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Home » Traditional Currywurst and Curry Ketchup Recipe

Traditional Currywurst and Curry Ketchup Recipe

October 8, 2018

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There’s a reason over 800 million Currywursts are consumed each year in Germany – they’re deeeelicious and have been a German institution since 1949!  Learn how to make the BEST authentic curry ketchup and traditional German Currywurst!

currywurst curry ketchup recipe german best authentic traditional Berlin Germany

In the words of Berlin’s Currywurst Museum director, “No other German dish inspires such excitement.”  That sums up the ever popular Currywurst.

Currywurst has been a German institution since its invention in Berlin in 1949 by Herta Heuwer.  She lived in the British military sector of Berlin after World War II where some soldiers had given her some ketchup, curry powder and Worcestershire sauce that they brought with them from the UK.  She went to work experimenting on a sauce that would provide much needed contrast to the limited post-war rations the people were accustomed to living on, a flavorful spicy sauce poured over Bratwursts hot off the grill that she would patent two years later.

She set up a street stand where construction workers were hard at work rebuilding the war-torn city and in no time the popularity of the currywurst skyrocketed.   At its peak she was selling nearly 1500 currywursts per day, or 10,000 per week!

currywurst curry ketchup recipe german best authentic traditional Berlin Germany
© Jan Sommer | Dreamstime

Herta passed away in 1999 at the age of 86 and in 2003 a plaque was dedicated in her honor at the site of her original kiosk on the corner of Kant and Kaiser Friedrich Streets.

Today the currywurst remains popular throughout all of Germany and can be found at most Schnellimbisse (fast food stands).  It’s estimated that roughly 800 million currywursts are consumed in Germany each year with 70 million consumed in Berlin alone!  With a population of 3.5 million in Berlin, that’s over 20 currywursts per Berliner per year.  Yes, the Germans still love their currywursts.  And I stand right along with them because I love them, too!

And if you’re ever in Berlin, under the Magistrate’s Viaduct on the Schönhauser Allee you can still order currywurst from Konnopke’s Imbiss, Berlin’s first and most famous currywurst stand.

Image courtesy Pedelecs by Wikivoyage and Wikipedia via CC licensing

I grew up in Germany eating and enjoying many a Currywurst.  Whether I was out shopping, sightseeing, looking for steals at the fleakmarket or hanging out with friends, a stand selling Currywurst is never hard to find.

So thank you Herta Heuwer, thank you to the British soldiers who gave her those first key ingredients, and thank you to the city of Berlin for upholding the Currywurst tradition!

Berlin Germany home of the famous Currywurst

If you want to simply buy German Curry Ketchup you can find it here on Amazon.  But the whole reason you’re here is so that you can make your own and that’s a great choice because NOTHING compares to homemade curry ketchup!

This homemade curry ketchup has cracked the code for the perfect ratio of spices and ingredients.  Eating this on your grilled Bratwurst will take you down memory lane, recalling the times you enjoyed this fast-food delicacy during your time in Germany.  And if you’ve never been to Germany or have never had currywurst, this will help you understand why it’s so popular.

This homemade currywurst sauce represents the very best you’ve ever had – multiplied by several flavor boosts!

currywurst recipe curry ketchup german best authentic traditional Berlin Germany

Let’s get started!

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the onions just until soft and translucent. Do not brown them. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the curry powder, paprika, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
Let the mixture cool completely and then refrigerate for a day before using to allow time for the flavors to meld.

The Curry Ketchup will keep in the fridge for up to a month.

currywurst recipe curry ketchup german best authentic traditional Berlin Germany

With your amazing curry sauce in hand, the next step is preparing the Bratwursts!

Germany has several kinds of Bratwursts to choose from.  Some areas also use Bockwurst, Rotwurst and Weisswurst.  I can’t recommend strongly enough using the most authentic German sausages you can find – they taste totally different from what we call Bratwursts here in the U.S..  If you’re lucky you may find a German deli in your city or a butcher who makes genuine German sausages.  If not, look for the best sausages from your local butcher, ask them what they recommend.

