Experience the delicious taste of Germany through this thoroughly authentic homemade bratwurst recipe! Make a double batch, freeze them, and you can conveniently grab and grill a bratwurst any time the craving hits you!
This is a special day because today is the day I’m going to show you how to make bratwurst. And not just any bratwurst. I’m going to share with you my recipe for authentic homemade German bratwurst! With the first bite you’ll immediately recognize that “German flavor” that you know and love from time spent in Germany eating Bratwurst from the German fast food stands. Whether enjoyed whole and served with mustard on a crusty roll or sliced and served as Currywurst, there is nothing quite like a real German Bratwurst!
Boasting over 1500 varieties of Wurst, Germany has long been the world’s Sausage Capital. One such Wurst, the Bratwurst, claims around 40 different varieties itself and has a proud heritage going back hundreds of years where it was first officially documented in 1313. Yes, the savory Bratwurst is synonymous with Germany itself and has remained a cultural icon for centuries.
The term Bratwurst is derived from the Old German word Brät (meaning “chopped” meat) as well as the more contemporary verb braten (meaning “to fry”). While some kinds of sausages are eaten poached, the Bratwurst is always grilled or pan-fried to get the skins nice and crispy. However, you can first poach before grilling/frying to infuse them with more flavor (like poaching them in beer) or if you simply want to ensure that they’re evenly cooked through before grilling or frying them.
© Lianem|Dreamstime
Different regions of Germany make their Bratwursts a little differently and the spices and herbs will vary as well the kind of meat used. Some varieties use pork only, some use a combination of pork and veal, some use mostly veal with a little pork, while others use pork with a little beef.
Some of the most popular regional varieties include the Fränkische Bratwurst, Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, Thüringer Bratwurst (very long and thin, my favorite as a kid) and Rote Wurst (from the Swabia region where I grew up and made with the addition of bacon, yum!).
What Do You Serve with Bratwurst?
The most popular accompaniments include a crusty roll cut open and slathered with German mustard or served with sauerkraut, French fries, or potato salad (like this Authentic German Potato Salad).
The Bratwurst is also popularly transformed into the famous Currywurst by slicing the sausages and serving it topped with Curry Ketchup (see our recipe for Currywurst).
© Jan Sommer | Dreamstime
A Few Recommended Resources
For making sausages you’ll need a meat grinder and a sausage stuffer. Years ago I tried using the Kitchenaid attachments for both of these and as any experienced sausage maker will tell you, they’re downright frustrating if you want to make any more than 2 or 3 sausages. If making sausages is something you’re interested in doing I strongly recommend getting some good equipment that won’t leave you frustrated, vowing never to make sausages again, and that won’t jeopardize the quality of your sausages.
In choosing our sausage-making equipment, my husband and I did a lot of research and chose the items that were great quality without having to pay a fortune.
Which Meat Grinder Do You Recommend?
I use the STX International Turbo Force Electric Meat Grinder. With 3000 watts, 3 speeds and a 3-year warranty, it has high reviews and comes top recommended by most review sites as the best bang for the buck.
Which Sausage Stuffer Do You Recommend?
I also use the Super Deal Heavy Duty 5L Vertical Sausage Stuffer and have been very happy with it. We carefully researched the sausage stuffers on the market and chose this one specifically because of it’s large capacity and 100% metal construction (no plastic parts = not breakable) and it’s also easy to clean.
Which Hog Casings Do You Recommend?
I only use casings from The Sausage Maker. They are sourced from North American hogs whereas other brands source them from China. I use and recommend these hog casings from The Sausage Maker.
Which Sausage-Making Books Do You Recommend?
Once you get the basics of sausage-making down you can experiment with your own flavors and combinations which is what I love to do. But having a few good books with sound instructions for technique and reliable recipes are a must. I have combed through many books on charcuterie and sausage-making over the past few years and these ones continue to be my favorites:
Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Kutas is a classic and one of the first comprehensive books written on the subject. It’s a no-nonsense, straight-forward book packed full of recipes.  Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing by Ruhlman has likewise been a very popular book. The current edition is revised and updated. I have the previous edition and there are inaccuracies and errors in it that the newest edition has reportedly fixed, but I still hear complaints about it. Nevertheless, it’s a great book with some great recipes. Olympia Provisions: Cured Meats and Tales from an American Charcuterie is both a fun and inspiring read. The author, Elias Cairo, is the founder of Olympia Provisions in Portland, Oregon and owns several restaurants and butcher shops there. This book features several of his most popular recipes.
The final two books are both written by Stanley & Adam Marianski:  The Art of Making Fermented Sausages and Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages. While these are a very dry read and don’t have the beautiful photography or inspirational stories the other books have, I consider these indispensable to anyone who is serious about learning the art of charcuterie and sausage-making. Consider them the most comprehensive “how-to” manuals on the market. And if you are planning on dabbling in dry-cured meats, The Art of Making Fermented Sausages is a MUST.
German Bratwurst Recipe
Then let’s get started!
Dice the pork and fat and freeze them for about 45 minutes to get them to a temperature of 32 degrees F (0 celsius).
