Goetta Recipe (Cincinnati Sausage)
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These famous German-influenced sausage grain patties known as Goetta from the Greater Cincinnati area have a fantastic flavor and are an absolutely delicious addition to your breakfast! This authentic homemade Goetta recipe captures the flavor and texture that you know and love. Make a double batch while you’re at it because it freezes well!
What is Goetta?
You may not have heard of goetta, but it’s famous. At least it is in Cincinnati where it’s practically a staple ingredient. So much so the people of the Greater Cincinnati area consume over 1 million pounds of it ever year. That’s 450 metric tons of goetta!
What’s more, there’s even an annual goetta festival, “Glier’s Goettafest”, that’s held every August near Newport, Kentucky and features goetta served every way imaginable. Music, dancing and other entertainment adds to the occasion of celebrating this beloved food as well as the German-American heritage of the Greater Cincinnati area.
So what is goetta (pronounced “getta”)? Goetta is a mixture made out of meat, steel-cut oats, onions and spices that is formed into sausages patties, fried, and eaten for breakfast. The dish is of German origin and the name is a derivative of the German words Grötte or Grütze (depending on the region), which translates to “groats,” but this dish is not known as Goetta in Germany.
Where Did Goetta Originate?
The concept goetta is similar to Pennsylvania Dutch scrapple, Polish kishka and Scottish haggis in that, all these originally being peasant dishes, it was a way to make the most of every part of the animal – to use up the scraps – and to make them stretch to feed the most people possible.
In the case of goetta, it was brought to the Cincinnati area over a century ago by German immigrants from northern Germany. While the version in north Germany would have been made more commonly with buckwheat, barley or rye (the grains most prolifically grown in that area), oats were substituted once the immigrants reached Cincinnati (which is the more common crop in that area). Also, the original, peasant German version would have included more animal organ parts whereas goetta is made with the muscle meat only (when the German immigrants reached the United States they found that pork here was much cheaper).
Goetta Ingredients
The primary ingredients in this goetta recipe are steel-cut oats, beef, pork, onion and garlic. The oats are simmered in beef broth for added flavor and a special selection of herbs and spices are added. There are several key seasonings that are essential to achieving the “old world” flavor that many German meats and sausages are associated with: Mace, marjoram, coriander, white pepper, cloves and ginger. Don’t omit or substitute any of these. Include all of them and once you’ve tasted the final result you’ll be very happy you did!
Serving Recommendations
Goetta’s a classic breakfast food and is usually serve with eggs, toast, fruit, etc. But you’ll also find it served in any number of other ways in Cincinnati and throughout the region: Crumbled onto nachos, pizza, in quesadillas, tacos, burritos, and sandwiches, baked in casseroles, mac and cheese and frittatas, piled onto loaded potato skins, or even goetta fried rice. In short, goetta fans are pretty serious about this stuff and once you’ve tried it you’ll understand why!
How to Cook Goetta
Yes, this can be a point of frustration. You’ll find forums online of people venting and lamenting and asking for help on how to fry goetta so that it doesn’t completely fall apart in the pan.
I’ll say it right now, it is challenging keeping the patties together when you fry them and that’s just the nature of goetta. Goetta is not a firm sausage patty. It’s a fairly soft and loose patty with a browned and crispy exterior. And reducing the amount of water won’t help, neither will adding things like bread crumbs or eggs. That said, there is a way to keep goetta from falling apart and to ensure the patties keep shape.
Pro Tips
There are 5 keys to cooking goetta so that it holds together, keeps it shape, and browns nicely:
- The first key to helping them keep shape is slicing them thickly (at least 1/2 inch thick).
- The second key is to avoid using any oil whatsoever. Oil will only make it soggier and fall apart more. Just use a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Again, no oil.
- The third key is waiting until the pan is preheated over medium heat and then letting them fry long enough on both sides to firm them up a bit. Fry them for 5-8 minutes on the first side until the top changes color (it’s very light/almost white to begin with and will become a little yellower in color,) and the bottom is fully browned. Then carefully flip it and brown the other side (this side will cook faster).
- The fourth key is to avoid pushing or pressing down on the patties.