You can either grill or pan-fry wursts.  They need to be poached in lightly simmering water first and then grilled/fried to finish them off.

The important thing is to cook them until they develop a thick and crispy browned outer crust.  (So if you’re pan-frying, be sure to use enough oil.)  Some curry wurst stands also cut vertical slits along the currywurst to prevent them from bursting open while cooking and then the sausages are sliced along the lines into bite-sized chunks before serving.

Once they’re cooked, slice the sausages into bite-sized pieces, top them with some curry ketchup and sprinkle with curry powder.  Serve immediately with French fries or a crispy Brötchen (crispy bread roll).

Currywursts along with the fries/Brötchen are served in paper food trays with currywurst toothpicks.

Guten Appetit!

For our sausage-making readers, be sure to try our recipe for Authentic German Bratwurst!

 

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currywurst recipe curry ketchup best authentic traditional German

Traditional Currywurst and Curry Ketchup Recipe

Kimberly Killebrew
There's a reason over 800 million currywursts are consumed each year in Germany - they're deeeelicious and have been a German institution since 1949!
Print Recipe
5 from 38 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course condiment, fast food, Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 12 servings
Calories 26 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons quality curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon quality sweet paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon quality Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for more heat)
  • 4 genuine German bratwursts, bockwurst, rotwurst or weisswurst (see blog post about selecting the right sausages)
  • extra curry powder for sprinkling
  • French fries or crispy bread rolls (Brötchen) for serving

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a small saucepan and cook the onions just until soft and translucent. Do not brown them. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the curry powder, paprika, cloves and cinnamon and cook for 30 seconds. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.  Let the mixture cool completely and then refrigerate for a day before using to allow time for the flavors to meld.  
  • Makes 1 1/2 cups.  The curry ketchup will keep for up to a month in the fridge.
  • HOW TO MAKE CURRYWURST:
  • If the sausages are not pre-cooked, first poach them in lightly simmering water.  The next step is to grill/fry them to finish them off.  
    You can either grill or pan-fry the sausages.
    The important thing is to cook them until they develop a thick and crispy browned outer crust.  (So if you're pan-frying, be sure to use enough oil.)  Some curry wurst stands also cut vertical slits along the currywurst to prevent them from bursting open while cooking and then the sausages are sliced along the lines into bite-sized chunks before serving.
  • To serve, slice the wursts vertically into bite-sized pieces, top with some curry ketchup, and sprinkle with curry powder.  Serve with French fries or a crispy bread roll (Brötchen).  Currywurst and fries/Brötchen are served in paper food trays and eaten with currywurst toothpicks.

Notes

NOTE:  The nutrition info is for the Curry Ketchup.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 26kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 52mg | Sugar: 2g
Keyword curry ketchup, curry sauce, currywurst
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

 

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Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, By Country or Region, By Course, By Ingredient, By Type of Dish, Disclosure, Food, Germany, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Meat, Sauces, Seasonings and Condiments, Snacks, Western Europe Tagged With: authentic, berlin, bratwurst, curry ketchup, currywurst, fast food, German, sausage, traditional

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80 Responses

  1. Fran says

    February 10, 2021 at 8:05 pm

    Made it for the 3rd ti.e for a party…..always get asked for the recipe…super delish

    Reply
  2. Jim D says

    January 17, 2021 at 7:16 am

    Hello. I happened to stumble on a very nice website. After watching the Currywurst
    video, I looked on the internet and well, surprise, it took me to your website. Maybe you have not seen this DW post before. h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAjFBXsW_K0

