Nokedli are fluffy Hungarian egg noodle dumplings that are commonly used when making one of the country’s favorite dishes, Chicken Paprikash.
The dumplings are also often used in German Cuisine where they are known as “spaetzle“ or “spätzle.”
The primitive shape of these homemade Hungarian dumplings give an idea of how long they have been around (with origins dating back into the 17th century).
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The fact that nokedli are still commonly made now gives an indication of how good they taste! My favorite way to make them is to toast them in a little butter and then toss them with fresh herbs.
They can be used as a base for any dish where egg noodles would commonly be used (such as in soups or slow cooked meats in gravy) or eaten plain as a side dish.
No special equipment is needed to make Nokedli. The dough can be passed through slotted spoon, colander or even drizzled on the ends of your fingers.
Those who are looking for the simplest option, you can purchase a spaetzle maker, which makes very quick and easy work of forming the dumplings.
Here are some related articles about Eastern European Recipes and Travel in Budapest that may help inspire or plan a visit!
Hungarian Egg Noodle Dumplings - Nokedli

Hungarian Egg Noodles, Nokedli, or Spaetzle Recipe. Easy homemade noodles that can be substituted anywhere egg noodles would be used. Perfect for use when making Hungarian Chicken Paprikash!
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (272 g) Flour, All-Purpose
- 2 Whole Eggs, Beaten
- 1/2 Tsp (3 g) Salt
- 3/4 Cup (177 ml) Water, Warm
- 1 Tbs (15 g) Butter, Melted
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl and then form a small well in the center.
- Add the beaten eggs and a little bit of water into the center of the well.
- Working outward, begin to blend the eggs, water and flour together.
- Continue adding the water in small amounts. The dough that is formed should be thin enough that it will be able to pass through the small holes of a colander (thicker than a cake batter). The entire 3/4 cup (177 ml) of water may not be needed
- Allow the dough to rest while bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Working in small batches, press the batter through a pasta strainer or cheese grater with large holes (for more ease, use a spaetzle maker) into the boiling water.
- Allow the nokedli dumplings to boil until they begin to float to the top (about 2 -3 minutes).
- Remove the cooked nokedli with a slotted spoon and repeat until all of the dough has been cooked.
- Lightly season with salt and pepper and coat with melted butter. Serve warm. For extra flavor, the nokedli can also be toasted in a saute pan with butter and tossed with fresh herbs.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 192Total Fat 4gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 67mgSodium 235mgCarbohydrates 32gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 6g
Rebecca R.
Sunday 24th of October 2021
I had never eaten nor prepared this before. This is awesome! Very easy, but time consuming since I used a cheese grater to form the spaetzle. Even so it didn't take so long that I would be deterred from making it again. Thanks!
Amanda Ganden
Saturday 7th of November 2020
Hello, how would you store this if you made a big batch? How would you freeze?? TIA Amanda
Remy Sage
Monday 25th of January 2021
I've made batches in advance and frozen them. Worked very well.
Sean
Sunday 8th of November 2020
We've never frozen it, so I'm not sure how it would turn out. We typically eat it as soon as it's done, and have never had enough left over to worry about it.
Renate
Wednesday 29th of April 2020
I’ve grown up with spaetzle and make it now for my family. Try frying the spaetzle leftovers in a bit of butter and plenty of cheese. This is another delicious way to have spaetzle as a side dish.
Jen
Thursday 30th of April 2020
Sounds delicious - I'm going to try that!
Vilma
Wednesday 25th of March 2020
My grandmother, mother and I put the dough on a small cutting board rest it on the pan of boiling water and cut pieces into the boiling water. Making it right now Yum
Patti
Sunday 5th of March 2023
@Vilma, That's exactly how my Irish mother learned from her Hungarian neighbor. My mom always pronounced 'nookelees'. It took me years to find the real name and a recipe. I'm getting ready to make them now. The chicken part had been in a slow cooker since morning.
Donna
Monday 2nd of November 2020
My Grandmother was Hungarian and she made it exactly like this. She held a wooden cutting board over a pit of boiling water. She cut little pieces off of it with a butter knife. And today, at the age of 51, I make her Nokedli recipe the same way! Everybody loves them. They taste best in her Hungarian chicken paprikash recipe. I think of her and of how much I love her every, single time.
Peter Vagasi
Friday 20th of December 2019
When we had left over Nokedli as a child, my mom use to put it into a frying pan with beaten eggs and lightly fry it up until the eggs coated and cooked onto the noodles. It was very tasty with a light salad. Thanks for the noodle recipe. I was looking to recreate one of my moms recipes which is using Nokedli with Chicken Paprikash (Absolutely delicious).