Europe

Bratwurst: German Grilled Sausage with Marjoram, Made at Home as Slim Patties

Name: Bratwurst: German Grilled Sausage with Marjoram, Made at Home as Slim Patties
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: German
Ingredients: 600g Ground pork, shoulder and neck, with fat (about 25–30% fat); 10.8g Coarse salt; 1.2 tbsp Dried marjoram; 0.6 tsp White pepper; 0.3 tsp Nutmeg; A scant pinch Ground ginger; About 3/10 of a lemon Lemon zest, finely grated; 60ml Ice water; As needed Sauerkraut; As needed Mustard; As needed Bread

Bratwurst is a family of German grilled sausages. This guide explains how the general term differs from the protected Nürnberger Rostbratwurst. It also gives a home recipe for marjoram-scented pork patties based on a Nuremberg-style blend, with tips for keeping the mince cold and safe cooking guidance for ground pork. Serve them with sauerkraut, mustard and bread.

Published: October 31, 2026

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 8

Season the cold pork

Marjoram and other spices about to be mixed into cold pork mince — Add every seasoning to the cold pork before mixing

Put the chilled ground pork in a cold bowl. Add the salt, dried marjoram, white pepper, nutmeg, ground ginger and grated lemon zest. In the reference recipe, all the seasonings go straight into the meat.

STEP 22 / 8

Add the ice water and knead

Kneading cold pork mixture while adding ice water a little at a time — Add the ice water gradually and knead until the mixture binds

Add the 60 ml of ice water a little at a time and knead for 3–4 minutes, until the mixture turns tacky and holds together. Work quickly so the fat stays cold. If you need to stop partway, put the bowl back in the refrigerator.

STEP 33 / 8

Chill for 1 hour

The kneaded pork mixture covered and ready for the refrigerator — Cover the mixture closely and chill it before shaping

Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour. This firms it up and makes shaping easier.

STEP 44 / 8

Shape slim patties about 8 cm long

Shaping finger-thick patties about 8 cm long with wet hands — Shape slim, casing-free patties about 8 cm long

Wet your hands and shape the mixture into slim patties about as thick as a finger and about 8 cm long. With 600 g you will get about 24, but size matters more than the count. If you prefer casings, stuff the mixture into sheep casings and twist every 8 cm. Without casings, you need no stuffing equipment. The trade-off is that the patties look and eat differently from sausages: there is no skin to snap.

STEP 55 / 8

Grill, turning often

Slim patties on the grill, browned on one side — Let each side set and brown before turning

The reference recipe grills the sausages over charcoal or wood embers for 8–10 minutes, turning them often so every side browns. Use that time only as a guide, because heat varies with the fire and the equipment. After you place the patties on the grill, leave them alone until the surface sets, then turn them.

To cook indoors in a frying pan, use medium-low heat and keep rolling the patties. Don't rely on a fixed time; judge doneness by the center temperature in the next step. If the outside browns too fast, lower the heat.

STEP 66 / 8

Check the center temperature

A thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest patty — Check the thickest patty, not the thinnest

Insert a thermometer into the center of the thickest patty. Cook ground pork until the center reaches 75°C and stays there for at least 1 minute. A good color outside, the color of the juices or the cooking time alone cannot tell you whether the meat is done. Use separate tongs and plates for raw and cooked meat.

STEP 77 / 8

Serve with sauerkraut, mustard and bread

A table with patties, sauerkraut, bread and mustard — Serve with sauerkraut, mustard and bread

Serve the patties with sauerkraut, mustard and country bread, as the reference recipe suggests. In the finished-plate photo, about six slim patties make one serving.

STEP 88 / 8

Another way to serve: three in a roll

Cooked patties tucked into a small roll, inspired by Drei im Weggla — Three patties in a roll, served as a snack

In Nuremberg, three small sausages tucked into a bread roll is a familiar way to serve them, known as "Drei im Weggla." For a light snack, you can put three cooked patties in a small roll with a little mustard. This is a separate snack, not the same as one serving at the main table.

