You don’t need to travel to Munich to eat this traditional German spaetzle dish called Jägerspätzle! This Bavarian classic is often served at the Oktoberfest and makes for a seriously exciting (but simple!) family dinner.
Have you ever made spaetzle before? They are small dumplings made from flour, eggs and milk. and Jaegerspaetzle come with a delicious rich mushroom gravy, perfect for fall and winter! It’s one of my childhood comfort food memories I adore – the same goes for my Crock Pot Beef Stew, my Shepherd’s Pie and my Mashed Potatoes!
Some may know Spaetzle as German noodles. It’s a bit more work than throwing pasta into the waterbut the extra effort is absolutely worth it!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
For the spaetzle
- Flour: The spaetzle work great with regular all-purpose flour. If you want to go super authentic, substitute ½ cup of semolina for ½ cup of flour. This adds more bite to the spaetzle.
- Milk: I use 2% milk. Any fat content can work, although skim milk may make the batter more difficult to work with.
- Water: Use all milk for richer spaetzle. I prefer using half milk and half water though, because all milk can make them a little sweet.
For the gravy
- Mushrooms: White or brown button mushrooms are my favorite for the gravy.
- Broth: I very strongly recommend using beef broth for the best look/flavor of the gravy. Chicken can be used as a substitute. If you’re making this vegetarian and use vegetable broth, the gravy may need an extra tablespoon of flour to thicken (due to the collagen in animal-based broth).
- Cream: This is optional for a richer taste.
- White wine: I recommend a dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. Please do not use white wine vinegar in place of the white wine. Red wine can work, but alters the taste. You can also just use another ¼ cup of broth.
How to make Jaegerspaetzle
The batter for spaetzle is extremely simple! Flour, salt, milk, water and eggs are all you need to make it. The important part is how to make it:
1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl.
The milk, water and eggs you’ll whisk together in a separate measuring jug.
2. Then pour the egg mixture into the bowl with the flour and salt.
Using a cooking spoon (preferably a wooden one with a hole in the middle – but that’s nitpicking here), beat the batter vigorously (in Germany they say you need to break a sweat for goo spaetzle batter, so don’t hold back ?).
You’ll want the batter to be shiny with small bubbles forming when it rests. When you scoop it up with the wooden spoon, it should “rip off”. The consistency is thick and sticky, like wallpaper paste.
Then, the batter needs to rest for 30 minutes. This is mandatory and cannot be skipped!
3. While the batter rests, you’ll make the gravy. Cook the mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter in a large skillet (mine is a deep 12 inch skillet) until the mushrooms have fully softened and cooked down (this will take some time- 5 to 10 minutes).
4. Then, sprinkle the mushrooms with the seasoning and with the flour. Stir very well, then stir in the tomato paste.
5. Now pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Cook down the wine over medium-high heat, until the mushrooms look glossy.
Then, stir in the beef broth. Now you’ll need to bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the gravy until it has thickened. This will take around 10 minutes – you can’t rush it or the flavor won’t be as rich! But you can cook the spaetzle as the gravy simmers.
6. To cook the spaetzle, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it well (like pasta water), then reduce the heat to a good simmer. The water shouldn’t be boiling like crazy, but you still want it bubbling.
Place a large wooden chopping board over the pot and scrape about ½ cup of batter onto the board. Using a blunt knife, scrape bits of batter into the simmering water. It helps to dip the knife into the boiling water from time to time to keep the batter from sticking.
Simmer the spaetzle until they come to the surface. If they stick to the bottom of the pot, gently release them. Remove the spaetzle with a slotted spoon and place them in a buttered dish to keep warm.
Continue until all of the batter has been used.
7. To finish the gravy, stir in a few tablespoons of cream.
Then serve the gravy over the spaetzle!
Recipe tips
Beating the batter
The batter really needs to be beaten vigorously, for about 4-5 minutes. It needs some arm strength, but it’s worth it.
You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this if you cannot beat the batter by hand. I recommend using medium-low speed, and do not overdo it. Stop and scrape the bowl often and stop mixing once the batter is shiny, forms air bubbles and falls off the paddle attachment in large, sticky chunks.
