Smoked Pulled Pork Käsespätzle – Hey Grill, Hey

August 8, 2026

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Hard to read, easy to make: my Smoked Pulled Pork Käsespätzle (KAY-zuh-SHPETS-luh) recipe helps you take an already-indulgent comfort food to a new level. By topping the buttery, cheesy egg noodles and crispy fried onions with slow-smoked pulled pork, you’ll give this German-inspired dish a healthy dose of backyard flavor.

Smoked Pulled Pork Käsespätzle

You may have noticed the influx of German-style recipes around here. If you’ve been following Christie Vanover (Girls Can Grill) and me as we compete on Food Network’s Pitmasters, you know we did a full German feast using a whole hog. (Check out my recaps here to see everything we’ve made so far.) I’ve been hit with a lot of requests for this käsespätzle recipe, so I had to share it. The thing I love about this pulled pork version is it takes some of my family’s tradition, blends it with influence from one of my friends and cooking heroes, and, of course, adds a touch of BBQ goodness.

What Is Käsespätzle?

Käsespätzle is a German dish of soft egg noodles layered with melty cheese under a pile of crispy fried onions. My friend Sophie Sadler of Dirndl Kitchen taught me her version in my kitchen last December, and it’s the foundation for this one.

People love to call it German mac and cheese, but there’s almost no relation. Mac and cheese (like my #1 Google-rank smoked version) is built on a roux, but käsespätzle doesn’t use a sauce at all. The heat coming off the noodles melts the cheese, so you get a stretchy, rustic dish. My twist is my cheese mix is half smoked gouda. Oh, and I pile it all with a helping of smoky pulled pork.

Ingredients for Pulled Pork Käsespätzle

Again, don’t let the umlauts fool you. This recipe breaks down into 3 easy parts: noodles, onions, pork.

Spätzle Noodles

If you want to go with a prepackaged noodle, nobody will judge you. I’m following Sophie’s method here, and honestly, homemade takes about 15 minutes. Here’s what’s in it:

2 eggs
200 grams all-purpose flour (about 1 ⅔ cups)
150 milliliters milk (about ½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons)
15 grams butter (melted, about 1 Tablespoon)
1 pinch ground nutmeg

After boiling:

Fried Onions

These crispy, fried onions give the käsespätzle a depth of flavor while providing some lovely crunch to contrast the cheesy noodles. Grab these ingredients and heat up your favorite cast iron skillet:

1 large yellow onion (sliced into thin rings)
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons butter

Pulled Pork

I used pork cheek when I made this dish on Pitmasters, which is phenomenal but not exactly a Tuesday grocery run. For this backyard version, I went with country style pork ribs. Despite the name, these aren’t actually ribs at all. They’re cut from the shoulder, which means you get true pulled pork in way less time than a whole butt. I’ve got a whole post on smoked country style ribs if you want to go deeper. And if you’d rather run a traditional, slow-smoked shoulder, my simple smoked pulled pork has you covered there as well.

How Do I Smoke the Pork?

Country style ribs are the shortcut that makes this a same-day dish instead of an all-day (or overnight) commitment. You’re looking at about 6 hours start to finish, and most of that is hands-off:

Preheat the smoker. Get your favorite smoker running at 250 degrees F. I prefer a light wood like apple or cherry, but oak and hickory are great if you want more smoky flavor. You can also do this on your grill using the two-zone method. I’ve got a whole post if you need help setting your grill up this way.
Season the ribs. Wipe down the ribs with a paper towel to clear off any bone fragments, then season generously on all sides with Beef Rub.
Smoke the ribs. Place the seasoned ribs directly on the grates, close the lid, and smoke for about 3 hours. Once your ribs hit an internal temperature of around 165 degrees F and take on a deep mahogany color, they’re ready for the next step.
Wrap and finish. Carefully transfer your ribs to a large sheet of aluminum foil, add the pats of butter, wrap everything up tight, and return it to the smoker. Close the lid and continue smoking for approximately 3 more hours. You’ll know it’s time to pull your ribs when they hit an internal temperature of 203 degrees F using a reliable meat thermometer and become probe tender.
Rest and shred. Allow your ribs to rest wrapped in foil for 15 to 20 minutes. When you’re ready to shred, my Pitmaster Gloves make short work of it with little mess. Congrats, you just nailed the hardest part of this recipe!

Can I Make My Own Spätzle?

Absolutely, and it’s not much more work! You still have to boil most premade spätzle noodles, so you’re just taking the extra step of mixing them first. If you want to make your own, here’s how:

Boil the water. Get a large pot of heavily salted water going. Sophie says it should taste like ocean water, and she’s right. The noodles absorb it, so that’s all the seasoning they’ll get.
Mix the batter. Whisk your eggs, flour, milk, melted butter, and a pinch of nutmeg together until you’ve got a thick batter that’s just barely runny.
Press and cook. Push the batter through a spätzle press (or a spätzle grater, or off a cutting board with a sharp knife) directly into the boiling water. Work in batches so they don’t clump into one giant noodle. Simmer the noodles for about 2 minutes, then pull them out with a skimmer.
Drain and butter. Drop flakes of butter over the hot noodles and let it melt in. Just like that, your noodles are ready to get cheesy.