Combine the pork, fat and crushed ice in a bowl and then, working quickly, grind the mixture through a 1/4 inch (6mm) die. Preferably grind the meat mixture into a bowl set atop an ice bath to keep the meat cold. Grind half of the ground mixture a second time. It is imperative that the meat be at a constant cold temperature so that the fat doesn’t get too soft. You should be able to see clear definition between the lean meat the specks of fat in the ground mixture.
Chill the meat in the refrigerator while you assemble the spice mixture.
In a small bowl combine all the spices.
Remove the ground meat from the fridge and place it on the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the spice mix and dry milk powder.
Mix the meat mixture with the paddle for 3-4 minutes until threads begin to appear in the meat: If you take a clump of meat and pull it apart with your fingers you will see tiny threads pulling apart. When you see this your meat is ready. If the meat mixture is too dry and stiff, add a little ice water. **If the meat mixture is too dry and stiff, add a little
ice water.  You want a soft/smooth mixture that will easily go into the casings.
*This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture so you can adjust the
seasonings if needed. To do this, take a bit of the meat mixture, fry it
up in a pan, taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Place the meat mixture back in the refrigerator while you prepare the
casings.
*This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture so you can adjust the seasonings if needed. To do this, take a bit of the meat mixture, fry it up in a pan, taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.
Place the meat mixture back in the refrigerator while you prepare the casings.
Thread the sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, fill the sausage stuffer with the meat mixture, and stuff the casings being careful to avoid air gaps while also being careful to not over-stuff the casings.
Twist the sausages into links. Use a sausage pricker to prick any air bubbles out of the links.
Your Bratwursts are finished. For best results chill the sausages overnight.
To prepare them, you can gently poach them in lightly salted water (optional to ensure they’re evenly cooked or you can poach them in beer to infuse them with more flavor) and then fry or grill them to get their skins nice and crispy. Once poached they will keep in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for up to a week.
You can either freeze the Bratwursts raw prior to poaching (then thaw, poach, fry/grill) or freeze them once they’re poached.
Whether pan-fried or grilled, you’re going to love these Bratwursts!
Enjoy!
For more delicious adventures in homemade charcuterie be sure to try our:
- Smoked Ham Hocks
- How to Smoke a Ham
- Smoked Cheddar Sausages
- Breakfast Sausage Links
- Italian Capicola
- How to Make Bacon
Homemade German Bratwurst
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (can substitute part veal if desired) , cut into 1/2 inch pieces and put in freezer for 45 minutes prior to grinding
- 12 ounces pork back fat , cut into 1/2 inch chunks and put in freezer for 45 minutes prior to grinding
- 2 cups crushed ice
- For the Spice Mixture:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
- 1/4 cup dried milk powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground mace (can substitute nutmeg but strongly recommend mace for traditional German flavor)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds
- 32mm natural hog casing , about 4 feet
Instructions
- Combine the pork, fat and crushed ice in a bowl and then, working quickly, use a meat grinder to grind the mixture through a 1/4 inch (6mm) die. Preferably grind the meat mixture into a bowl set atop an ice bath to keep the meat cold. Grind half of the ground mixture a second time. Note: It is imperative that the meat be at a constant cold temperature so that the fat doesn't get too soft. You should be able to see clear definition between the lean meat the specks of fat in the ground mixture.Chill the meat in the refrigerator while you assemble the spice mixture.
- In a small bowl combine all the spices.Remove the ground meat from the fridge and place it on the stand mixer
fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the spice mix and dry milk powder.Mix the meat mixture with the paddle for 3-4 minutes until threads begin to
appear in the meat: If you take a clump of meat and pull it apart with your
fingers you will see tiny threads pulling apart. When you see this your
meat is ready. *If the meat mixture is too dry and stiff, add a little
ice water.  You want a soft/smooth mixture that will easily go into the casings.*This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture so you can adjust the
seasonings if needed. To do this, take a bit of the meat mixture, fry it
up in a pan, taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.Place the meat mixture back in the refrigerator while you prepare the
casings. - Thread your sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, fill the sausage
stuffer with the meat mixture, and stuff the casings being careful to avoid air
gaps while also being careful to not over-stuff the casings.Twist the sausages into links. Use a sausage pricker to prick any air bubbles out of the links.For best results chill the sausages overnight. - To prepare the bratwursts, you can gently poach them in lightly salted water (place sausages in pot of water, gradually bring liquid to a light simmer/do NOT boil, and poach sausages until partially cooked, 3-4 minutes) and then fry or grill them. Poaching is optional if you want to ensure they're evenly cooked in the middle or if you want to infuse them with more flavor, such as poaching them in beer. Once poached they will keep in the fridge, tightly wrapped, for up to a week.You can either freeze the Bratwursts raw prior to poaching (then thaw, poach, fry/grill) or freeze them once they're poached.This yields roughly 10 bratwursts depending on the size and diameter.
Nutrition
Norbert Scott says
Why cut off fat then buy fat? Why not just use original meat?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Norbert, who said anything about cutting off fat?
