Spaetzle is a German and central European egg and wheat-based noodle. It's the ultimate comfort food, and perfect with roasted or braised meat.
Have you ever tried Spaetzle before? It's a rustic noodle dish made with flour, eggs, and milk that's commonly served as a side dish, with or without gravy. It's most commonly associated with Germany, but also served in Switzerland, Austria, and several other countries in central and eastern Europe.
Every time I make a batch, my family gobbles the whole thing up. My kids love it! And the greatest part of it is that it's very easy to make - making the batter is no more difficult than making muffin or pancake batter! If you want to learn how to make it too, keep reading!
How to make Spaetzle
Spaetzle is very easy to make. It involves making a thick, sticky batter, which is no more difficult than mixing up a muffin or pancake batter.
Simply stir together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, nutmeg, and pepper), then whisk together the eggs and milk. Use a dough whisk or spatula to stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (I don't recommend using a regular whisk here, because the batter is too thick and it will be difficult to stir and get stuck inside the whisk).
Let the batter rest while you get the water boiling. When the water boils, don't forget to salt it, and get your spaetzle-maker set up (see below for tips on making spaetzle without a spaetzle-maker).
Push the batter through the spaetzle-maker (follow the directions on the package). I usually cook about ⅓ of the batter at a time. Once you see the batter starting to float in the water (this will only take about 1-2 minutes), scoop it out with a spider-skimmer or slotted spoon and transfer it to a colander or strainer set over a bowl. Repeat with the remaining batter.
If you're almost ready to serve dinner, go ahead and starting heating up the skillet. Melt the butter over medium-high. Add the boiled spaetzle and cook, stirring often, until it starts getting browned spots (note that if your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, you should do this in two batches).
If you're not ready to serve dinner yet, you can toss the boiled spaetzle with a little oil to prevent them from sticking together and put them in a large, airtight container in the fridge. Pan-fry them immediately before serving.
Serve your spaetzle with or without gravy, alongside roasted or braised meat and vegetables.
Can you make Spaetzle without a spaetzle-maker?
Spaetzle-makers are special kitchen devices that feature a flat surface with round holes through which the spaetzle batter is pushed through into boiling water. They come in various types.
If you don't think you'd use a spaetzle-maker often, but want to try it, have a look around your kitchen - you might just find something that will work.
Look for something that has roughly ¼" (about 0.5cm) holes. Some people suggest using a colander, and that would work if the holes are big enough. I've also seen large slotted spoons that have holes that are about the right size.
Whatever you use, hold the item above a pot of boiling water, but several inches away so that the steam from the water doesn't start cooking the batter on the tool. Scrape the spaetzle batter firmly over the surface with the holes with a spatula, so that the batter is forced through the holes in to the water. You'll want to make sure that the item with the holes is sturdy.
Spaetzle Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt - you will need this both for the batter and to salt the water during boiling
- Freshly grated nutmeg - I highly recommend using fresh nutmeg anytime you need to use it for a recipe. The flavor is so much better than pre-ground nutmeg, so you can use less of it. It's also very easy to grate only what you need using a microplane.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Large eggs
- Milk - you can use any milkfat percentage here, or use your favorite dairy-free milk alternative to make this recipe vegan and/or dairy-free.
- Butter - you can replace with your favorite dairy-free butter alternative to make this recipe vegan and/or dairy-free.
Want more comfort-food side dish recipes?
Spaetzle Nutrition Notes
You can use your favorite dairy-free milk to make this recipe dairy-free. In this case, you will also need a dairy-free butter substitute or oil for the pan-frying part of the recipe after boiling.
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for ¼ of the recipe. If your portion is larger or smaller than this, the nutrition information will vary accordingly.
Spaetzle
Equipment
- Microplane to grate the nutmeg
- Dough Whisk or spatula
- Large Saucepan
- Spider skimmer or slotted spoon
- Colander or large strainer
- Large Non-Stick Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for boiling
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup milk use your favorite dairy-free milk to make your spaetzle dairy-free
- 2 Tablespoons butter use your favorite dairy-free butter alternative or oil to make your spaetzle dairy-free
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until the pepper and nutmeg are evenly distributed. In a small bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together 4 large eggs and ½ cup milk until they're evenly mixed.
- Using a dough whisk or spatula (don't use a regular whisk here), stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a thick, sticky batter forms. Set the batter aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add about 1 Tablespoon of kosher salt to the water.
- Set a spaetzle maker over the pot, and follow the directions on your spaetzle-maker to push the batter through the spaetzle-maker. Once you see that some of the batter is starting to float in the pot (this will only take a minute or two), stir the spaetzle, remove it from the boiling water with a spider skimmer or slotted spoon, and transfer it to a colander or large strainer set over a bowl. Repeat this process with the remaining batter.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the boiled spaetzle to the skillet (if your skillet is smaller than 12 inches, I recommend doing this in 2 batches), and pan-fry it, stirring often, until the spaetzle is starting to brown.
- Serve the spaetzle with or without gravy. It's great with roasted or braised meat and/or vegetables.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- To make the spaetzle ahead of time, complete the recipe to the end of step 4. Toss the spaetzle with a little bit of neutral-flavored cooking oil (you should only need a teaspoon or two), and transfer the spaetzle to an airtight container. Put the spaetzle in the fridge for up to 3 days. Complete steps 5 and 6 immediately before you plan on serving the meal.
Nutrition
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