Sophie’s full German Spätzle recipe has all the details and a video, so check it out if you need some pointers.

How to Make Smoked Pulled Pork Käsespätzle

Once your pork is smoked and shredded, this whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes. Get your cheese shredded, and have your serving dish standing by.

Boil the noodles. Bring a big pot of heavily salted water to a boil, then cook your spätzle according to package instructions or press a fresh batch straight into the water.
Crisp the onions. While the water heats, toss your onion rings in flour until lightly coated. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the onions, and cook 5 to 10 minutes until deep golden and crispy. Move them to a paper towel-lined plate.
Butter the noodles. Drain the spätzle and immediately toss with 2 Tablespoons of butter while they’re still steaming. Don’t skip this. It’s what keeps them from clumping and gives you that rich, silky bite.
Warm the pork. Add your pulled pork to that same onion skillet and warm over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Those crispy edges picking up the leftover onion butter are worth the extra pan.
Build your layers. In a serving bowl or small cast iron skillet, alternate hot noodles, shredded cheese, and pulled pork, then finish with a final layer of noodles and cheese. The heat coming off those noodles melts everything into gooey perfection.
Pile it on. Top the whole thing with your crispy fried onions and a heavy shower of chopped chives. Serve it immediately, while that cheese is still stretching.

Serving Suggestions

My favorite way to eat this dish is as part of a German feast. On Pitmasters, we plated it alongside sauerbraten and rotkohl, and the judges loved the combination of rich, smoky, tangy, and cheesy.

You don’t need a whole hog to pull it off at home. Pick a main, add something bright and vinegary to cut through all that butter and cheese, and you’ve got a spread that’ll have people asking when you’re doing German again. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Smoked Pulled Pork Käsespätzle Recipe

Fire up the smoker and make this one for the people you love, then come back and drop a rating and comment below so you can tell me how yours turned out! I want to hear whether you went homemade on the noodles, what cheese blend you landed on, and how fast it disappeared.

Remember to tag @heygrillhey on Instagram and Facebook when you share photos of your spread, and subscribe to the YouTube channel for more recipes like this one. Let me help you make better BBQ, feed the people you love, and become a backyard BBQ hero!

Pulled Pork (Country Style Pork Ribs)

Pulled Pork (Country Style Pork RIbs)

Preheat the smoker. Preheat your smoker to 250 degrees F with your favorite hardwood. I recommend apple or cherry for this recipe.
Season the ribs. Remove the country style ribs from the packaging and wipe them down with a paper towel to remove any bone fragments from the cutting process. Season on all sides with Beef Rub.

2 Tablespoons Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub, 2 pounds country style ribs
Smoke the pork. Place the seasoned ribs directly on the grill grates, close the lid, and smoke for approximately 3 hours, or until the ribs reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and have a rich mahogany color.
Wrap and finish. Transfer the ribs to a sheet of heavy-duty foil or a disposable aluminum pan, top with the butter, and wrap or cover tightly. Return to the smoker and cook another 2 to 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 203 degrees F and the pork is probe tender.

2 Tablespoons butter
Rest and shred. Remove the pork from the smoker and rest in the wrap for 15 to 20 minutes. Shred with a pair of food-safe gloves or meat claws, tossing the meat in the buttery juices left in the wrap. You’ll need about 2 cups for the käsespätzle (save the rest for sandwiches).

Käsespätzle

Cook the spätzle. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spätzle according to package instructions, or make a fresh homemade batch (recipe link in notes section).

7 ounces spätzle
Fry the onions. While the noodles boil, slice the onion into thin rings or half rings and toss with the flour until lightly coated. Melt 3 Tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the floured onions, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until deeply caramelized and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

1 large yellow onion, 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour, 3 Tablespoons butter
Butter the noodles. Drain the spätzle and immediately toss with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter while still steaming hot.

2 Tablespoons butter, ⅔ cup smoked gouda cheese, ⅔ cup emmental cheese
Warm the pork. If using leftover pulled por, add it to the same skillet you cooked the onions in and warm over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through and the edges start to crisp in the leftover onion butter.
Layer it up. In a serving bowl or small cast iron skillet, layer the hot noodles with the shredded cheese and pulled pork, then repeat, finishing with a layer of noodles and cheese. The heat from the noodles will melt everything into gooey perfection.
Top and serve. Pile the crispy fried onions over the top, finish with chopped chives, and serve immediately.

fresh chives

Hey Grill Hey Beef Rub

Dirndl Kitchen Homemade German Spätzle