Nokedli, the Hungarian free-form egg noodle dumplings, are a perfect side dish for traditional Hungarian dishes like chicken paprikash, but they also go great in soups and with saucy dishes like curries!
Similar to German spätzle, these small dumplings are made with simple ingredients and create a comforting addition to any meal.
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Nokedli are super easy to make and only use a few ingredients. You don't need any special equipment to make the noodles and they take about 30 minutes from start to finish.
Suggested Kitchen Tools for Nokedli
- Large pot or any appliance with sear/sauté and a deep pot.
- Large scoop with holes
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Butter knife or bench scraper
- Colander for straining nokedli
Ingredients & Substitutions
Nokedli is typically made with just flour, salt, eggs, and water so you probably have the basics on hand.
In this recipe, I add a special ingredient that is amazing in the Nokedli, but is completely optional.
Flour
Used in Recipe: All-purpose flour
What it Does: Forms the base structure of the dumplings and provides texture
Substitutions:
- Pastry flour (will create softer dumplings)
- Type 00 flour (creates silkier texture)
- Half all-purpose + half semolina flour (creates more chewy texture)
Bread flour is not recommend because the higher protein which forms more gluten will make the Nokedli too tough.
Salt
Used in Recipe: Fine grain sea salt or kosher salt
What it Does: Enhances flavor and helps control gluten development Substitutions:
- Table salt (use 25% less due to smaller granule size)
- Pink Himalayan salt (1:1 ratio)
- Celtic sea salt (1:1 ratio)
Water
Used in Recipe: Warm water
What it Does: Provides hydration and helps form the dough
Substitutions:
- Milk (creates richer dumplings)
- Sparkling water (creates lighter texture)
- Half water + half milk (balanced richness)
- Whey (increases protein)
Sour Cream
Used in Recipe: Full-fat sour cream
What it Does: Lightens the dough texture and adds subtle flavor
Substitutions:
- Greek yogurt (tangier taste, similar texture)
- Crème fraîche (richer taste), may need less water
- Full-fat plain yogurt (lighter option)
You can also omit the sour cream and not replace it with anything, but you may need a touch more water in the dumplings.
How to Make Homemade Nokedli
Whether you use the Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot pressure cooker, the Ninja Possible Cooker Pro or a large pot on the stove, the instructions are exactly the same.
You will want to use sear/sauté on high to keep the water boiling in your Foodi or Instant Pot or Possible Cooker and adjust your stove to the heat level needed to keep the water boiling.
Boil the Water
Fill the large pot with 10 cups of water and bring to a boil while you make the Nokedli dough. Add salt to the water to season the dumplings as they cook.
I'm using the Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper, but you can use your Instant Pot or a large pot on the stove.
Make the Nokedli Dough
I cannot stress this enough, use the liquid measurements as a guide ONLY. Sometimes your dough will need a little more or a little less liquid depending on the type of flour, humidity levels, and other factors.
You want to end up with smooth dough that is thicker than pancake batter, but not as thick as bread dough. The ideal consistency should be similar to a thick cake batter or loose mashed potatoes - it should slowly drip or fall off a spoon rather than holding its shape completely.
This consistency ensures the nokedli will form properly when pushed through into the boiling water, creating tender little dumplings rather than heavy, dense ones.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, salt, and eggs. Mix with a fork, breaking up the eggs.
The mixture will be very dry at this point.
Add the sour cream (if using) and 1 cup of warm water. Mix together until all of the water is incorporated into the flour.
You can add more water if needed to achieve the correct dough consistency, but I haven't had to add more than 1 cup in my test batches.
Quick Tip:
The dough should be wet enough to slide off of the cutting board easily, but no so wet that it resembles pancake batter.
Boiling the Nokedli
Place the cutting board over half of the pot and place about 1 cup of the nokedli dough onto the cutting board.
Dip a bench scraper or butter knife into the boiling water and spread the dough thin on the cutting board.
Using the bench scrapper or knife, push off little bits of the dough into the boiling water.
Continue this process until all of the dough is off of the cutting board. Then give the pot a little stir and when the noodles float to the top, they are done.
Scoop them out with spoon with holes to drain the water.
Place the cooked Nokedli into a strainer on top of a bowl to drain them while you repeat the process for the remaining dough.
Quick Tip:
Make sure the water returns to boiling before each batch of nokedli.
Once all the Nokedli noodles are finished cooking and drained, transfer them to a large bowl and mix in 2-4 Tablespoons of butter to keep them from sticking.
I also like to mix in about a tablespoon of fresh or dried parsley for color, but this is optional.
Place a cover on your bowl and let sit at room temp for up to 30 minutes (after that they cool down a bit) before serving or you can serve them right away!