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Ingredients

1 / 2

Pork mixture

Ingredient	Amount	Role and notes
Ground pork, shoulder and neck, with fat (about 25–30% fat)	600g	The base of the sausage. Lean mince tends to turn dry
Coarse salt	10.8g	Scaled from the original 18 g per 1 kg of meat. Weigh it
Dried marjoram	1.2 tbsp	The main aroma
White pepper	0.6 tsp	Mild heat
Nutmeg	0.3 tsp	Warm aroma
Ground ginger	A scant pinch	A very small amount
Lemon zest, finely grated	About 3/10 of a lemon	Yellow outer skin only
Ice water	60ml	Keeps the fat cold. Add it while it is still cold

2 / 2

To serve

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Sauerkraut	As needed	Taste for salt and squeeze out a little liquid
Mustard	As needed	No particular German brand is required
Bread	As needed	Country bread or Brötchen rolls. A soft roll also works, but the texture changes

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Bratwurst: Browned Edges, Marjoram and a Piece of Bread

What this recipe should keep

Keep the pork fat, the marjoram aroma and the browned surface from the grill. Keep the mince cold while you work, and confirm that the center of the ground pork is fully cooked.

Small sausages brown on the grill until their surfaces turn golden. Then they go into bread with mustard, with sauerkraut on the side. In Nuremberg, the tourist office describes the local sausages being grilled over beechwood and served with mustard or horseradish, sauerkraut, potato salad and regional bread. Bratwurst is not one fixed recipe. The name covers German grilled sausages, and their size, meat, spicing and serving style change from place to place.

This article takes its aroma from a Nuremberg-style blend and turns it into a pork mixture you can make in an ordinary kitchen. You shape it into slim, finger-thick patties instead of stuffing it into casings. The flavor follows the same ideas: pork with plenty of fat, marjoram and a well-browned surface. However, without casings it does not have a sausage's snap, and it is not the protected Nuremberg product.

A home version, not the protected sausage

Nürnberger Rostbratwurst is a protected name in the EU. It applies only to sausages made within the city of Nuremberg according to the set recipe. The homemade patties in this article are a simplified home recipe inspired by that style and should not be called by that name.

Ingredients (Serves 4): Scaled from a 1 kg Nuremberg-Style Blend

Raw pork mince, spices, ice water, sauerkraut and bread set out separately — Set out the cold pork, spices and ice water separately from the sauerkraut and bread for serving

These amounts are a Nuremberg-style Bratwurst recipe for 1 kg of pork, multiplied by 0.6. That is why some amounts look unusual, such as 1.2 tbsp or 3/10 of a lemon. Rather than rounding them freely, weigh the salt and keep the spices close to these amounts. The four servings are a setting for this home version. As a shaping guide, 600 g of mixture makes about 24 slim patties. The size matters more than the count, so make more or fewer depending on how much mixture you have.

Allergens and food safety

Pork is the main ingredient. Check the labels on store-bought sauerkraut, mustard and bread for allergens such as mustard and wheat. Keep raw meat in the refrigerator or freezer according to the package label.

Equipment

A mixing bowl, chilled before you start
Plastic wrap
A charcoal or wood-ember grill, or a frying pan for cooking indoors
Separate tongs and plates for raw meat and cooked patties
An instant-read food thermometer

Choosing the Pork and Spices

Fat content. The reference recipe calls for pork shoulder and neck mince with about 25–30% fat. Ordinary lean ground pork tends to give a drier result that falls apart more easily. If you can, ask a butcher for a fattier grind.

Salt. Coarse salt grains vary in size, so measure by weight (10.8 g), not by spoon. That keeps the saltiness where the recipe intends.

Marjoram. Dried marjoram gives this sausage its character. Nuremberg's city page lists it with pork, salt and pepper as an ingredient of the local sausage. Oregano smells different, so it is not a like-for-like substitute. If you leave out the marjoram or replace it, you lose the aroma that defines this recipe.

White pepper and ginger. White pepper gives gentle heat, and black pepper makes the aroma stronger. Fresh ginger is not a direct swap for ground ginger because it adds moisture and a different aroma.

Method: Cold Mixture, Even Browning, a Fully Cooked Center

Before you start

Chill the pork, the bowl and your tools first. The recipe author notes that warm hands or warm meat melt the fat, which leaves the cooked sausage dry and crumbly.

Leftovers

Cool any leftovers quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate them. Reheat them thoroughly before eating. These materials do not confirm a specific storage time for the homemade mixture or the cooked patties, so none is given here.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	What to do
The mixture is sticky and the fat smears	The meat, tools or hands warmed up	Chill the meat and tools before kneading. Refrigerate the mixture if you stop. Keep the ice water cold and add it a little at a time
The patties fall apart or turn dry	Too little fat, too little binding, or warm fat	Use pork with enough fat and knead until tacky. Don't move the patties right after placing them; turn them once the surface has set
The outside burns before the center is done	The heat is too high	Lower the heat and keep rolling the patties. Check the center with a thermometer rather than judging by color
The aroma is weak	Marjoram was left out or replaced	Use dried marjoram; oregano gives a different aroma

The advice to keep the mixture cold comes from the recipe author. The advice on handling the patties on the grill is general home-cooking guidance.

