German Maultaschen Dumplings

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/13/23
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
German Maultaschen Dumplings in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 90 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Rest: 60 mins
Total: 3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Yield: 32 dumplings

Italians and Germans both have meat dumplings like ravioli or maultaschen and potato dumplings like gnocchi or schupfnudeln.

Spinach is added when the maultaschen (literally "feedbags" but probably named after the city of Maulbronn) are eaten on Holy Thursday before Easter. These dumplings are part of many traditional German celebrations. 

The dough for maultaschen is an egg noodle dough and the filling reflects the German influence of mustard, bacon, and marjoram flavors. It's not exactly easy to make, but with a bit of patience, you'll have a complete German meal. 

"With a filling of mustard and bacon, these generously-sized German dumplings offer a great change of pace from Italian ravioli, and they transform a simple bowl of beef broth into something special. The dough is wonderfully supple and easy to work with. My hand-crank pasta machine made it a lot easier to roll the dough." —Danielle Centoni

German Maultaschen Dumplings Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the Dough:

  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon oil

  • 3 to 5 tablespoons water

For the Filling:

  • 3 slices bacon, chopped

  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

  • 8 ounces ground beef

  • 5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped

  • 1 ounce day-old French bread, about 1 thick slice, crust removed

  • 1 large egg

  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon spicy mustard

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 pinch ground black pepper

For Cooking and Serving:

  • 2 quarts beef broth, or other broth

  • Chopped chives or parsley, for garnish

Steps to Make It

Make the Dough

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Dumpling dough ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, mix 2 2/3 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon of oil and just enough of the water to make a cohesive dough.

    Dough ball in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Turn dough out onto a clean, dry surface and knead for 5 to 10 minutes, until smooth (or knead in the stand mixer with a dough hook for about 5 minutes).

    Dough ball shaped with hands, on a wooden surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Form dough into a ball, lightly oil the surface, wrap in plastic, and let rest for at least 1 hour.

    Dough ball wrapped in plastic wrap on a wooden surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Make the Filling

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Filling ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. In a medium sauté pan set over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes.

    Bacon cooking in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon. Sauté onion and garlic in bacon drippings until translucent, about 5 minutes.

    Onions in a pan on a burner, with a wooden spoon, and cooked bacon on a paper towel lined plate

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the bacon-onion mixture, beef, spinach, bread, 1 egg, parsley, mustard, thyme, marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper until well combined. If you want a finer texture, you can put the ingredients through a meat grinder or pulse it in a food processor as well.

    Bacon-onion mixture, beef, spinach, bread, egg, parsley, mustard, thyme, and marjoram mixture in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Form the Dumplings

  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the dough to 1/8 inch thickness or thinner. You should have a sheet of about 12 x 18 inches. (You also can use a pasta maker to roll out flat sheets with 1/5 of the dough at a time. Aim to create 6 x 18 sheets and roll to the thinnest, or second thinnest setting.)

    Rolled out out dough on a wooden block, next to a rolling pin

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Cut the sheet of dough lengthwise in half with a knife, then make five perpendicular cuts to yield twelve (6 x 3-inch) rectangles.

    Pasta dough sliced into pieces on a wooden surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  3. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling on each rectangle.

    Dumpling filling on top of dough pieces, on a wooden surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  4. Fold rectangle over and pinch sides to close. Set on a lightly floured baking sheet allowing enough room between so they do not touch,

    Dumpling dough sealed around the filling on the wooden surface

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  5. Repeat with the remaining dough.

    Dumplings on a baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

Cook the Dumplings and Serve

  1. In a large pot, bring broth to a simmer over medium-high heat. Place 1/3 of the maultaschen in the broth. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Keep warm if not serving immediately. Repeat with the rest of the maultaschen.

    Dumplings cooking in a pot with broth, on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga

  2. Serve in a bowl with some broth and sprinkle with chives or parsley.

    German Maultaschen Dumplings in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
320 Calories
11g Fat
36g Carbs
19g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 320
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 76mg 25%
Sodium 1265mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 19g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 75mg 6%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 400mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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