Europe · Traditional

Austrian cuisine

Austrian cuisine joins Alpine farming, Viennese café culture and the culinary exchange of the former Habsburg lands. Dumplings, schnitzel, soups, pastries, game and regional cheeses sit beside dishes with Czech, Hungarian, Slovenian, Italian and Balkan connections.

Explore recipes Build a Austrian menu Wine pairings

Food history

Why Austrian cuisine is worth exploring

Austrian cuisine grew at the centre of the Habsburg Empire, drawing ideas from Bohemia, Hungary, Italy, the Balkans and beyond. Viennese court and café culture refined pastries and desserts, while Alpine regions kept strong traditions of dumplings, dairy and hearty mountain food.

Why it is famous

People often come to Austrian cuisine through Wiener schnitzel, tafelspitz, goulash, knödel, strudel, sachertorte and café pastries. Stay with it a little longer and a more interesting pattern emerges, where famous dishes sit alongside deeply local cooking and recipes tied to particular landscapes, communities and occasions.

Regional food story

Vienna has its own café, pastry and boiled-beef traditions; Tyrol and Salzburg lean towards Alpine dumplings, cheese and cured meats; Styria is known for pumpkin seed oil; Burgenland has strong Hungarian and wine-country influences.

How to cook it

Flavours, ingredients and menu ideas

Signature ingredients

A Austrian pantry often starts with veal, beef, pork, potatoes, flour, butter, eggs, apples, apricots, poppy seeds, caraway and dairy. Not every region uses them in the same way, and that variation is part of the point: the cuisine changes with climate, agriculture, coastlines and local habits.

Cooking style

Austrian cooking moves between crisp frying, slow simmering, dumplings and accomplished baking. Texture matters greatly: a schnitzel should be light and crisp, dumplings tender, and pastry delicate rather than dense.

Build a menu

Start with soup or a small savoury pastry, then choose schnitzel, tafelspitz, a dumpling dish or a regional main. Finish properly with strudel, sachertorte or an apricot dessert, preferably with coffee rather than another heavy savoury course.

Starters Mains Desserts

Cook by course

Austrian recipes

Start with a starter, choose a main, then finish with a dessert to build a complete country-inspired menu.

Starters

Austrian starters

Liptauer Cheese Spread

Paprika-rich soft cheese spread with capers, onion and caraway.

Starter 15 mins

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Spread

A creamy savoury spread enriched with roasted pumpkin seeds and dark green pumpkin seed oil.

Starter 15 mins

Marinated Herring Viennese Style

Pickled herring with apple, onion, gherkin and a cool sour-cream dressing.

Starter 20 mins

Erdäpfelkas

Rustic Austrian potato spread with sour cream, onion and chives.

Starter 40 mins

Frittatensuppe

Clear beef broth with delicate ribbons of savoury pancake and fresh chives.

Starter 40 mins

Backhendl Salad

Crisp Styrian fried chicken on dressed leaves with pumpkin seed oil.

Starter 45 mins

Tiroler Speckknödel

Tyrolean bread dumplings studded with smoked bacon, served in broth or with sauerkraut.

Starter 45 mins

Kaspressknödel Suppe

Clear broth with crisp-edged pressed cheese dumplings from the Alpine west.

Starter 50 mins

Main courses

Austrian main courses

Wiener Schnitzel

Thin veal cutlet in a souffléd golden breadcrumb crust, served with lemon.

Main 35 mins

Faschierte Laibchen

Juicy Austrian meat patties seasoned with onion, parsley and marjoram.

Main 40 mins

Tiroler Gröstl

Crisp fried potatoes with beef, onion and bacon, topped with a fried egg.

Main 40 mins

Krautfleckerl

Small pasta squares tossed with slowly caramelised cabbage, onion and caraway.

Main 50 mins

Spinach Dumplings

Green bread dumplings enriched with spinach, cheese and brown butter.

Main 50 mins

Käsespätzle

Soft egg noodles layered with pungent Alpine cheese and browned onions.

Main 55 mins

Zwiebelrostbraten

Pan-seared beef with rich onion gravy and a crown of crisp fried onions.

Main 55 mins

Erdäpfelgulasch

A meatless potato goulash with paprika, onion and sliced sausage if desired.

