogurt, smetana, or sour cream to the batter makes the Hungarian nokedli exceptionally soft and fluffy.
Apparently, nokedli made from 2 eggs should be enough for 4 portions. Well, they were never enough for us, not at least since our children have reached 3 years of age anyway, so I always make the double portion with 4 eggs.
You can, but it makes life more difficult and the procedure messier.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freeze in freezer bags or an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat before serving.
You can reheat them directly in the goulash or paprikash sauce. Or in the soup.
You can also reheat them in a frying pan. Melt some butter in a large skillet and cook the Hungarian nokedli until hot and lightly browned.
How to serve?
I serve them with Chicken Paprikash most of the time. But I often serve them with Hungarian Beef Goulash, Pörkölt, or chicken soup. You can also have them with melted butter; it’s something your kids will adore.
More Hungarian recipes
The Best Nokedli Recipe (Hungarian Dumplings)
Ingredients
- 4 eggs medium Germany, large US
- 2 tablespoons smetana/ Greek yogurt/sour cream
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 180 g all-purpose flour + or - 1 tablespoon 6.5 oz/ 1 ½ cups (Note 1)
Instructions
- Beat the eggs and the sour cream/ yogurt/ smetana with a fork.
- Add the salt and slowly start adding the flour while beating with the fork and incorporating the flour until smooth.
- Adjust batter: Depending on the size of your eggs, you might need one extra tablespoon of flour. Or ½ - 1 tablespoon less if your eggs are small. See the pictures; that is the batter consistency that you should achieve. The batter should be relatively thick and slowly fall off the fork.
- Boil water: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about ½ tablespoon salt to the boiling water. Turn the heat down and let it come to a simmer.
- Cook nokedli: Add the nokedli to the water using a teaspoon, which should only be half full with batter. Let the nokedli simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. Drain well.
Notes
- I recommend weighing the flour, it’s all about the balance between the dry and the wet ingredients, and slight variations are not optimal. A digital kitchen scale will give you the most precise measure ensuring the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
Amy Kugali McWilliams says
Do you have a paprikash recipe?
Adina says
Coming tomorrow! I wanted to post it today, but I just got home and I am so tired, I will not manage anymore. It is the first thing I will do in the morning.
Patricia says
Thanks for your version of paprikash. That's the one I was looking for despite my friends using sour cream to thicken the sauce. I've been making the dumplings using Farina for half of the flour. Hadn't heard of using yogurt in the batter, but will next time. Sounds delicious!
Adina says
You're welcome, Patricia. My grandmother never used dairy in her cooking, despite most people using it for paprikash or other dishes. She never would have used the yogurt in the dumplings either, but I find them fluffier this way. 🙂
Elizabeth Killinger says
My family aways poured our batter over a cutting board and then used a large knife to slice pieces off the board over the pot of boiling water. It is very quick compared to using spaetzle maker. Also - glad I scrolled down to the comment section. I had never heard of using yogurt in nokedli before either.
Adina says
I tried making spätzle like that a long time ago, I failed completely. 🙂 🙂 I saw it on TV many times, it is the traditional way to make spätzle, but I think it takes a lot of practice until you get it right, with the spätzle maker I am done in minutes. Yogurt makes the nokedli more tender I think, but they are always delicious, with or without yogurt. I've never made the paprikash with peppers or tomatoes, but I am sure I would love the addition.
sharon t. says
My moms looks exactly how you made hers! I'll give it a try tomorrow thank you!
Adina says
Thanks Sharon, I hope you like the dumplings.
Maria says
I made these last night. I used an emersion stick after adding 1/2 the flour. Used a fork for the second 1/2. They were truly magnificent! The best, lightest, fluffiest dumplings I've ever made. Thank you!!!
The only problem I'm having is that I can't get the recipe to print. Is the print link broken?
Adina says
Hi Maria. So glad you liked the dumplings. There have been some updates at wordpress, I have the feeling that is causing the printing problem. I will try to fix it tomorrow.
Marideth Leonard says
Thank you so much for taking the time to measure carefully and share this recipe with us! I too have brittle, browned notes of "a pinch of" type instructions. But your details make cooking so much easier, and now my daughter wants to learn too.
kathi says
How much water should be added to the dough? Without water, this is like cement
Adina says
Hi Kathi. There is no water in the batter. And they will not be like cement if you measure the right amount of flour.
Judith says
@kathi, I think old Hungarians would faint to use so many eggs in the dough and always use water. I definitely use water, never heard of yoghurt in it, but assume it makes the the dough (lazább) lighter. Will give a try next time, no big deal.
Paul says
I am making these tomorrow night!
Adina says
Great! I hope you like them!
Tracy Marks says
Thanks so much for the Nokedli recipe. It looks like my mom's. She always made Xtra sauce for the paprikash and just dropped them right in the sauce to cook than added the chicken back in. Which is what I will attempt now that I found the right recipe.
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Tracy. Let me know how that works. 🙂
Al says
Very tasty- I love the way they pop up in the pan when cooked! I thought it was 10 mins to cook each batch but it was 10 minutes to do the lot , hooking out the floating ones!
Adina says
So glad to hear you liked them, Al. Especially together with the goulash.
Christine Ryder says
Hello Adina. I just found your site and I thank you for posting a traditional recipe . As a Hungarian granddaughter, I grew up with "enough flour" or "egg sized" amounts of whatever (I, too, have a "scribbled notes" recipe book). My Oma never used yogurt, but I'll try it, as I always just use flour, egg & water. I made them to go with my porkolt last night. Thank you again.
Adina says
Thank you for your nice comment, Christine.
Jen says
Oh my gosh, this cracks me up. My gram's recipes are the same. Sadly she's been gone a while and I can't call her up to complain! I'm making paprikas tonight (finally figured out the right amount of paprika and sour cream. That only took a few fails), but I can never, never, never duplicate the dumplings. She just put the most basic instructions, of course as you said, known only to her. THANK YOU for this. I loved it.
Adina says
Hi Jen. Thank you for your comment. My grandma is gone too, quite a while now. But her recipes are still the best, even if never precisely the same due to lack of more precise information. I am glad you liked the dumplings.
Barbara Adamd says
The flour measurement is confusing!
Adina says
You need 180 g, but you might need one tablespoon more or one tablespoon less to get the right consistency, depending mostly on the size of your eggs.
Peggy says
Making this over Christmas vacation. Yummy my mother in law is Hungarian. Have all her recipes.
Adina says
Glad to hear it. Hungarian food is great.
Nancy says
@Adina, I would really like how you make the paprika. My grandmother had a recipe for it but can not find.
Adina says
Hi Nancy. Here is my Chicken Paprikash recipe https://whereismyspoon.co/easy-hungarian-chicken-paprikash-with-dumplings/