Batter thickness
This really is a very thick batter. Like wallpaper paste! Definitely much thicker than pancake batter.
To get an accurate flour to liquid ratio, please do not scoop the flour with the measuring cup. Instead, use a spoon to pile the flour into the cup, then level it off with the back of a knife.
If you measured your flour correctly, please do not add any extra liquid. If too much water/milk is added to the batter, the spaetzle will come out mushy.
Resting
Do not skip resting the batter. The gluten in the flour needs this time to develop the right structure.
Spaetzle press
Scraping the spaetzle batter off a chopping board can take a little practice, The easy method is using a smart gadget that turns spatzle-making into a quick and easy ordeal.
There are different systems, but this one is very popular. (This is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through).
Work in batches
Don’t drop more than that 2 cup of batter into the pan at once or the Spätzle will immediately start sticking together. If your pot is on the small side I suggest reducing that amount to ¼ cup.
Cooking temperature
Do not use vigorously boiling water to cook the spaetzle. This can make them fall apart. You need to bring it to a boil, then slightly reduce the heat until the water is still at a good simmer, but not at a vigorous boil.
Serving suggestions
We usually have this by itself as a meat free main, but also enjoy it with a protein.
You can add pork chops, bratwurst, baked chicken thighs or even a Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf here.
But you can also leave out the mushroom gravy, and serve the spätzle with something like Instant Pot Sour Cream Pork Chops or these brats and onion gravy!
More German recipes
My recipe was handed down to me by my Bavarian grandmother, so it’s 100% authentic. Here are some more tasty German recipes I received from her
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram.
Printable recipe
Authentic German Spaetzle with Mushroom Sauce
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the Spaetzle
- 2 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup milk
- 3 eggs
For the gravy
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound button mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ cup white wine OR more broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
Instructions
To make the Spaetzle
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate large measuring jug, whisk together water, milk and eggs until smooth.
- Add the egg mixture to the bowl with the flour, stir, then vigorously beat batter with a wooden spoon until there are no more lumps, you see air bubbles forming and batter rips off the spoon when trying to scoop it up. This will take around 5 minutes of continous beating. Cover and rest batter for 30 minutes.
- When ready to make the Spaetzle, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to a good simmer. Place a large wooden board on top of the pot, then place ½ cup of batter on the board. Using a blunt knife, scrape slivers of batter into the pot.
- Once the spaetzle float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and place in a lightly buttered casserole dish to keep warm. Proceed the same way with remaining batter.
To make the gravy
- While spaetzle batter is resting, place a large, deep skillet over medium high heat and melt the butter in it. Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have fully softened – about 5-10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Evenly sprinkle seasoning and flour over mushrooms, then stir well. Stir in tomato paste. Pour the white wine into the skillet, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Pour beef broth into skillet, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, until gravy has thickened. Finish with cream, if using.
- Serve finished gravy over finished spaetzle.
Notes
Ingredient notes
For the spaetzle- Flour: The spaetzle work great with regular all-purpose flour. If you want to go super authentic, substitute ½ cup of semolina for ½ cup of flour. This adds more bite to the spaetzle.
- Milk: I use 2% milk. Any fat content can work, although skim milk may make the batter more difficult to work with.
- Water: Use all milk for richer spaetzle. I prefer using half milk and half water though, because all milk can make them a little sweet.
- Mushrooms: White or brown button mushrooms are my favorite for the gravy.
- Broth: I very strongly recommend using beef broth for the best look/flavor of the gravy. Chicken can be used as a substitute. If you’re making this vegetarian and use vegetable broth, the gravy may need an extra tablespoon of flour to thicken (due to the collagen in animal-based broth).
- Cream: This is optional for a richer taste.
- White wine: I recommend a dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay. Please do not use white wine vinegar in place of the white wine. Red wine can work, but alters the taste. You can also just use another ¼ cup of broth.