Main 1 hr 5 mins

Carinthian Kasnudeln

Carinthian pasta pockets filled with potato, curd cheese and mint, sealed with a decorative crimp.

Main 1 hr 10 mins

Paprikahendl

Tender chicken in a creamy paprika sauce with small dumplings or noodles.

Main 1 hr 20 mins

Gefüllte Paprika

Sweet peppers filled with meat and rice, simmered in smooth tomato sauce.

Main 1 hr 25 mins

Bauernschmaus

A hearty platter of roast pork, sausages, smoked meat, dumplings and sauerkraut.

Main 1 hr 50 mins

Schweinsbraten

Austrian roast pork with crisp crackling, caraway gravy and bread dumplings.

Main 2 hr 50 mins

Gulasch Viennese Style

Slow-cooked beef and onions in a dark paprika gravy, served with bread or dumplings.

Main 2 hr 55 mins

Salzburger Bierfleisch

Beef braised with dark beer, onions and root vegetables until tender.

Main 2 hr 55 mins

Tafelspitz

Gently simmered beef served with broth, root vegetables, horseradish and chive sauce.

Main 2 hr 55 mins

Desserts

Austrian desserts

Kaiserschmarrn

Fluffy torn pancake caramelised with sugar and served with fruit compote.

Dessert 35 mins

Salzburger Nockerl

Three light baked soufflé peaks dusted with sugar and served immediately.

Dessert 35 mins

Marillenknödel

Apricots enclosed in soft potato or curd dough, boiled and rolled in buttery crumbs.

Dessert 55 mins

Germknödel

A large steamed yeast dumpling filled with plum butter and topped with poppy seed sugar.

Dessert 1 hr

Topfenstrudel

Flaky strudel filled with sweetened curd cheese, lemon and raisins.

Dessert 1 hr 10 mins

Linzer Torte

A spiced nut pastry tart with redcurrant jam and a woven lattice.

Dessert 1 hr 15 mins

Sachertorte

Dense chocolate cake layered with apricot jam and covered in a smooth dark glaze.

Dessert 1 hr 30 mins

Wine and drink pairings

What to drink with Austrian food

When pairing wine with Austrian food, match the structure of the dish first: fresh whites for seafood and herbs, medium reds for tomato, spice or roast meat, sparkling wines for fried or salty starters, and sweet or fortified wines for desserts.

Red

Beaujolais / Gamay

Juicy light red with cherry, raspberry and low tannin. Excellent slightly chilled with charcuterie, poultry, pâté, saus…

Grape: Gamay Region: Beaujolais, Loire, Switzerland

Red

Cabernet Sauvignon / Bordeaux

Structured red with blackcurrant, cedar, graphite and firm tannins. Best with roast beef, lamb, steak, rich gravies and…

Grape: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc Region: Bordeaux, Napa, Coonawarra, Maipo

Red

Malbec

Plush, dark red with blackberry, plum, cocoa and smooth tannins. Excellent with beef, charred meat, pies and smoky dish…

Grape: Malbec Region: Mendoza, Cahors

Red

Pinot Noir / Burgundy

Elegant red with red cherry, earth, spice and fine tannins. Great with duck, mushroom, poultry, pork and lighter beef d…

Grape: Pinot Noir, Spätburgunder Region: Burgundy, Oregon, Central Otago, Baden

Red

Spätburgunder

German Pinot Noir with red cherry, earth and gentle spice. Excellent with pork, sausages, roast poultry, mushroom sauce…

Grape: Spätburgunder / Pinot Noir Region: Baden, Ahr, Pfalz

Red

Syrah / Shiraz

Peppery, dark-fruited red with savoury spice and medium-to-firm tannins. Great with grilled meat, pepper, smoke, sausag…

Grape: Syrah, Shiraz Region: Northern Rhône, Barossa, South Africa

White

Chardonnay

Creamy or lightly oaked white wine with citrus, stone fruit and enough body for seafood, poultry and rich sauces.

Grape: Chardonnay Region: Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain, Germany

White

Chenin Blanc

Versatile white with apple, quince, honey and bright acidity. Works with pork, poultry, pastry, creamy dishes and sweet…

Grape: Chenin Blanc Region: Loire, Stellenbosch

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