Homemade Bratwurst Recipe

This is the best homemade bratwurst recipe for turning raw pork shoulder into juicy, snappy-cased brats, no packaged seasoning blend required. Grinding your own meat and mixing your own bratwurst seasoning takes a little extra time, but the payoff is a bratwurst that tastes nothing like what comes out of a grocery store package.

I ate a lot of bratwurst during the years I lived in Europe, so I have strong opinions about what makes a good one. This recipe is also a great way to use up pork shoulder since I always end up with extra after trimming it down for competition barbecue.

What Is Bratwurst?

Bratwurst is a German sausage traditionally made from pork, seasoned with a blend of spices and stuffed into natural casings. The name comes from the German words braten (to fry or roast) and wurst (sausage). While there are countless regional variations across Germany, most bratwurst recipes share the same backbone: ground pork and a well-balanced spice blend.

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What you’ll need

• Pork Shoulder: A great choice for sausage because of its balance of meat and fat. The fat is what keeps bratwurst juicy after grinding and cooking.
• Homemade Bratwurst Seasoning Blend: Kosher salt, white pepper, marjoram, mace, allspice, caraway seeds and dry milk powder.
• Natural Hog Casings: Soaked before use to remove excess salt and make them pliable for stuffing. I get my hog casings on Amazon.

Substitutions: No sausage grinder attachment? Many butchers will grind pork shoulder for you if you ask. 

See the full recipe card above for servings and a full list of ingredients.

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Homemade Bratwurst Seasoning Recipe

Instead of relying on a pre-packaged blend, this recipe uses a homemade bratwurst seasoning made from scratch. Mixing your own spice blend means you control the salt level and can adjust the flavor exactly how you like it, whether that’s leaning sweeter, smokier or spicier.

The below bratwurst seasoning recipe is enough for 5 pounds of meat. Plan to use about 1 3/4-2 tablespoons of bratwurst seasoning for every pound of ground pork.

• 1/4 cup kosher salt (Diamond Crystal brand)
• 2 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/4 tsp ground mace (or substitute nutmeg)
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds, optional
• 3 tbsp dried milk powder (for moisture)

GCG PRO TIP: Once you land on a blend you love, mix up a bigger batch and store it in an airtight container. Having your own bratwurst seasoning on hand makes the next batch even faster. 

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How to Make Bratwurst

Homemade bratwurst comes together in stages, with a few freezing breaks built in to keep the meat cold. Don’t rush those steps; they are what help ensure your sausage has a snap instead of tasting mealy.

Step 1: Soak the casings

Soak the hog casings in water in a bowl according to the package instructions. This removes the salt they’re preserved in and makes them pliable enough to stuff. After soaking, give them a rinse and let water run through each tube.

Step 2: Cube and freeze the pork

Cut the pork shoulder into 2-inch cubes, removing the bone. I like to leave a visible amount of fat because it helps keep your sausage juicy. Freeze for 30 minutes.

GCG PRO TIP: When making any type of sausage, keeping your meat cold is one of the most important steps. Grinding and stuffing create friction, which creates heat. If your meat isn't ice cold, the fat starts to melt, and you'll lose flavor and moisture in the finished bratwurst.

Step 3: First grind

Pass the pork through a sausage grinder. Freeze for another 30 minutes.

Step 4: Second grind and season

Grind the pork a second time. Combine it with the homemade bratwurst seasoning. Mix the seasoned meat by hand until it has a tacky and sticky texture, almost like it’s binding to itself. This is what gives bratwurst its classic snap when you bite into it. If the mixture still looks loose and crumbly, keep mixing.Freeze for 30 minutes.

Step 5: Stuff the casings

Grease the sausage stuffer horn and slide the casing onto it. Load the ground meat into the hopper. When the meat reaches the tip of the horn, tie the casing into a knot, then continue stuffing. Tie off the other end once you’re done.

GCG PRO TIP: Keep the casing moist while you work. Grease the horn before sliding the casing on, then pat it down with a little water so it slides off easily as the meat fills it. Before you tie your first knot, let a little meat come out of the horn first to avoid trapping a big air pocket, and wipe it away before tying.

GCG PRO TIP: Gently push the sausage mixture back toward the horn as it fills to help avoid air bubbles, but don't push too hard, or you risk overstuffing and tearing the casing. The meat needs a little breathing room.

Step 6: Twist into links

Once you have one long tube of bratwurst, twist it into individual links. Start by twisting away from you, move down about 6 inches, then twist toward you. Repeat this back-and-forth twist down the length of the casing.

Step 7: Cut into links

Use scissors to snip through each twist point, separating the bratwurst sausages. If you notice any air pockets, pierce the casing a few times with a toothpick to release them.

At this point, you can refrigerate the brats for a few days or freeze them for a few months.

Step 8: Grill

Heat the grill to 350F. Grill the bratwurst, turning occasionally, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

OPTION: You can also poach brats in a pan of beer in the oven or on the grill. After they're cooked through, toss them on the grill for a bit of char.

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How to serve bratwurst

Serve your homemade German bratwurst hot off the grill with sauerkraut, ketchup and mustard. For a heartier plate, try pairing it with beer-braised cabbage and onions.

For a fun variation, slice cooked bratwurst into bite-size pieces and top with curry-spiced ketchup and a dusting of curry powder for a quick, homemade take on currywurst, a popular German street food.

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Storage

Store uncooked bratwurst in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, or freeze for up to 2-3 months. Store cooked, leftover bratwurst in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

To freeze uncooked links, lay them flat on a sheet pan until firm, then transfer to a freezer bag to prevent them from sticking together. Thaw in the refrigerator before grilling.

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