Recipe tips
Beating the batter The batter really needs to be beaten vigorously, for about 4-5 minutes. It needs some arm strength, but it’s worth it. You can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for this if you cannot beat the batter by hand. I recommend using medium-low speed, and do not overdo it. Stop and scrape the bowl often and stop mixing once the batter is shiny, forms air bubbles and falls off the paddle attachment in large, sticky chunks. Batter thickness This really is a very thick batter. Like wallpaper paste! Definitely much thicker than pancake batter. To get an accurate flour to liquid ratio, please do not scoop the flour with the measuring cup. Instead, use a spoon to pile the flour into the cup, then level it off with the back of a knife. If you measured your flour correctly, please do not add any extra liquid. If too much water/milk is added to the batter, the spaetzle will come out mushy. Resting Do not skip resting the batter. The gluten in the flour needs this time to develop the right structure. Spaetzle press Scraping the spaetzle batter off a chopping board can take a little practice, The easy method is using a smart gadget that turns spatzle-making into a quick and easy ordeal. There are different systems, but this one is very popular. (This is an affiliate link and I make a commission for purchases made after clicking through). Work in batches Don’t drop more than that 2 cup of batter into the pan at once or the Spätzle will immediately start sticking together. If your pot is on the small side I suggest reducing that amount to ¼ cup. Cooking temperature Do not use vigorously boiling water to cook the spaetzle. This can make them fall apart. You need to bring it to a boil, then slightly reduce the heat until the water is still at a good simmer, but not at a vigorous boil.Nutrition
More recipe information
Recipe first published in 2014. Updated on 01/15/2021 with new photos, better instructions, more tips and a better gravy recipe!
RStursa says
I didn’t have heavy cream so I used sour cream. I also cheated by using Sophie’s Spaetzel pre-made. Delicious. You do need to let the flavors develop.
AJS says
Such a yummy recipe! I’m vegetarian so I substituted Imagine Food’s “Un-chicken Broth” (promise I don’t work for them!) and thanks for the extra tip about extra flour! I ended up adding a bit of cornstarch to thicken the mushroom gravy (we used creminis, which are my favorite). This was such a hit! We made a side dish of Bavarian green beans I found on another site, but will definitely look for more delicious recipes here in the future! Curious if you have any tips for cleaning up the sticky paste that gets left clinging to some of the dishes. Elbow grease and patience…?
Bill Flynn says
Followed the directions exactly for the mushroom gravy and it came out great! Unfortunately I bought a bag of spaetzle noodles so I just boiled them until they were ala-dente. It’s my dish to pass at tomorrow’s Superbowl Party.
Kathrin says
I guess I’m gonna have nightmares tonight… I’m sorry but that is not at all authentic Spätzle😱 the chunks of dough are waaaay too big to get really good (use that Spätzlepresse or Spätzlehobel!), and never ever put milk or semolina in there. If you ever need advice for a new recipe, please write🙌 Mushroom sauce looks very nice though and fits perfectly😍
Nora says
I’m so sorry about this, I definitely don’t intend to cause nightmares. Unfortunately, this is very much authentic Spaetzle. Kindest regards from my Bavarian grandmother, who got this recipe from my Bavarian great-grandmother, who lived on a dairy farm through both world wars and learned to cook from my Bavarian great-great grandmother.
(Sometimes, people tend to forget that different “authentic” versions can exist together, they’re just from different regions. Your preferred spaetzle recipe can be just as authentic as mine. I’d love to hear it, but yours doesn’t make mine less “right”. They’re just different, I wish we could finally all understand the diversity of traditional recipes ❤️)
Kent says
Agreed. I have a slightly different recipe and it is also delicious. I travel a lot in Central Europe and versions vary…wonderfully.
Used to do the knife thing but got tired of burning my skin from the splashes! Bought a Spatzlehobel 25 years ago and never looked back. Thanks for your excellent piece!
Brooke says
Second set of instructions (“printable” version) do not note when to add the tomato paste to the gravy, so I missed this step and didn’t add it until after broth was added. Gravy recipe seems to be pretty forgiving though – still turned out very tasty! I used 10oz of baby bella mushrooms and one small yellow onion thinly sliced instead of diced. Cheap trader joe’s pinot grigio for the wine.
Nora says
Sorry about that, added now! Glad it still turned out well.
