Published September 30, 2022.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This tasty easy-to-make nokedli recipe, also known as Hungarian Dumplings, comes together in under 20 minutes. You will be surprised and just how delicious these are and how many dishes you can serve them with.
I believe side dishes to any main entrée can greatly enhance the dining experience. If you want to try out some new recipes, check out my Potatoes Anna or Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Nokedli
Nokedli is a traditional Hungarian dish consisting of boiled dumplings consisting of flour, water, salt, and eggs, that are sometimes enhanced with thyme and whole milk. They are similar in ingredients, flavor, and preparation to spaetzle and can be made with a spaetzle maker.
There is another technique to make the nokedli using a spoon and a cutting board if a spaetzle maker is unavailable. These are commonly served with Chicken Paprikash, and you can see this technique in that video. The other way to do it is by pushing the dough through a perforated pan into the boiling water using a rubber spatula.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – Regular all-purpose flour is all you need for this.
- Water – Cold water is perfect.
- Eggs – Large eggs at either room temperature or chilled are fine.
- Salt – I always use sea salt in my cooking.
How to Make Nokedli
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs and water until combined.
Next, whisk in the salt.
Add the flour in 3 batches until the water, salt, eggs, and flour are combined and smooth. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Spread a small amount of dough out onto a smaller cutting board and then position it at an angle over the boiling salted water.
Using a regular spoon, thin out the dough a bit at the end closest to the water and cut off small little pieces while frequently dipping the spoon into the water to ensure the dough does not stick to the spoon to make small nokedli dumplings.
Cook the nokedli until they float to the top.
Drain them and toss with melted unsalted butter and season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead:If you cool this right after boiling, you can make these up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in butter and serve.
How to Store:Coat with a small amount of oil, cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once cool, coat in a small amount of oil, cover, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat:Heat a large frying pan with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted. Add the strained and cooled nokedli to the pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until hot. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You can also make the batter in a stand mixer or with electric hand beaters.
- It is also common to toss the cooked nokedli with sour cream.
- Feel free to make these in a spaetzle maker for ease.
- You could also add the dough to the pot of boiling water through a cheese grater.
- Use a slotted spoon if you do not have a strainer that fits in your pot.
- Serve nokedli with Chicken Paprikash.
More Side Dish Recipes
- Roasted Carrots
- Rice Pilaf
- Scalloped Potatoes
- Succotash
- Green Bean Casserole
Save
Nokedli Recipe (Hungarian Dumplings)
5 from 5 votes
This tasty easy-to-make nokedli recipe, also known as Hungarian Dumplings, comes together in under 20 minutes.
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
Resting Time: 10 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs and water until combined.
Next, whisk in the salt.
Add the flour in 3 batches until combined and smooth. Let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with salt.
Spread the dough out onto a smaller cutting board and then position it at an angle over the boiling water.
Using a regular spoon, thin out the dough a bit at the end closest to the water and cut off small little pieces while frequently dipping the spoon into the water to ensure the dough does not stick to the spoon to make small nokedli dumplings.
Notes
Make-Ahead:If you cool this right after boiling, you can make these up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in butter and serve.
How to Store:Coat with a small amount of oil, cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once cool, coat in a small amount of oil, cover, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat:Heat a large frying pan with 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter until melted. Add the strained and cooled nokedli to the pan and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until hot. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
You can also make the batter in a stand mixer or with electric hand beaters.
It is also common to toss the cooked nokedli with sour cream.
Feel free to make these in a spaetzle maker for ease.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 9gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 228mgPotassium: 97mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 119IUCalcium: 23mgIron: 3mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Hungarian
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
Elevate Your Every Day Cooking
Get Chef Billy’s go-to tips that transform “blah” into “brilliant” plus weekly newsletter!
Add a comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
8 comments
- PriscillaATL
I have a friend that just got back from a wonderful trip in Germany. I called to see how it went. She told me about this dish that she had they are that was the best she’s ever had she claims so I said oh, let me find the recipe and you can make it at home. I don’t think she’s ever thought about doing that. She didn’t really seem all that excited because she doesn’t cook all that much. It sounded so interesting when I googled it that I decided I would try to see if Billy Parisi had a recipe. Low and behold he did. I was shocked. I told her about it and then I said I think I’m gonna make this and she said it was so good I special order the paprika for the chips. Can you talk for cash? I had no intention on making sense I had seen, a photo from the restaurant that they dined in and I was going to go to the trouble of making the chicken paprikash. I decided I would go all out and make this dish as well that goes along with it. I didn’t have a Spoetzl pan but I’m kind of resourceful . I could’ve ordered one or I could have taken a metal pie lan and drilled holes in it and Sanded them off, but I just really wasn’t into it that much. So I grabbed my box grater, and I managed to smash it through with my large holes on the box grater while I hold it over the pot of hot water on the stove. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but I made it work and it turned out perfect I wish I could send you videos or photos because it really was that good thank you Billy Parisi for helping us re-create delicious restaurant meals, even if we’ve never tried them in the restaurant or in our lives .
- Reply
- Ewa
We Polish call kluski . We serve them with milk soup, fruit soup, black soup, tomato soup or broth, as an use to the second main course or fried with soft white cheese and sugar. The dumplings are delicious and they remind me of my childhood. 🤤🤗
- Reply
- Jane
Our Hungarian grandmother would make chicken paprikash with these noodles. The gravy (made with the chicken broth, paprika and sour cream) was the best!
She passed the recipe down and I have been making it for family for years.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!- Reply
- Heather
Excellent recipe easy to follow
- Reply
- Cindy Lo
I would definitely make this again. Perfect comfort food!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
- Renee Kerkstra-Swab
So simple and worth the effort!
- Reply
so good!!
- Reply
