German Spaetzle Recipe - The Spruce Eats

• This authentic German spaetzle comes together quickly with just flour, eggs, milk, and salt.
• The dough is easy to mix and uses common pantry ingredients found in most kitchens.
• These chewy little dumplings pair well with meats, gravies, and creamy mushroom sauces.

14 Classic German Recipes Everyone Should Know

With a firm, chewy texture that falls somewhere between pasta and dumpling, spaetzle is one of the most versatile side dishes in the world.

Spaetzle—also spelled spätzle—originates from Swabia, a region of southwest Germany, and served with hearty dishes like schnitzel and goulash. You'll find spaetzle and spaetzle-type dumplings in the cuisines of southern Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Alsace, Moselle, and South Tyrol.

How to Make Spaetzle

Making homemade spaetzle is surprisingly faster and easier than making store-bought dried spaetzle. All you have to do is mix a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk, and salt and use the spaetzle utensil of your choice to drop the batter into boiling water. Another great thing about spaetzle is that it cooks in about 2 minutes. Once you see how fast and easy spaetzle is to prepare and cook, you'll make it all the time.

What's the Difference Between Gnocchi and Spaetzle

Gnocchi are soft Italian-style dumplings made with a dough that traditionally contains potato and flour and may or may not include eggs. Spaetzle are German-style dumplings made with a batter that contains eggs, flour, and milk or water.

Finding a Spaetzle Maker: Get Creative!

There are several kinds of spaetzle makers and presses on the market, but if you'd prefer to avoid more kitchen equipment, there are plenty of everyday utensils you can use to put out these perfect little dumplings. Here are a few possibilities:

• Colander: Use the round or square holes in your colander (not mesh) to make your dumplings. Hold the colander over the boiling water and press the batter through with a large spoon.
• Box grater: Hold the box grater horizontally over the boiling water, spoon some batter into the inside of the grater over the large holes, and press it through the holes with a spoon. Alternatively, use a paddle grater with large holes.
• Silicone splatter screen: Hold the splatter screen over the boiling water and press batter through the small holes. The small holes make little orzo-sized dumplings.
• Slotted spoon or skimmer: Use a spoon to press the batter through the holes—this works well but can only accommodate a small amount of batter at a time, so you might have to make several small batches.
• Potato ricer: Fill the potato ricer about two-thirds full and squeeze to press the batter into the boiling water.

Or you might want to try the more rustic manual method: Spread the thick batter on a small cutting board and use a scraper to scrape thin lines of the spaetzle batter into the boiling water.

Tips for Making Spaetzle Recipe

• Thickness is key - The thickness of the batter is the key to perfect, tender spaetzle. It should be like a thick pancake batter, but thin enough to pass through the holes of your utensil with a bit of help from a scraper or spoon.
• Rest the batter - Be sure to let the batter rest. Bubbly holes will form and it'll ooze from the spoon, which is a sign that it's ready.

What You'll Need to Make This German Spaetzle Recipe A Nice Big Pot A Spaetzle Maker or Potato Ricer A Great Skillet

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