Easy German Spaetzle Recipe (Spätzle)

German Spätzle is an easy, hearty egg noodle dumpling dish that warms the tummy and the heart. Homemade Spaetzle is one of Germany’s most popular and cherished side dishes. 

This authentic German recipe is often served with classics like Schnitzel, Sauerbraten, or Goulash. Let’s dig into this recipe for one of the most iconic German side dishes there is! 

German Spätzle Recipe Ingredients

This easy German recipe boils it down: flour, eggs, and water.

Nutmeg is optional but it adds that little bit of extra. But if you don’t have any on hand, no problem.

• EGGS
• FLOUR – bread flour works well but you can also use all-purpose flour
• WATER
• NUTMEG
• BUTTER – unsalted, not shown, used for sautéing
• PARSLEY – optional, not shown, used for garnish

Equipment – Do you Need a Spätzle Maker?

Do you need special equipment to make spaetzle? No. But using a designated spaetzle maker or a potato ricer makes the job A LOT easier.

If you don’t want to buy new equipment, use a regular large holed colander.  But, you only need a flat cutting board and a large knife.  

How To Make Spaetzle

Making the batter is easy.

1. Use a large bowl to combine flour, eggs, nutmeg, and water. Use a hand mixer and whisk until the batter takes on a sticky consistency. Continue to work the batter for several minutes until you see small bubbles forming.
2. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Using a Spätzle Maker

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water has reached boiling temperature, add about ½ tablespoon of salt.
4. Press the batter through the Spaetzle Maker (or potato ricer) straight into the boiling water.
5. Cook until the noodles are floating on top of the water. About 2-3 minutes.
6. Use a slotted spoon to scoop the floating Spaetzle out of the water.

Cooking Spaetzle The Traditional Method

If you don’t have special equipment, use the traditional method. Simply transfer a small amount of the batter onto a small wet wooden chopping board.

1. Use a large, wet knife scrape small amounts of dough into the boiling water. The noodles won’t have a uniform shape but you’ll get that authentic homemade look. 
2. Just like before, cook the spaetzle for 2-3 minutes in the boiling salted water. Remove with a slotted spoon once they’re floating on the surface. 

Pan frying the Spaetzle

Once you cooked Spätzle noodles, you have several choices on what to do next. For this recipe, we’re going to use the easiest method.

1. Use a non-stick frying pan and melt 2-3 tablespoons of butter.
2. Add the freshly cooked Spaetzle to the frying pan and sauté in the melted butter for about a minute.
3. Season with salt and top with parsley. 

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Food Culture

Like so many German recipes, there are regional variations. Sometimes you’ll find spaetzle recipes that include milk instead of water.

This recipe has been around for at least 200 years and is especially popular in the southern regions of Germany.

How Do You Say ‘Spätzle’

As a native German speaker, I’ll be the first one to admit this word is hard to pronounce! The way I would pronounce it is ‘sh-pets-luh’.

Easy German Recipes

• German Apple Pancakes – Start your breakfast with these yummy pancakes.
• Oma’s Cucumber Salad
• German Cheesecake – Deutsche Käsekuchen
• Flammkuchen – Germany’s version of flatbread pizza.
• Cherry Crumble – Super simple recipe to treat a crowd.

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