German Bratwurst

What a grilled sausage in a roll actually adds up to

Bratwurst is often pictured as a simple grilled meat, but the roll it’s traditionally served in changes the nutritional picture substantially. Per sausage, in a roll, across six servings:

Protein, at 26 g, is genuinely high for a street-food item — the ground pork and veal filling carries most of it, with the roll contributing the bulk of the 22 g of carbohydrate rather than the sausage itself. Fat sits at a moderate 22 g, split between the meat filling and the small amount of egg and milk used to bind it.

History

Bratwurst is a German sausage made from pork, sometimes blended with veal, seasoned with marjoram, nutmeg, and ginger depending on the region, then grilled or pan-fried until the skin turns nicely crisp. Written references to related grilled sausages date back to the Middle Ages in Germany, with butchers’ guild regulations as early as the 14th century in Nuremberg, a city that still claims one of the oldest and most protected variants today, the Nürnberger Rostbratwurst.

Every German region developed its own variant with different spices and sizes, so much so that more than 40 distinct types of bratwurst are recorded across the country, from the elongated Thüringer to the miniature Nürnberger sold by the three or six. The quintessential street food, served in a small roll with mustard, bratwurst also remains inseparable from German popular festivals like Christmas markets and Oktoberfest.

Ingredients — for 6 sausages

• 500 g (1.1 lb) ground pork (shoulder), 200 g (7 oz) ground veal
• Marjoram, nutmeg, ground ginger, white pepper
• 1 egg, a splash of milk
• Natural casings
• Small rolls, mustard for serving

Step-by-step German bratwurst recipe

1. Mix the ground pork and veal with the spices, egg, and milk until you get a smooth, even filling.
2. Let rest the filling in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour so the flavors develop.
3. Fill the natural casings using a sausage stuffer, avoiding air bubbles.
4. Shape even sausages by twisting the casing at regular intervals.
5. Grill the sausages over medium heat, turning often, until the skin is nicely golden and crisp.
6. Serve immediately in a small roll, with a generous spoonful of mustard.

Cooking Method

Technique: grilling over medium heat with frequent turning, for a crisp skin without splitting the casing.

Traditional equipment: a charcoal grill for outdoor markets, a cast-iron pan for home cooking.

Signs to watch for: never pierce the casing while cooking, or you’ll lose all the juices that keep the sausage moist inside.

Economic context

Ground pork, basic spices and a natural casing keep bratwurst cheap to produce at scale, which is exactly why it thrives as festival and market food — sold quickly, in volume, from a simple grill rather than a full kitchen setup, at Christmas markets and Oktoberfest alike.

Source: World Bank / FAO, Food Prices for Nutrition database (Cost and Affordability of a Healthy Diet) v4.0, 2024 data, CC BY 4.0, DOI 10.57966/41AN-KY81. Retrieved 29 July 2026. This figure describes the cost of a healthy diet in Germany generally — it is not a costing of this specific recipe.

Who this dish suits

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