Zigeuner Sauce (Gypsy Sauce)

5 from 15 votes

A delicious spicy sauce made from peppers and tomatoes. Great for schnitzel, to make the iconic Zigeunerchnitzel, or pair with beef or sausages.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine German, Hungarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 93kcal

450 g bell peppers about 3 - red, yellow and green
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 can chopped tomatoes 400 g / 14 oz
100 g gherkins / pickles not the sweet variety
180 ml vegetable stock /broth
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon tomato ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar from the gherkin jar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon sugar optional - check flavour as some tomato ketchups are sweeter than other so you might not need it.
1 tablespoon olive oil

Slice bell peppers into thick strips. Avoid cutting too finely, as they should retain texture after cooking.
450 g bell peppers
Slice onions and chop gherkins into 0.5 cm (¼ inch) chunks. Mince the garlic.
2 onions , 100 g gherkins / pickles , 2 garlic cloves
Heat olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add bell peppers and onions, sautéing until onions become translucent.
Stir in garlic, gherkins, and tomato paste, and fry briefly to release flavors.
1 teaspoon tomato paste
Pour in canned tomatoes, vegetable stock (or broth), and ketchup.
180 ml vegetable stock /broth , 2 tablespoon tomato ketchup, 1 can chopped tomatoes
Add paprika, chili powder, and vinegar, stirring well to combined.
1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder , ½ teaspoon chilli powder , 1 tablespoon vinegar from the gherkin jar
Taste the sauce—if too acidic, balance with a little sugar.
1 teaspoon sugar
Let sauce simmer over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. (Peppers should be cooked but still slightly crunchy.)
Before serving, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley for freshness.
1 handful chopped parsley

add mushrooms, or courgette /zucchini to your sauce
replace the canned tomatoes with fresh tomatoes
to give the sauce a smoother note, you can add cream or milk to the sauce.
add white wine to the sauce (about 200 ml)
to thicken the sauce you can also add some cornstarch or flour at the end. Bring to a boil until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
To increase the peppery taste you can add 3 tablespoons pepper paste to the sauce.

Although the sauce is best known to be paired with Schnitzel it is very versatile.

In Germany, this sauce is a popular BBQ sauce and served with steaks. It also tastes really good with some fried chicken or turkey breast.

Vegetarians like to simply eat it with pasta.

The sauce can stay good in the fridge for up to five days. Store in an airtight container.