- The fifth key is to leave it alone while it’s frying. Don’t push down on it or try to move it before it’s fully browned on the bottom or it will stick. Also, do not to overcrowd the pan.
Keep in mind, after implementing each of these tips the patties still won’t be “firm” – they’re not supposed to be. Ignore the imperfections in shape or appearance, just shovel the goetta onto your fork and into your mouth and then chew it with complete satisfaction. Equipped with these 5 Keys To Goetta Success, it’s time to move on to the goetta recipe!
Goetta Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the broth, oats, water, salt, bay leaves and marjoram in a large pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s soft and the liquid is absorbed. Discard the bay leaves.
Add the meat, onions, garlic and spices. Return to a boil then reduce to low, cover and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. If the liquid has not all been absorbed, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened.
Pour and press the mixture into 2 (9×5) greased loaf pans and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
To serve, cut into thick slices, at least 1/2 inch (otherwise they’ll fall apart), and fry them in batches in a non-stick pan without any oil. Fry them on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve immediately.
Enjoy!
For more delicious homemade sausage recipes be sure to try my:
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage (Links or Patties)
- Italian Sausage Recipe
- Homemade Mexican Chorizo
- German Bratwurst
- British Bangers
- Smoked Cheddar Sausages
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Goetta Recipe (Cincinnati Sausage)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (aka pinhead oats)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
- 3 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large yellow onion , finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place the broth, oats, water, salt, bay leaves and marjoram in a large pot. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and the liquid is absorbed. Discard the bay leaves. Add the meat, onions, garlic and spices. Return to a boil then reduce to low, cover and cook for another hour, stirring occasionally. If the liquid has not all been absorbed, remove the lid and continue to cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened.Pour and press the mixture into 2 (9×5) greased loaf pans and let cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To serve, cut into thick slices, at least 1/2 inch (otherwise they'll fall apart; I cut them inside the pan, if you invert the whole thing it will be very messy), and fry them in batches in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat without any oil. Again, do not use oil, use a dry, non-stick pan. Fry them on both sides for 4-5 minutes or until browned and crispy on the exterior. (See blog post for 5 Keys To Goetta Success.)READ THE BLOG POST FOR TIPS ON HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY FRY GOETTA.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet July 18, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
So excited to try this. I grew up in Cincinnati but have lived in California for 25+ years.
Thanks…will use up what we have and try again…do think I’ll use a bit less water and broth…in the hopes it improves the inner texture. Will report back once I do that.
Soft and loose…but mine are crispy on the outside and practically liquid inside…press a fork down and the center squirts out.
I should say soft, “wet” and loose. It shouldn’t be squirting out liquid, but it will be mushy-squishy, yes. Goetta tastes awesome but it’s definitely a beast to deal with. You’ll find whole forums about it online, people venting their frustration ;)
Chris, I come from a long line of Germans and have been eating homemade Goetta since I was a child (69 years ago), your meat mixture should not be overly wet. You need to cook it a bit longer, stirring often to keep it from sticking, until it’s rather thick to the stir. It may take you a time or two to get the feel, but hang in there you won’t regret it.
I am currently making this recipe and have noticed nowhere in the recipe, comments or responses does it say to remove the bay leaves. I am assuming that this is an oversight. Happy Eating!
I made the recipe and it seemed more liquid than I thought it should be when I put it in the loaf pans. When I sliced it to remove it, I should have used an ice cream scoop. Too soft for slices I ended up scooping it into the pan…cooked both sides five minutes on medium heat. It browned beautifully…but when I served it and we cut into it, the center was not crispy at all…it just ooozed out when I cut into it with a fork and I was very disappointed with the result. It seemed to me by putting the lid on the pan it added extra water…I thought I might try next time without the lid at all. I’d like that crispy center instead of a crispy top and bottom and liquid center. Any suggestions???
Hi Chris, goetta does not have a crispy center; it’s a soft and loose patty with a browned exterior.
Kimberly, do you remove the bay leaves at any point, and if so, when? Also, if you half the recipe, what happens to your cook times?
Hi Robert, yes, just discard them at the very end. Cooking times will remain the same. Happy cooking!
Absolutely phenomenal, the best I’ve had! Thanks also for all the additional tips on frying, those were very helpful. Thank you for this fantastic recipe, my go-to from now on.
