German · Main · Easy
Bratwurst
Juicy, coarsely ground pork sausages with their signature snap, griddled golden and served with mustard. The taste of every German market square.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Bratwurst, in 5 ideas
- Bratwurst should be cooked gently: a fierce heat bursts the skins before the inside cooks.
- A simmer in beer before grilling adds flavor and is a great trick for a crowd.
- Prick the sausages lightly so steam escapes; they split less that way.
- Serve in a crusty roll with sharp mustard, or with sauerkraut and mash for a full plate.
- Leftovers are excellent cold in a packed lunch or sliced into a bean stew.
What you need
Ingredients
- 6 fresh bratwurst sausages (about 700g)
- 500ml lager or wheat beer (optional, for simmering)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 4 crusty rolls or 800g boiled new potatoes, to serve
- German mustard, to serve
- Salt and black pepper
How to make it
Directions
- If using beer, bring it to a gentle simmer in a wide pan, add the bratwurst and poach for 8 minutes. Lift out and pat dry. Skip this step if you prefer and go straight to frying.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, turning regularly, until golden and cooked through.
- While they cook, fry the onion in a separate small pan with a splash of oil, the brown sugar and a pinch of salt until soft and caramelized, about 8 minutes.
- Rest the sausages for 2 minutes.
- Serve in warm rolls with the onions and mustard, or alongside potatoes with sauerkraut.
Bratwurst freeze brilliantly, so buy the big value pack from a German deli, portion them into bags of four and you have a cheap weeknight dinner ready to go.