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5 Worst Rated German Stews

Last update: Sat Feb 15 2025
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01

Stew

BAVARIA, Germany
2.9
Pichelsteiner
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Pichelsteiner is a thick German stew made with several kinds of meat and vegetables. Pork, beef, and mutton are the main ingredients alongside potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and leeks. Various other vegetables can be added for extra flavor, such as onions, celery, and garlic.


The stew is seasoned with salt and pepper, then sprinkled with fresh parsley. Pichelsteiner is considered an all-time classic in Bavaria, where the dish originated from in the 19th century. Auguste Winkler, an innkeeper from the small village of Grattersdorf, is credited with inventing the stew at an open-air cooking festival in 1879. 
02

Stew

DORTMUND, Germany
3.4
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Pfefferpotthast is a traditional meat stew hailing from Westphalia. It consists of pieces of beef that are simmered in a seasoned broth along with onions, soup vegetables, spices, and herbs. The meat is typically first browned in a little oil or lard before it's cooked with the other ingredients, and the broth is usually thickened with crumbled bread, traditionally with the classic Westphalian pumpernickel rye bread.


Spices such as cloves, juniper berries, allspice, bay leaves, salt, and pepper are typically used for seasoning the broth. Warming and flavor-packed, the dish is perfect for a chilly fall or winter lunch or dinner, and it is usually accompanied by pickled gherkins, salt potatoes (Salzkartoffeln), beetroots, and a German beer on the side. 

MOST ICONIC Pfefferpotthast

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03

Stew

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, Germany
3.7
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One of the staples of traditional Swabian cuisine, linsen mit spätzle combines a thick and creamy stew of brown lentils (linsen) with soft egg noodles (spätzle). Lentils are braised with bacon and vegetables and then simmered until soft and fully cooked in meat or vegetable broth, which is usually thickened with roux.


The broth is typically enhanced with tomato paste and seasoned with vinegar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Warm and filling, the lentil stew is then transferred to a plate of boiled spätzle noodles, and it is usually enjoyed with a side of saitenwurst sausages (German string sausages) and a cold beer. 

MOST ICONIC Linsen mit Spätzle

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04

Stew

STUTTGART, Germany
3.7
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A German specialty originating from Swabia, gaisburger marsch is a meat stew based on beef cooked with a rich meat broth and vegetables. Once ready, the beef is usually cut into bite-sized pieces, accompanied by potatoes, carrots, and spätzle, all drizzled with the broth.


Warm and packed with flavors, the dish is typically topped with roasted onions, parsley, and chives. There are several stories behind the name of this classic dish, which translates as the march of Gaisburg in English. Some say the stew was a favorite among officer candidates who would march to one of the Gaisburg restaurants to have a bowl of it, while other sources credit the wives of certain imprisoned Gaisburg locals for the creation of this stew. 
05
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Hirschgulasch is a traditional type of goulash, a stew of meat, vegetables, and spices made specifically with venison, or deer meat, instead of the beef or pork that might be used in other types of goulash. The name of the dish translates to venison goulash.


The venison is typically cut into small, bite-sized pieces and then slow-cooked with various ingredients like onions, garlic, tomatoes, and a variety of spices. Other ingredients can also be included, such as red wine, bay leaves, juniper berries, and herbs, all of which enhance the flavor of the dish. 

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German Stews