Homemade Bratwurst Recipe – How to Make Bratwurst

A barbecue evening is coming up and you want to impress with homemade bratwurst? I’ll show you how to make your own quickly and with little effort. Whether you like it coarse or fine, you’ll find the equipment, ingredients and step-by-step instructions here, plus more than 40 other recipes at the end.

Watch the video or follow the recipe below. Have fun and good luck!

The equipment you need

Meat grinder

A grinder saves chopping the meat by hand. I use the Landig FW100, whose 100 kg/hour capacity is more than enough for regular home use. I also tried and liked the Pro-Star when starting out. For small batches, a manual grinder or an attachment for your existing food processor works. A tinned manual grinder is fine for trying it out; for regular use, choose stainless steel. Alternatively, ask your butcher to grind the meat or chop it finely by hand.

Sausage stuffer

A grinder’s stuffing attachment or a hand funnel works to begin with. For regular sausage making, especially raw-cured sausage, use a separate stuffer. I use a 3 l stainless-steel stuffer and can also recommend a small 1.2 l tabletop stuffer.

Casings or jars

Use hog casings 28/30 for thicker bratwursts or sheep casings 22/24 for thinner ones. Without casings, you can preserve the mixture in jars as explained below.

Optional: cutter or food processor

Very fine bratwursts, such as Thüringer or veal bratwurst, need a cutter. A powerful food processor with sharp blades works for small batches. I now use a tabletop cutter that holds up to 2 l of mixture; it produces a finer mixture and is easier to clean.

Meat and fat for juicy bratwurst

Aim for 25 % to a maximum of 35 % fat. Here are two examples for pork bratwurst:

• Version 1: 75 % lean pork shoulder (5 % fat) and 25 % pork back fat (100 % fat), giving 28.75 % fat overall.
• Version 2: 60 % marbled pork shoulder (10 % fat) and 40 % marbled pork belly (50 % fat), giving 26 % fat overall.

You can apply this to other cuts and meats. The result depends on what your butcher supplies. My recipes name the cuts I use, or you can ask your butcher for meat for the amount of bratwurst you plan to make.

Spices are just as important. Germany alone has more than 400 bratwurst variations, plus countless homemade versions. Mix your own seasoning or use a ready-made bratwurst blend.

What you need to make bratwurst

Step-By-Step Instructions

1

Prepare the meat

Cut the meat into pieces that fit your grinder. Partially freeze for 1–2 hours to make grinding easier and keep the mixture cold.

2

Grind the meat

Grind to your preferred texture. I use a medium plate (5 mm) for coarse bratwurst. Use a fine plate (3 mm) for a finer result. A cutter gives a particularly fine mixture.

3

Add the spices and mix

Add the spices and mix thoroughly for 3–5 minutes, by hand or with a kneading attachment. The mixture should bind well so the sausage isn’t crumbly. Keep it below 14 °C.

4

Put on the casing

Soak your chosen casings for about 30 minutes, then put them onto the stuffing tube. Thickness is a matter of taste. A sausage stuffer is easiest, but a grinder attachment or manual stuffing funnel works when starting out.

5

Fill the casing

Feed the mixture slowly until it reaches the front of the casing, then fill while holding the casing taut on the tube. This takes practice. Important: Don’t overfill or the sausages can burst when frying.

6

Link the bratwursts

Link to your preferred length. Pinch with two fingers on each hand and twist forward a few times. Skip one sausage length and repeat.

7

Separate the bratwursts

Separate the links. They are ready to grill or fry in a pan.

8

Optional: Poach for longer storage

Optionally freeze or poach the bratwurst for longer storage. Poach at 75 °C in water containing 18 g salt per liter, so the water doesn’t draw salt from the sausage. Allow 1 minute per millimeter of diameter: about 30 minutes for caliber 28/30.

9

Enjoy!

Your bratwurst is ready. Enjoy!

Bratwurst without casings

You can preserve the mixture in jars using my canning sausage guide. Or shape coarse sausage mixture without casings and follow my sausage without casing instructions. Fine mixtures need a piping bag and immediate poaching, as with Wellwurst.

Bratwurst recipes: classic to creative

My collection contains more than 40 bratwurst recipes, from regional classics such as Franconian bratwurst and Thüringer bratwurst to international versions such as Salsiccia and Silesian white sausage, and creative recipes such as beetroot sausage. Here are some favorites:

Coarse bratwurst – The classic

The classic: coarsely ground, hearty and perfect for the grill. Try my coarse bratwurst recipe.

Franconian bratwurst – My favorite

My personal favorite, filled in ribbon casing and seasoned in the traditional Franconian style. Try my Franconian bratwurst recipe.

Merguez – Fiery North African sausage

Fiery lamb sausages from North African cuisine, strongly seasoned and delicious. Try my Merguez recipe.

Cheese bratwurst – Simple and delicious

The cheese makes it especially juicy. Simple, quick and delicious. Try my cheese bratwurst recipe.

All 40+ bratwurst recipes →

Or explore the full recipe collection for ham, raw-cured sausage, cooked sausage and more.