This German Potato Dumplings recipe makes thick and starchy potato balls for an easy side dish that pairs perfectly with almost any main dish!
Potatoes are one of my favorite starches to add to my meals. A few other delicious potato side dishes I recommend are my Easy Roasted Bombay Potatoes, German Potato Pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), or Patatas Bravas.
These delicious potato dumplings are a common side dish to any German recipe that is served with gravy! I mean, potatoes and gravy, is there are more perfect pair? This is a very traditional German recipe that is served at Thanksgiving or Christmas that you can incorporate in your holidays as well! Traditionally this dish is served with German Braised Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) or any dish that has homemade gravy!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need. You can find the amounts of each ingredient below.
- Starchy Potatoes – Russet or Yukon Gold
- Corn starch
- Salt
- Nutmeg
- Eggs
- Butter
- Bread crumbs – optional garnish
- Fresh parsley – optional garnish
How to Make German Potato Dumplings
Assemble your ingredients. For exact amounts see recipe card below.
Peel the raw potatoes and cut them into large chunks.
Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water, and boil the potatoes over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cover them and cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
Drain the potatoes and roughly mash them, be sure to not over mash.
Spread out the potatoes on wax paper to cool down, about 15 minutes, so they are comfortable to handle.
While the potatoes are cooling, bring a pot of water to a boil.
After the potatoes are cooled, in a large bowl add the potatoes, all the corn starch, salt, and nutmeg and lightly mix.
Next, add in 2 eggs beaten into the bowl with the potato dough and fold and mix to form the dough.
Then, form the dumplings into about 2 inch round dumplings, this should create 12 in all.
Using a slotted spoon, lower each dumpling into the boiling water.
Once the dumplings begin floating to the top of the water, reduce the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the dumplings cook in the simmering water for about 20 minutes.
After cooking, remove the dumplings into a large bowl. Melt butter. Drizzle with melted butter, salt to taste, buttered breadcrumbs and fresh parsley and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Use Starchy Potatoes
When making this recipe you really want to be sure to use a starchy potato so that everything holds together otherwise you risk your dumplings falling apart. Russet potatoes are my favorite to use but Yukon Gold potatoes will also work as well if you prefer!
Do not Over Mash the Potatoes
This one can be tough. I mean everything is being squished into a ball right? Over mashing your potatoes can lead to gummy mashed potatoes which are not appetizing so be sure to only roughly mash them, don’t go too crazy!
Keep German Potato Dumplings from Sticking to your Hand
With these potatoes being thick and starchy, along with all the ingredients incorporated with them they can be sticky when trying to form into balls. In order to keep this from happening you can either wet your hands with water or dust your hands with some flour to keep them from sticking!
Make a Test Dumpling
Making a small test dumpling serves two purposes. The first is to ensure the mixture will hold up in the water and not fall apart. The second is to give the cook a taste test to enjoy while cooking the rest of the dish!
Storage and Reheating
You can store these German Potato Dumplings in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.
To reheat the dumplings you can do so in the microwave. Be sure to cook until it has warmed all the way through.
Other Delicious German Recipes
- Homemade German Spaetzle
- How to Make German Pork Schnitzel
- Homemade German Goulash
- Easy German Chocolate Pot de Creme
Easy Potato Dumplings Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Starchy Potatoes - Russet or Yukon Gold
- 1 Cup corn starch
- 2 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 6-8 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup buttered bread crumbs - optional garnish
- 1 Tbsp fresh parsley - optional garnish
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks.
- Place the potatoes in a pot and cover them with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cover them and cook for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Drain the potatoes and roughly mash them, be sure to not over mash.
- Spread out the potatoes on wax paper to cool down, about 15 minutes, so they are comfortable to handle.
- While the potatoes are cooling, bring a pot of water to a boil.
- After the potatoes are cooled, in a large mixing bowl add the potatoes, corn starch, salt, and nutmeg and lightly mix.
- Next, add in 2 eggs beaten into the bowl with the potato dough and fold and mix to form the dough.
- Then, shape the dough into about 2 inch round dumplings, this should create 12 in all.
- Using a slotted spoon, lower each dumpling into the boiling pot of water.
- Once the dumplings begin floating to the top of the water, turn the heat down to a simmer, cover the pot, and let the dumplings cook for about 20 minutes.
- After cooking, remove the dumplings into a large serving bowl. Drizzle with melted butter, salt to taste, buttered breadcrumbs and fresh parsley and enjoy!
VIDEO
NOTES
Hi, Linda! I have a question, and it’s purely for my own curious mind! I learned lefse from my Norwegian/German mother-in-law, and the “dough” was kindof similar to this, but used AP flour and no eggs. But, potatoes, butter, salt, and a “flour” component. Why cornstarch? What about it, over AP flour, makes for a superior dumpling??? I LOVE the science of cooking, and seeing cornstarch, not flour, got this inquiring mind wanting to know! lol
Love your blog, refer to it often; your picadillo recipe is my go-to – SOOOOO delicious!!! Everyone loves it! 🙂
Hi Chrissie, thanks for the love and your question. Adding cornstarch makes the dough firmer and chewier. – Linda