    Reply
  3. Angelika says

    December 8, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    Best recipe for Curry Ketchup on the internet. Living in Germany I had at least once/week Currywurst mit Pommes (French Fries) rot/weiss (Ketchup and Mayo). Every seller understands that order. The Curry Wurst gets the Curry Ketchup and the Fries get the Mayonnaise. Since living in Florida and now Nevada I just couldn’t find the right sausage and after trying several Curry Ketchup recipes I found online, I just gave up. BUT now I found your awesome Curry Ketchup recipe AND I found a great sausage. It’ Boars Head pre-cooked sausage. The sausage looks a little greyish. I fried it in a little bit of oil in a pan until brown and the casing cracks open. I also tried it in my Air Fryer and it’s great as well and I didn’t use any oil. Sausage was nicely browned and casing split. Together with your Curry Wurst just heavenly :) Btw, different regions in Germany use different sausages for their Curry Wurst. I grew up with the pre-cooked sausage while my brother-in-law in Hannover/Germany prefers a different kind. Pretty much what we grew up with and what we prefer.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 10, 2020 at 12:10 am

      That’s awesome, Angelika, thank you so much for the feedback!

      Reply
  4. Elaine says

    November 18, 2020 at 8:30 am

    Wow, amazing recipe, thankyou so much.
    I didn’t have cloves so I improvised with nutmeg as someone suggested. I’d no honey so I omitted that. I added a small squirt of lemon juice just because I felt like it haha.
    It definitely improved with the 12 hours in the fridge as you suggested and my daughter loved it so much she begged the leftovers to take home with home with her!

    Reply
  5. Anonymous says

    October 3, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    My husband lived in Germany & loved this I made it for him today & tried it for the first time it is wonderful amazing flavors definitely will make this again!!

    Reply
  6. Kurt says

    September 28, 2020 at 9:19 am

    Just made this lovely sauce, excellent,will be using this for my home Oktober fest, many thanks. Vielen.danke!! 👍

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      September 28, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      Thanks so much, Kurt, I’m happy you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  7. Todd says

    July 14, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    I made this tonight with Bockwurst from Geier’s. It was fantastic. I made the sauce last night as recommended. The only change is that I added a little turmeric. I do have a question: I used red curry, which I am preferential to, although I like all curries. What is the type of curry that is traditionally used in this?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      July 14, 2020 at 10:11 pm

      Awesome, Todd, thanks so much! Yellow curry is standard but certainly feel free to use red. You can also make another batch with yellow and see which one you like best.

      Reply
  8. Professor Mac says

    July 3, 2020 at 11:08 am

    Excellent recipe and method, though id recommend using freshly home made ketchup too as its a huge part of the dish.

    Nutmeg is an alternative to cloves if youre out or running low.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      July 3, 2020 at 1:19 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it, Prof, thank you!

      Reply
  9. Meg says

    June 30, 2020 at 9:24 pm

    Yum! We’re vegetarians, so we served this super-sauce over plain chickpeas that I’d cooked in the pressure cooker. Holy wowzers! I used standard NZ “watties tomato sauce” and mild curry powder. So good, thank you again for another amazingly yummy dish.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 30, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      Fantastic, Meg, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!

      Reply
  10. Solvita says

    June 26, 2020 at 5:31 am

    I cooked for the first time and everyone liked it so much. Thanks !! :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 26, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      That’s fantastic, Solvita, thank you!

      Reply
  11. Micki Young says

    June 25, 2020 at 4:08 am

    My question is on the curry powder. I make a rice and pea salad with the yellow curry so I was wondering if it is the yellow curry or the red curry for this recipe. My husband spent many years in Germany and just mentioned these so I looked online for a recipe and saw yours had a 5 star rating so this will be the one I use. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 25, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      Hi Micki, you’ll need yellow curry powder for this. Happy cooking! :)

      Reply
  12. Susan Stewart says

    June 11, 2020 at 4:41 pm

    I’m married to a Dutchman and currently living in the US. I lived for 7 years in The Netherlands where Curry Ketcup is also used. I only noticed the real deal recently when the local German shop here was out of the bottled product so she offered me some of her homemade. Wow, a world of difference. So last week I made this and used Brats as well….my husband was licking every drop off the bowl and plate 😆….said I need to make it again. So here I sit writing a review while simmering our second batch! The house smells divine. I used the last of the first batch in and on top of a Turkey Meatloaf last night.
    Thanks for sharing…this is a keeper! It’s all I can do to stop him from eating spoonfuls of it. Lol
    Susan in Seattle

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      June 12, 2020 at 10:27 am

      I’m absolutely thrilled that you both enjoyed it, Susan, thanks so much!