I’m so glad to hear that, Tim, thank you!
Hi – I made this over the weekend, following the directions to the letter. While it tastes great – the loaf (after being refrigerated overnight) was more mushy/liquidy than I expected. I was worried it was going to collapse into a big blob when I removed it from the loaf pan. Held my breath, and it barely kept its shape when I sliced it. How “dry” and set up should it be?
Hi John, it’s not dry at all, it’s very soft and moist. I don’t remove the entire thing from the loaf pan, I cut slices from it inside of the loaf pan and carefully slide them out, then fry.
You need to simmer at a higher temperature and perhaps a little longer. I had the same issues with it being watery so I added some more oats, raised the temp and stirred often. It thickened up and still tasted great.
Kimberly, I usually make mine in the crockpot. Have you tried this recipe in the crockpot? I always play around with spices and am still looking for a magical combination. I hope my husband likes this one.
Hi Maria, I haven’t made it in the crockpot but you can probably follow the crockpot method you’re used to using these ingredients. Let us know how it goes!
I love this recipe, I am going to try a poached egg on top of the Goetta, I think it would compliment the flavours beautifully.
I was born outside of Cincinnati, but moved away in 1st grade. However, Goetta has been a part of family meals most of my life. My mother makes it from scratch once or twice a year, and she always freezes / saves me some. At 48 years of age, I’ve never made it myself. Oddly enough, I have never asked my mother for the family recipe. I need to do so. Your recipe is simmering on the stove, and I look forward to how it turns out.
FYI… I do know my mother often uses quick oats, which are steel cut / pinhead. Her recipe is basically reversed. She uses a beef roast to create the broth / stock, and meat is finely pulled and chopped. The pork is cooked the same way in a separate pot. This is the greatest time consuming part. The meat and the spices are put back in the strained beef stock and simmered. Oats are added last (I’m sure with water), being quick oats. I’d assume playing with the water / broth ratios, you could probably do something simular here. I only added because I saw someone ask about the quick oats.
Fantastic, John, please let us know what you think once you’ve tried it!
Can I use quick oats in place of steel oats?
Hi Kathy, no, they cook at a different rate and create a different texture.
What a mess! Thought I was following the recipe but after 15 min of cooking on low heat the concoction was very dry and sticking to the pan. I was stirring often. I added about 6 oz of water and later added another 6 oz to keep from sticking. Kept overnight in the fridge and it firmed some but still very runny. Perhaps I also added too much ground cloves but the cooked product was very clove tasting and the goetta was lumpy. I disposed of it. I think i’ll wait for the Anchor Grill in Covington for my next goetta meal.
Doug, this calls for 8 cups of liquid (64 ounces) to 2 1/2 cups of oats. I can’t imagine how it was dry to the point of sticking to the pan. Something definitely went wrong in the process of following the list of ingredients or instructions.
Kimberly, I’m from Dayton, but my mother (who was very German heritage) introduced me to Goetta years ago. I’m currently planning a trip to Ohio and was trying to figure out how to bring back enough Goetta. So I was searching for where to buy Goetta and saw the recipes links. I read through a number of other recipes and I just knew they didn’t have enough spice or bite to them. Bland would not be worth the time. But when I read your recipe I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. MY grandfather, and great grandfather and up ran a German meat packing operation in Dayton, Ohio for years until it closed in 1976. There are just certain spices that really compliment the meat (in my humble opinion)!
I’m not a big cook, but I just subscribed to your blog. If you can do this, then I want to learn from you how to do many other things. Thank you for a fantastic detailed and accurate recipe.
Hi George, thank you so much for the compliment and your kind words. And I’m so glad you subscribed, welcome! I hope you enjoy this Goetta and any other recipe you try here. Happy cooking and Guten Appetit! :) Kind regards, Kimberly
Wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nahlah, thank you!
My husband and I are both from Cincinnati but are currently living in California. It’s been so long since he’s had goetta, so I decided to make this for him. I looked for many recipes but this one caught my eye because there were so many ingrediants. He absolutely LOVED it. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for having such clear explanations! And the pictures really helped as well!
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Liz, thank you!