Leslie says
The tomato paste is in the recipe way at the bottom and also it’s in where they do step by step. It’s literally right after you cook down the mushrooms and season them. My OMA always made homemade Jagerspatzle so I was able to follow the recipe easily but yes, my Oma was from Baden-Baden and her spatzle is a bit different than yours. But the gravy is spot on. I use Sauvignon Blanc and it gives it such a unique taste. Then we drink the rest with dinner…..Bahahaha
Thanks for posting recipe
Aria says
This was divine! I just got a spaetzle press and was looking for a go to family recipe. This sauce reads gourmet, but my toddler loves it too! We added in sliced sausages, but the mushroom sauce was so good on its own as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Nora says
I’m so, so glad, Aria! I love recipes that are gourmet but also kid-friendly, so I’m glad this one worked out just this way for you. And now I want to try it with sliced sausages ?
Miranda says
Delicious recipe! I couldn’t figure out what step to add the tomato paste in. I see it in the ingredients but not in the directions. I’m not sure it needs it, but I’d love to add it next time I give this recipe a go.
Nora says
Miranda, I think this is an error on my part. I will take a look and fix it, but I’m glad the recipe still worked out for you.
Sharon Chalender says
my grandmother was German . l tried the noodles.. was great !
Nora says
I’m so glad, Sharon! What a delicious way to honor your heritage.
Merrie says
My late mother-in-law was from Munich. One step she taught me with any type of pasta, something her mother and grandmother always did, was to fry it in butter afterward. She would’ve taken this and quickly fried the spaetzle until it was just barely crisp and lightly browned. And then served the mushroom gravy with it. She did this with her beef stew which was the best gravy I’ve ever had. She would simmer her beef stew for hours. And then she would cook elbow macaroni in salted water, drain it and then toss it into a skillet with hot butter and fry the noodles until they were just lightly brown and slightly crispy. Most delicious I’ve ever had and I am Italian. I don’t do this with my Italian dishes, but I do it with German food. She also made a most unique German potato salad as made by her family for generations. No hot bacon or sugar as most people think of German potato salad as having. Hers is simple, healthier, and delicious! She claimed to be all German back for centuries!
Nora says
Merrie, I agree – my German grandma often did the same. And yes about the potato salad! Just potatoes, a light dressing, maybe some chives freshly cut from the garden. Thank you for sharing your memories, they make food just that much sweeter.
alex says
great story. please, would you share your recipe with us. sounds terrefic. thanking you in advance. waiting to try it. i have a spaetzle maker that goes over the pot and you pour the batter into it and move a funnel like thingy over the holey grater. works like a charm. i was so pleasantly surprised the first time i used it. thought it would be awful. just the opposite. my funnel like thingy is yellow and it’s like a box you pour the batter in it and it’s really great. i’m sure they must have it on amazon or some such site.
Jennifer says
My boyfriend and I are both of German descent and he asked if I could make him spätzle. Having never done it or even eaten it I replied “Sure!” He bought a spätzle maker and a spider and I hunted down a recipe. And wow! Your recipe knocked it out of the house. He’s spent quite a bit of time in Germany and he says this recipe is the best he’s ever had. He said I’ve ruined him. I’ll never make it any other way.
Nora says
Haha, sorry not sorry 😉 All joking aside, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the Spätzle so much, Jennifer!
Julie says
This has been on my list to make with my friend for 3 years and last night we made it an wow sooo good. We could have made more of the gravy, but it all was so perfectly yummy. No need to change a thing. I ate mine with some homemade kraut on the side.
Nora says
I’m so glad, Julie!
Scott from NoDak says
So easy. Mushroom gravy was excellent. Served with schnitzel and green beans. Traditional German meal. So good. Thank you for a very detailed post.
Nora says
Sounds so good, Scott! Thanks for sharing.
Heartland says
Very good spaetzle! I used 2% milk for the liquid no water. I will use my stand mixture next time. I use to always buy spaetzle but no more – I will make it. This was delicious!
Nora says
I’m so glad!
Angela Weaver says
I have not yet made the gravy, but I have made the spaetzle. I wanted to know if it would work with almond flour, but was too uncertain if I should make it all almond flour, so I just used 2 cups all-purpose and made the ½ cup the almond flour. Came out beautifully and so delicious! Next time maybe I will make ⅔ cup in almond flour to see if it still works. Can’t wait to make the gravy. Merry Christmas all!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Angela! Merry Christmas to you and yours.
