One of Germany’s national dishes, this authentic German Sauerbraten is marinated, cooked until tender, and served with a wonderfully rich and flavorful sweet-tangy gravy! Serve it with homemade Rotkohl and potatoes, Knödel or Spätzle and you’re all set for a memorable feast!
Growing up in southern Germany until my mid-20’s, Sauerbraten was a dish I always looked forward to. Both my German mother and my Oma would make it served with Rotkohl, Knödle and potatoes, sometimes Spätzle, and it was a memorable feast every time. It was also a dish we loved to order at restaurants. Wherever we went it was made a little differently, but always delicious.
Sauerbraten recipes vary by region, each adding their own touches. Some regions use just vinegar, some just wine and others use a combination of both, which is the most common. There is always the addition of a sweet ingredient to balance the acidity and sourness of the sauce and some regions do this by adding ginger snap cookies, raisins, sugar, honey or sugar beet syrup (or often a combination of them) to achieve that balance. The addition of ginger snaps also serves to thicken the gravy.
Where Did Sauerbraten Originate?
The origin of Sauerbraten has been ascribed to Julius Caesar who is documented as having sent beef marinated in wine all the way from Rome to the new Roman colony of Cologne. Saint Albert the Great of Cologne was later credited with having popularized the recipe in the 13th century. Originally the dish was most commonly made with horse and there are a few restaurants that still serve it, but today it’s primarily made with beef. Sometimes it’s also made with venison or lamb.
This quintessential German dish is found on the menus of many German restaurants both in and outside of Germany. It has been one of Germany’s most popular dishes for generations and as such has become one of its official national dishes.
Beautiful Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, a favorite family vacation spot while growing up in the Swabia region of Southern Germany.
Sauerbraten is a dish that definitely requires some advance planning as the roast has to marinate for about a week before it’s ready to cook. Don’t cut corners by shortening the marinating time. Let the meat marinate fully and then reap the rewards for your patience!
Ready to make some Sauerbraten?
Let’s get started!
Place all of the veggies and herbs in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven along with the garlic, juniper berries, whole cloves, bay leaves, salt, sugar and peppercorns. Add the red wine, red wine vinegar and water.
Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down completely. Nestle the roast in the vegetable marinade and place the lid on the pot.
Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 days, preferably 7. (Traditionally, the marinating time is as long as 2 weeks!) Unless the meat is completely submerged under the liquid, turn the roast over once every day.
Remove the roast and strain the liquid from the vegetables. Reserve the vegetables.
Pat the roast dry with paper towels.
Rinse the pot out and heat a tablespoon or two of oil in it over high heat. Generously brown the roast on all sides.
Remove the roast and set aside. If using bacon, fry the bacon until done.
Leave about 2 tablespoons of the oil/fat in the pot. Place the strained vegetables in the pot (along with the bacon if using) and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour, cooking the mixture for a minute or two to eliminate the flour flavor. Add the liquid that you strained from the vegetable marinade, bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
Add the raisins, honey and crushed ginger snaps. Return the roast to the pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 2 hours ((may need less or longer depending on roast and marinating time) or until the meat is very tender.
Important Note: The longer you let the roast marinate the faster it will cook because the meat will be more tender from the start. So check on your roast periodically for doneness.
When the roast is done, remove and transfer it to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. In the meantime, strain the gravy.
Strain the gravy and return it to the pot.
Taste and more sugar, salt and pepper as desired. If you want your gravy thicker, make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy.
Note: The balance of sour to sweet is a matter of personal taste – adjust the flavor according to your preference. If the flavor is too strong for you, you can also dilute it with a little water or broth.
Let the roast rest for 5 minutes after removing it from the pot. Then slice the roast.
Spoon the hot gravy over the sliced Sauerbraten and serve immediately.
Serving suggestions:
There are several traditional sides you can choose from. Besides potatoes, two of the most traditional and popular options are Semmelknödel and Kartoffelklöße.
Grab the recipe for homemade Semmelknödel (German Bread Dumplings)!
Another popular option is Homemade Spätzle.
Some parts of Germany even serve Sauerbraten with these Homemade Kartoffelpuffer.
And you most definitely need to serve Sauerbraten with Homemade German Rotkohl – it’s tradition and it’s a must!
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Authentic German Sauerbraten
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions, chopped
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 large leek, chopped, thoroughly washed and drained to remove any dirt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large sprigs thyme
- 2 small sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 juniper berries, cracked
- 6 whole cloves
- 10 whole black peppercorns, cracked
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 1/2 cups red wine
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 4 pounds beef rump roast
- 4 slices bacon, finely diced (optional) , some variations include but most do not
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 3 ounces ginger snap cookies, crumbled
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Prepare the Marinade: Place all of the veggies and herbs in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven along with the garlic, juniper berries, whole cloves, bay leaves, salt, sugar and peppercorns. Add the red wine, red wine vinegar and water.Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool down completely.
- Marinate the Meat: Nestle the roast in the vegetable marinade and place the lid on the pot.Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 4 days, preferably 7. (Traditionally, the marinating time is as long as 2 weeks!) Unless the meat is completely submerged under the liquid, turn the roast over once every day.Remove the roast, pat it dry with paper towels, and strain the liquid from the vegetables. Reserve the liquid and the vegetables.