      Reply
  13. Tanya says

    May 27, 2020 at 1:14 am

    Hi, my dad was stationed in Germany in the 70’s and him and his friends have been talking about currywurst and how much they loved them. I’d like to make him this sauce but just a quick question.
    When you say prepared mustard, what sort do you mean? Is it like the squirt hog American style mustard or English/Dijon etc?

    Thanks!

    Can’t wait to try it
    Tanya

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 27, 2020 at 8:39 am

      Hi Tanya, it’s just referring to regular yellow mustard (you can use either American style or German style). What a treat this will be for your dad, you’ll have to let us know what he thinks when he tries it!

      Reply
  14. Carie says

    May 23, 2020 at 10:27 am

    I went to Germany in the 1990s and came across a street vendor with brats and this orange/red sauce on it that was amazing! I tried to ask but couldn’t understand. For years afterwards, I attempted to Google by description to no avail. OMG! I think this is it. The ingredients and look match what I remember. Thank you and can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 23, 2020 at 10:49 pm

      I hope this meets your expectations, Carie, please let us know what you think!

      Reply
  15. Brittany Smith says

    April 21, 2020 at 8:53 pm

    This tastes exactly like the Currywurst I had in Berlin last year! So amazing. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 21, 2020 at 8:57 pm

      I’m so happy to hear that, Brittany, thank you!

      Reply
  16. T says

    April 16, 2020 at 3:24 pm

    Fantastic recipe! Made it for my boyfriend’s birthday, it’s his favorite.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 17, 2020 at 7:49 am

      Wonderful, I’m so glad it was a hit, thank you!

      Reply
  17. Andrew Smith says

    January 5, 2020 at 7:27 am

    Wow…..just Wow! I served in Germany with the British Army of the Rhine from 1980 until around 1992. I have just made this sauce and now waiting for it to cool before putting in the fridge. Couldn’t resist having a taste or two……it is awesome and appears very close to the real deal. Thank you so much! I will be enjoying currywurst at some point this week. Mmmmm……will I go with fries or brotchen? Decisions, decisions.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 5, 2020 at 2:55 pm

      Fantastic, Andrew, thank you! You’ll notice the flavor gets even better after a couple of days. So glad you like the sauce and enjoy that Currywurst! :)

      Reply
  18. Sherie says

    December 21, 2019 at 1:14 pm

    The recipes on this site are incredible! Have been to German Christmas markets for the past few years and it’s so wonderful being able to recreate the delicious food that we’ve enjoyed there. German food makes Christmas so special! This was such an authentic currywurst recipe. We had dampfnudeln with cherry compote in Munich which was so delicious…I hope that one day you will post a recipe for this. Thank you for your great recipes!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 21, 2019 at 7:42 pm

      Thanks so much, Sherie, I really appreciate that! :) I agree wholeheartedly, Christmas in Germany is extra special and part of that is the wonderful variety of German foods. Dampfnudeln filled with berry compote and served with vanilla custard sauce is one of my very favorite Swabian dishes. I will definitely be posting my recipe for it :) Thanks again and Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  19. Nichole says

    December 10, 2019 at 1:55 pm

    How long can this be stored for? We used to frequent a German pub far too often and loved the curry fries! Thinking about making a decent sized batch of this but don’t know how long it will be safe to store, presuming we don’t polish it off with friends quickly ;)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 10, 2019 at 8:31 pm

      Nichole, sealed in an airtight container and kept in the fridge it should keep for about a month. Just check it for any signs of mold.