KristyN says
This was AMAZING! I made this for my family and everyone loved it! I will definitely be making this again and again. I have made spaetzels in the past and already had a spaetzle maker but this recipe was the best one I have tried. My family is vegetarian so I used vegetable broth instead of beef broth. I doubled the recipes and everything turned out perfectly.
Nora says
I’m so glad!
Katharina says
This recipe is absolutely amazing.I have to say being born and raised in Austria this is one of my all time favorites. It pairs so good with our traditional Schnitzel. This is my number one go to whenever I have friends over and decide to make Jägerschnitzel. It’s like a little piece of home in a pot. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Cass says
First time making this and it was sooooo good!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Cass!
Heather Waclaw says
Love it! ❤️ Perfect texture and flavor. … can this recipe be doubled?
Nora says
Heather, you can absolutely double it. It’s a little trickier/harder to beat the spaetzle batter when it’s a larger amount. But it does work, yes!
Melissa says
I love this recipe-thank you! I have even thinned the mushroom sauce out a bit and have eaten it like mushroom soup! Question-how far in advance can the spaetzle be made? And if you do make in advance, should I give them a quick dip in hot water to “freshen” then up?
Nora says
Melissa, you can easily make the spaetzle 3-4 days in advance and keep them in the fridge. I recommend re-heating them in a frying pan in some butter until they are golden on the outside – yum!
Susan says
I made the sauce this afternoon (spaetzle already prepared). Cheated with a 1/4 cup of red wine and the sauce was delicious. Served with rouladen and red cabbage. Birthday celebration for hubby.
Nora says
I’m so glad to hear this, Susan. And happy birthday to your husband!
Tessa says
My Swiss grandma would make spaetzle and knoepfli a lot but I never tried making it myself. This tasted a lot like hers! It was easy to make thanks to the detailed instructions. It was time consuming, so set aside a whole afternoon for this. You were right, beating the batter with a spoon was surprisingly hard and by the end of 5 minutes I was sweating! Next time I will probably cheat and use my stand mixer. I would appreciate if there were gram measurements in the recipe to get a more accurate flour measurement by weight. Also in the gravy instructions it doesn’t say when to add the tomato paste. The gravy was very delicious but it did take a bit longer to thicken up than it said in the recipe. My spaetzle forming technique needs work but I did my best! They swell up in the hot water so next time I would make them even smaller. Thanks for the great recipe and taste of home!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Tessa!
Jackson says
My entire family enjoyed making this and most of all, eating it! We will be making this again:)
Bh. says
Our German family makes these with just eggs and flour and salt/pepper (no beating required. Lol). I often add a few drops of hot sauce too. I add them by small spoonfuls to chicken noodle soup for dumplings. I love finding all the different ways people make them.
Walker Derby says
Hello, hoping you can help me out. I have a spaetzle press and I followed the recipe exactly, however, when I put the dough into the pot it came immediately to the surface and went to mush. I tried a few different water temps and all the same, no solid dumplings anywhere. Can you help me out?
Nora says
Walker, I’m so sorry, this is definitely a mistake on my part. This recipe is one of the first I ever published on my blog back in 2014, and I’m actually revising it and remaking it today to help readers make the perfect spaetzle the first time they try. Spaetzle dough needs to be vigorously beaten until it’s thick and throws bubbles. I definitely didn’t make this clear enough in the recipe, so my apologies. The second reason for mushy spaetzle is water that’s boiling too hard. Again, 100% my mistake for not making the recipe clear. I will fix everything today, but again, so sorry you didn’t have a better experience!
Heidi says
So good! I added probably an extra quarter cup of water/milk mixture to get the consistency I felt comfy with and it turned out great! I received a spaetzle maker for Christmas and was excited to try it with this recipe (first timer over here!) and it was surprisingly super easy! My gravy flavor was awesome but I felt like it could’ve been thicker ( I bet the leftovers will be rad for lunch tomorrow) overall 5 stars and I can’t wait to play more with these little sparrows and other sauces. Thanks Nora!
Nora says
I’m so glad, Heidi!