- Cook the Roast: Rinse the pot out and heat a tablespoon or two of oil in it over high heat. Generously brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast and set aside. If using bacon, cook the bacon until done. Leave about 2 tablespoons of oil/fat in the pot. Place the strained vegetables in the pot (with the bacon if using) and cook for 5-7 minutes. Stir in the flour, cooking the mixture for a minute or two to eliminate the flour flavor. Add the liquid that you strained from the vegetable marinade, bring it to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.Add the raisins, honey and crushed ginger snaps. Return the roast to the pot.Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 2 hours (may need less or longer depending on roast and marinating time) or until the meat is very tender.(Important Note: The longer you let the roast marinate the faster it will cook because the meat will be more tender from the start. So check on your roast periodically for doneness.)When the roast is done, remove and transfer it to a plate, tent it to keep warm, and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
- Prepare the Gravy: While the roast is resting, strain the gravy and return the gravy to the pot. Taste and more sugar, salt and pepper as desired. If you want your gravy thicker, make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the gravy. (Note: The balance of sour to sweet is a matter of personal taste - adjust the flavor according to your preference. If the flavor is too strong for you, you can dilute it with a little water or broth.)Spoon the gravy over the sliced Sauerbraten and serve immediately.
- Serve with Homemade German Rotkohl and boiled potatoes, Homemade German Spätzle, Semmelknödel or Kartoffelklöße . A few parts of Germany even serve it with Homemade Kartoffelpuffer.
Richard A Doerrmann says
Followed the directions to a T with the exception of the wine, the bottle was 3 cups, so I just added the whole thing, don’t think a 1/2 cup changed anything… turned out to be the best Sauerbraten I’ve ever had! The gravy was unbelievable!! Thank you so much for posting this recipe! A++
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it, Richard, thank you!!
Elizabeth Koch says
I only had 1 1/2 cup wine meat 3lbs. Used 4 juniper berries and a little bit more vinegar. Eye of round beef. Very lean. 4 days okay to marinate?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Elizabeth, yes 4 days should be fine – just cook the meat until it’s tender.
Lisa says
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! Today was my husband’s birthday, and he requested sauerbraten as it was his favorite dish that his oma used to cook. I was intimidated at the thought — how can I possibly compete with a German Grandma?? — but he absolutely loved it! Of course, like you mentioned, different areas (and even different families) have their own variations, so it didn’t taste exactly like Oma’s, but he was thrilled with it nonetheless. Even though some of the ingredients were different (for example — his grandmother’s recipe used orange juice and vinegar instead of wine and vinegar), his eyes lit up as soon as he tasted the gravy, as he said, “the flavor profile is on point”. The bacon was a nice addition — it brought some umami flavor and complexity in — and the ginger snaps are a must. They thicken the gravy, and they were one of my hubby’s oma’s “secret” ingredients.
I made the recipe exactly as written (thanks for making it so easy to follow!) except 1) I substituted basil for thyme because I didn’t realize we were out of thyme, and 2) I only marinated the roast for about five days because I had to wait for the juniper berries to arrive from Amazon. I don’t think the basil / thyme substitution affected the marinade that much. However, next time, I will marinate the roast for the whole week because I do think the meat would be more tender that way. I also plan on adding some additional whole raisins to the gravy after it’s strained because my husband said that’s the way his grandmother’s was.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Lisa, I’m absolutely thrilled that you both enjoyed it and you’re a gem to have gone through the effort to make this special dish for your husband! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback!
henry miner says
I am in Florida and cannot find juniper berries. Would a few ounces of gin work as a substitute?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Henry, I’d worry that the flavor would be too overpowering. I would just omit it, it will still taste fantastic!
Joyce says
I’ve substituted gin – not much; as Kim suggested I didn’t want the gin to overpower. I think I added a shot, or one of those little bottles (like airline bottles), if you don’t routinely keep gin around.
Cate says
This is one of the best recipes I’ve ever found on line. Husband and kids alike love this. I did everything exactly according to the recipe (except I halved it) and used the bacon. I let marinate 6 solid days (cooking the afternoon of the 6th day) and let cook about 3 hours. It was extremely tender and flavorful. My aunt also made at the same time but left out the juniper berries, bacon, and didn’t weigh the ginger snaps. It should be about 16; she only used 4. She didn’t love it anywhere near as much and I think it had to do with those 3 ingredients. She also marinated more than one day less than I did. I will definitely make this again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Woohoo, that’s awesome, Cate! I’m so glad you took this on, that your effort paid off and that it was a family hit – thank you!
Sandra Stephenson says
Why in a lot of your dishes, you use wonderful veggies then take them out of the dish when you make the gravy. Why not leave them in and eat them with the meat. Rouladen is the same way. What’s wrong with potatoes and carrots and onions left with the meat and all eaten together.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Nothing is wrong with them, Sandra, and you are more than welcome to leave them in the gravy.
Joyce says
I’m going to make this soon, and I also wondered why get rid of the veggies? I might try using my immersion blender, and let the pureed veggies thicken the sauce.
I can’t wait!
Christine says
This recipe was absolutely awful, I did everything from a to
. Spent a lot of tine and money. It was horrible. I have German roots and have eaten this dish many times. This is really very far fetched to the original, sadly!
john a. larson says
great recipe,i have sauerbraten every year for my birthday and i usually get it from the german butcher,but its a hour away.I found this recipe and tried it,made it pretty much to recipe and marinated it for 12 days.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, John, thank you!
Dana says
I’m very excited to make this recipe, however I have a question. You mentioned that the traditional recipe marinates the meat for 2 weeks. Have you tried this before using the above recipe? Do you think the meat will still be good if I marinate it for the full 2 weeks? The meat I will be using is very fresh as it is from my farm. I’ve been to Germany several times and love Sauerbraten so I was hoping for the most authentic recipe. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Dana, no I have never marinated it for that long as I haven’t found it necessary, even for very tough cuts. Plus the flavor is plenty robust after 7 days of marinating.
Anonymous says
Thank you so much! I’ll go with 7 days :)