My favorite dish to serve the Nokedli with is chicken paprikash (recipe coming soon), but they are also great in soups or any saucy dish!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
How to Store Leftover Nokedli
Refrigerator Storage
- Allow nokedli to cool completely, but not longer than 2 hours at room temperature
- Store in an airtight container
- Good for 3-4 days when properly refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below
- To prevent sticking, toss with a small amount of oil or butter before storing
- Keep away from raw meats and other potential contaminants in the refrigerator
Freezer Storage
- Can be frozen for up to 2-3 months at 0°F (-18°C) or below
- Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag
- Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn
- Label with date and contents
- For best quality, use within 2 months
Safe Reheating Guidelines
- From Refrigerated:
- Microwave: Heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each
- Stovetop: Heat in a pan with a little butter or oil
- Heat to 165°F (74°C) for food safety
- Add a splash of water if needed to prevent drying
- From Frozen:
- Do not thaw at room temperature
- Thaw overnight in refrigerator
- Can be reheated directly from frozen, but may require additional liquid
- Must reach 165°F (74°C) internal temperature when reheated
Safety Tips
- Never leave cooked nokedli at room temperature for more than 2 hours
- If the nokedli has been left out longer than 2 hours, discard it
- If there are any signs of mold or off odors, discard immediately
Frequently Asked Questions
Don't overcrowd the pot when cooking
Wait for the water to return to a full boil between batches
Most importantly, toss the cooked nokedli with butter while they're still warm (use about 4 tablespoons of butter for a full batch)
Yes, you can make as little or as much of the nokedli dough as you want just by adjusting the ingredients. The cooking process stays the same.
No - while these tools exist, you can make perfect nokedli with just a plastic cutting board and bench scraper or knife. Simply spread a small amount of dough on the board positioned over boiling water, then use the scraper to push thin strips into the water. Different techniques work, but this simple method produces great results.
What to Serve with Nokedli Dumplings?
The most popular dish to serve with Nokedli is chicken paprikash, but it is also great with Hungarian goulash and Hungarian-style braised cabbage.
Here are some other ideas for serving up your delicious Nokedli!
- Pressure Cooked Beef Stew in the Ninja Foodi
- Chicken Tikka Masala in the Ninja Foodi
- Beef Tips & Rice
- Beef Osso Buco
- Pressure Cooker Swedish Meatballs
- Ninja Foodi Cabbage Rolls ~ Pressure Cooker Recipe
- Pressure Cooker Swiss Steak (Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Recipe)
- Pressure Cooker Pork & Sauerkraut (Ninja Foodi or Instant Pot Recipe)
Homemade Nokedli Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons fine grain sea salt or kosher salt
- 3 large eggs
- 3 Tablespoons sour cream optional
- 1 cup warm water (around 100℉/38℃) you may need a little more or less water
- 4 Tablespoons salted or unsalted butter optional, but helps prevent sticking after cooking
- 1 Tablespoon fresh or dried parsley optional
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Instructions
- Bring 10 cups of water to boil in a large pot on the stove or use your NInja Foodi/Instant Pot on high sear/saute. Once the water starts to simmer, add about 1 Tablespoon of salt to salt the water which will improve the flavor of the nokedli.
- Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowlAdd eggs and break up the yolks with a fork. The mixture will be very dry and crumbly. Add the sour cream and water and continue to mix with a fork until you have a smooth mixture that is thicker than pancake batter, but thinner than bread dough.3 cups all purpose flour, 1½ teaspoons fine grain sea salt or kosher salt, 3 large eggs, 3 Tablespoons sour cream, 1 cup warm water (around 100℉/38℃)
- Place plastic cutting board on top of the pot.Spread small amount of dough on the board (about 1 cup at a time) and use a bench scraper or butter knife to push thin strips into the hot boiling water.Cook until dumplings float to the top (about 30 seconds).Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a strainer. Repeat this process until all the dough is used up.
- Toss with butter while warm and garnish with parsley if desired. Cover and leave at room temperature up to 30 minutes to serve warm. Refrigerate if you aren't serving them within 30 minutes.4 Tablespoons salted or unsalted butter, 1 Tablespoon fresh or dried parsley
Notes
- Allow nokedli to cool completely, but not longer than 2 hours at room temperature
- Store in an airtight container
- Good for 3-4 days when properly refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below
- To prevent sticking, toss with a small amount of oil or butter before storing
- Keep away from raw meats and other potential contaminants in the refrigerator
- Can be frozen for up to 2-3 months at 0°F (-18°C) or below
- Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag
- Remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn
- Label with date and contents
- For best quality, use within 2 months
Nutrition
About the Recipe Author, Louise Long
Louise is a full-time recipe creator and food blogger @ The Salted Pepper. She has over 30 years of experience with cooking and recipe development. She owned a restaurant for several years and was a full-time RN until retiring to blog full-time.
She published her first cookbook in the Fall of 2018 and is very interested in writing several more.
Louise is also the creator of an online Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooking Course with over 100 instructional step-by-step videos. People absolutely rave about the course and all the value they have received from it.
Louise has several very active Facebook groups that help people with the basics of cooking and learning more about the appliances they love.
Ninja Foodi Pressure Cooker & Air Crisper 101
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill & Smoker
Louise is also a YouTube creator and you can find most of her recipes in video format on The Salted Pepper YouTube channel.
She is very responsive to messages and eager to help in any way she can. Get more Information about Louise & contact information
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