      Reply
  20. Della Morgan says

    December 9, 2019 at 12:34 pm

    Keen to try the added natural ketchup, do you mean the organic stuff not sure what to opt for? Grew up with the traditional German curry wurst having been lucky enough to have a father in the civil service with years of postings all over Germany yum yummy yum please can you have a go at the half a paprika chicken served with frits and of course curry ketchup have tried aver the years to replicate this dish without much success I think it was deep fried 🐔 many thanx

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 9, 2019 at 8:22 pm

      Hi Della, the natural ketchup just means plain ketchup, not flavored with anything else. Those grilled chickens are the best, aren’t they? I don’t have a rotisserie grill so I haven’t been able to replicate them I’m afraid, but I miss them too.

      Reply
  21. Derek Hooker says

    November 29, 2019 at 8:20 am

    Well, I was volunteered to cook sausage dogs at my works Movember men’s health awareness fund raiser. After recently having traveled to Germany to visit my daughter, I got to experience this fabled Curry Wurst I heard so much about. I had the curry ketchup while in Brussels, Belgium at the Atomium and knew I had to find it in Germany. I did and was pleasantly surprised. Your recipe however made that Curryworst stands staple sauce pale in comparison. I ad libbed a little based on my ingredients on hand but had promised to bring something that nobody had tried before to put on the sausage dogs. You always have the curry haters and those fearful of spicy foods but I had many partakers that loved your recipe. I am sharing it now to those adventurous enough to try making it on their own. I used a Masala Curry from a local Indian market and tossed in a little extra for a stronger curry kick but was very happy with the outcome. I wish I had made more at the time to bottle for home use but I can make it again. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 30, 2019 at 9:02 am

      How fun, Derek, that’s so awesome that you made this for the fundraiser! I’m so glad you and others enjoyed it and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!

      Reply
  22. Rae says

    November 21, 2019 at 9:51 am

    I finally had a chance to try currywurst at the Oktoberfest here in Mérida, Mexico, of all places. I fell in love hard. I studied a lot of recipes and decided that this one seemed closest to what I had tasted, a made-from-scratch sauce with complex flavours. This delivered in spades and is extremely close to what I had.

    I only had regular old ketchup on hand so I cut down the honey by half and omitted the salt and the sugar. I didn’t have any cayenne and instead added two dried chiles de arból for heat, then forgot to take them out at the puréeing stage, littering my ketchup with super hot seeds. So I sieved the ketchup. The onions had broken down so well in the simmering that I had barely any left in my sieve with the remains of the hot peppers, so I didn’t lose any flavour and ended up with a perfectly smooth and well blended ketchup with just enough heat.

    I cooled some down to have right away and found the flavours weren’t “curry-ish” enough. But the recipe is correct — the flavours developed overnight and no adjustment was needed. It’s rare to find a recipe I don’t need to adjust. What a treat! Now, I have to find some other uses for it than just bratwursts. Shouldn’t be too hard. :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 21, 2019 at 4:45 pm

      Oktoberfest in Mérida – who knew! That’s terrific, Rae, I’m so glad you enjoyed this sauce and really appreciate the feedback, thank you!

      Reply
  23. Pat says

    October 20, 2019 at 5:06 am

    Darn good! Just got back from Berlin 2 weeks ago, and had curry wurst near the Brandenburg Tor. This recipe is as good as it gets, fantastic!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 20, 2019 at 6:37 am

      Fantastic, Pat, thanks so much!

      Reply
  24. michele says

    October 6, 2019 at 10:31 am

    Just made this and it tastes just like I remember from festivals in Germany. The only thing I changed is that I used allspice instead of cinnamon/cloves.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      October 16, 2019 at 8:06 pm

      Fantastic, Michele, thank you!

      Reply
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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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