Chicken paprikash

How do we prepare Chicken Paprikash at Centrál Café?

At Centrál Café, our chicken paprikash is crafted in the spirit of traditional Hungarian cuisine – with subtle, thoughtful updates. We use boneless chicken thighs, which are juicier and more flavorful than the classic version. The signature paprika sauce is left unthickened, resulting in a lighter, cleaner taste – and making the dish fully lactose-free. It’s served with homemade buttered nokedli (Hungarian dumplings), cooked until tender and tossed in melted butter. On the side, we offer a traditional cucumber salad in a vinegar-sugar dressing with a touch of sour cream – just like you’d find on your grandmother’s table.

Why did we choose to include this dish on our menu?

Chicken paprikash is one of the most iconic dishes of Hungarian cuisine – so it naturally earned its place on the Centrál menu. It represents everything homestyle cooking stands for: warmth, comfort, and a sense of home. At Centrál, however, we’re always looking to adapt classics to today’s preferences – which led to a lighter, more modern version that still stays true to its roots.

What makes Centrál’s Chicken Paprikash special?

The magic is in the details: choosing chicken thighs ensures rich, succulent meat, while the sauce – made without thickening agents – is naturally lactose-free without compromising flavor. Our homemade buttered nokedli and classic cucumber salad deliver a fresh yet authentic experience. In our hands, chicken paprikash becomes both nostalgic and contemporary – exactly what a reimagined classic should be.

Nokedli – a beloved Hungarian staple

Nokedli is more than just a side dish – for many, it evokes childhood memories, Sunday lunches, the sound of boiling pots and clanking strainers. This simple pasta, made from flour, eggs, and water, is a cornerstone of Hungarian home cooking, often served with paprikash, stews, or creamy mushroom ragouts. At Centrál, we cook nokedli to a soft texture, then gently toss it in melted butter, ensuring the dumplings stay tender and separate, while preserving their rustic charm. This technique offers a lighter, silkier take on the traditional side – a fresh interpretation of Hungarian comfort food that still tastes like home.

The journey of paprika – from New World spice to Hungarian culinary symbol

Though now inseparable from Hungarian cuisine, paprika first arrived in Europe from the Americas in the 16th century, reaching the Carpathian Basin through Ottoman influence. Initially grown as an ornamental plant and used as a medicinal herb, it only later found its place in the kitchens of rural Hungary. From the 18th–19th centuries onward, it became one of the defining spices of Hungarian gastronomy – its deep color, aroma, and warmth now emblematic of the national kitchen. In chicken paprikash, it lends its unmistakable hue and depth to the sauce – but it’s also a cultural legacy. At Centrál Café, we honor this tradition by using paprika not to dominate, but to elevate – as a harmonious, enhancing presence in the dish.