Variations

Change the salt, keep the weight. If your coarse salt has a different grain, use the same weight so the seasoning stays the same.
Use sheep casings. Stuff the mixture to finger size and twist every 8 cm. The texture comes closer to the original, but you need stuffing equipment.
Patties in a roll. Leave them as patties and put them in a roll. They are easy to shape at home, though there is no casing to snap.
Warm or cold sauerkraut. Serving sauerkraut warm or cold lets you choose how the sourness and temperature contrast with the hot pork.
Store-bought Nuremberg sausages. If you find small Nuremberg sausages, serve them three in a roll, "Drei im Weggla" style. Treat this as a store-bought option and keep it separate from the homemade version.

Bratwurst and Nürnberger Rostbratwurst

Two names, two meanings

"Bratwurst" is a broad term for German grilled sausages. "Nürnberger Rostbratwurst" is one specific product with a protected name.

According to the city of Nuremberg, its sausage is made from pork, salt, pepper and marjoram. It has been protected as an EU geographical indication since 2003. The tourist office says the sausages are about 8 cm long and weigh about 20–25 g, and are grilled over beechwood. They are traditionally served with mustard or horseradish (Kren), sauerkraut, potato salad (Kartoffelsalat) and regional bread such as Bauernbrot. Only sausages made in the city according to the set recipe may carry the name.

The city's page dates a historical record of the sausage to 1313. That date refers to the record, not to a recipe that has stayed unchanged since then. People often explain the sausages' small size with stories about keyholes or prison cellars, but the city itself calls these uncertain legends.

Nuremberg also has a different way to eat its sausages: Saure Zipfel, also called Blaue Zipfel. Here the sausages are simmered in a broth of vinegar, onions, wine and spices instead of grilled. It is a separate dish from the grilled recipe in this article.

At the table, sharp sauerkraut and hot mustard both pair well with rich pork. That is one way to see the combination, not a rule. If you'd like to explore more German cooking, try Sauerbraten for a braised meat dish, Bayrisch Kraut for a cabbage side, or Käsespätzle to fill out the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between Bratwurst and Nürnberger Rostbratwurst?

Bratwurst is the general term for German grilled sausages, which vary by region. Nürnberger Rostbratwurst is a protected EU name for sausages made in Nuremberg according to a set recipe. The homemade patties here are inspired by the Nuremberg style but are not that product.

Can I leave out the marjoram?

You can, but marjoram is the defining aroma of this style, so the sausage will lose its character. Oregano smells different and is not a direct replacement.

Can I make it without casings?

Yes. The reference recipe itself suggests shaping the mixture into finger-thick patties about 8 cm long. They are easier to make at home, but they don't have the snap of a casing.

What internal temperature should ground pork reach?

The center should reach 75°C and stay there for at least 1 minute. Check the thickest patty with a thermometer instead of relying on time or color.

What about nutrition?

Nutrition depends on the pork's fat content and the products you use. It has not been calculated for this recipe.

Sources

Europabüro Nürnberg / Stadt Nürnberg, "Nürnberger Rostbratwürste (g. g. A.)." Ingredients of the Nuremberg sausage (pork, salt, pepper, marjoram), EU protected geographical indication since 2003, the 1313 historical record, and the uncertain status of the keyhole and prison-cellar explanations. https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/eu_buero/nuernbergerbratwurst.html
Congress- und Tourismus-Zentrale Nürnberg, "Nürnberger Bratwürste." Size and weight of the Nuremberg sausage, grilling over beechwood, the rule that it must be made in the city, serving with mustard or horseradish, sauerkraut, potato salad and regional bread, and Saure/Blaue Zipfel. https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/geniessen/spezialitaeten/nuernberger-bratwuerste/
Gurmestan, "Bratwurst recipe — German cuisine." The 1 kg Nuremberg-style blend that was scaled to 0.6× here, kneading and chilling, keeping the mince cold, optional casings or finger-thick patties, grilling over embers, and serving with sauerkraut, mustard and country bread. The scaling and the four-serving setting are editorial adaptations. https://gurmestan.com/en/recipes/bratwurst/
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (Japan), "家庭での食中毒予防" (Preventing food poisoning at home). Cooking to a center temperature of 75°C for at least 1 minute, avoiding cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat food, and cooling leftovers quickly in shallow containers and reheating them thoroughly. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/shokuhin/syokuchu/01_00008.html