Julie Munzinger says
Hi Kimberly, I would like to flavor the sausage to taste like Schwabian Rotewurst. Do you have an alternate version of the seasonings to achieve this flavor?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Julie, I don’t have a recipe on hand and unfortunately it’s more complicated than simply swapping out seasonings. It also involves using a different ratio of meat/fat and the grinding plates and coarseness of the meat are also different.
Sharon Hord says
Any thoughts on adding pepper flakes to make a spicy batch? And what ratio would be
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sharon, yes you can add pepper flakes if you’d like them spicy. How much just comes down to how spicy. I always like to start with less and the add more if needed. Add a little to the meat mixture, then take a little of the mixture and fry it up, taste it, and add more if you like before proceeding with making the Bratwurst links.
Jonathan Shaffner says
Is that kosher salt or table salt?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jonathan, whichever you prefer. I typically use either sea salt or kosher because that’s what I have on hand, but I’ve used table salt before as well.
Darren says
What is the recommended poaching time? Am I fully cooking them before grilling or freezing?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Darren, I recommend 10 minutes of poaching.
Rudy says
Oh great recipe. Changed nothing for first batch. Here is the kicker! I made them into thin formed patties. I put 4 to a package with parchment paper between layers. Then vacine packed. Put in freezer. Thaw and slow grill, excellent.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you so much, Rudy! That’s a great way to enjoy the flavor of bratwursts without the effort of making them into links, thanks for sharing!
Brian Courts says
Was looking for flavor that would remind me of the wursts I enjoyed while serving in the Army in Germany years ago. This recipe brought back fond memories of brats and brotchen purchased from local vendors.
These were a hit with my coworkers and my picky 10 yr old loved ’em too (the real flavor litmus test in our home). This recipe and Emeril Lagasse’s Crawfish Etouffee are the only two recipes I’ve never had a desire to tweak. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, Brian, I’m so thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Anonymous says
Made this, used beer instead of powdered milk, cannot have milk..
The flavor is excellent. I tripled the spices as I wanted a more pronounced flavor…
Her comments on buying a sausage press is a must. We just made 1.5 dozen with the Kitchen Aid sausage attachment and it was pure torture. We did notice that keeping the mixture ice cold made it easier to work with, once it warmed it was more difficult to push through.
This was our first attempt at Braut’s and I will use this recipe again once I purchase the sausage press…
Robert says
So you only grind 1/2 of the mixture a second time?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Robert, that’s correct. Grind everything once, then grind half of the mixture again. It’s to create variation in the texture.
Mike Heinzerling says
I can’t wait to try your bratwurst recipe
Just curious why poach as part of the cooking process? Couldn’t you just grill them after being stuffed?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Mike, if you don’t poach them first you run the risk of them burning on the outside before the center is cooked through. I hope you enjoy the bratwurst!
Tom Daley says
Thank you Kimberly for a tremendous recipe!
Although I have made some sausage in the past, I had never made bratwurst before trying this. I searched around for an appealing recipe and this one really caught my eye! I had sixteen and a half pounds of pork shoulder and half-loin, so I simply adjusted the seasoning content proportionally and ended up with the best bratwurst we have ever tasted! Nothing we’ve had from any store or restaurant has been as good. It’s the perfect combination of complimentary ingredients that are a true treat for the taste buds! Everyone who has tried it loves it! Cheers!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Tom, thanks so much for the feedback! :)
Larry Loeffler says
Just tried this for the first time. Looked so good that I made a double batch. Had to sub a bit of cinnamon for the cardamom and some extra fat (beef from a brisket) for the milk powder and added a can of beer. I’ve tried many different recipes and this by far hits the mark. Hope I didn’t bastardize it too much. I’m am a huge fan of your site. Thanks so much Ms. Kimberly
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank YOU, Mr. Larry! :) So glad you enjoyed these and the beer is a nice touch!
K.B. says
My wife and I made these over the weekend and I will say these are quite possibly the best I’ve ever had! We are lucky to have several incredible butchers and smokehouses local to us so we are spoiled but these are at the top. Well worth the time and effort and you can bet I’ll be making a larger batch next time. Thank you for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that, K.B., thanks so much!
sausage_diet_only says
This sounds amazing. I have one question though. The recipe calls for crushed ice in the chopped meat and fat. Do you grind the ice in with the meat also? Seems messy.
I will be trying this out soon, thanks!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Yes you grind it with the meat (it really isn’t messy), it’s vital for keeping the temperature of the meat as cold as it needs to be. Happy sausage-making! :)
Susan Bontrager says
We’re not eating meat during the week so I made the spice mixture (minus the powdered milk) and tossed with white beans and oil and then fried in a pan. The bratwurst beans were delicious then mashed and put on a bun with other normal fixings – butter, mustard and onions – if you’re from my part of Wisconsin. I couldn’t find powdered mustard in Berlin nor ground mace. But it all tasted like an authentic brat and made my belly happy.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s super clever, Susan – Bratwurst Beans! I love it! :)
John O'Connor says
This recipe is the best. Very tasty.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, John!