Homemade German Sausage

5 from 1 vote

Making German homemade sausages (especially when stuffing them in casings) may seem intimidating, but is easier than you think! Nothing screams authentic German food quite as much as a nicely grilled German bratwurst like this variety packing tons of fresh flavor from the cilantro, chili, garlic, and citrus zest.

With a bit of practice, you will find that the rewards of this sausage recipe far outweigh the effort. I hope my tips will help you find the confidence to make these at home, too. So if you want to kick things up a notch, try this homemade sausage recipe inspired by the German Grillabende (BBQ evenings) of my childhood!

Serve your homemade German sausages with some authentic homemade pretzels and a variety of salads like my Oma's creamy potato salad, this Bavarian potato salad, or my creamy German pasta salad.

OR cook your bratwurst in a skillet indoors and serve it with some mashed potatoes and some homemade raw sauerkraut or cooked sauerkraut.

Prep Time30

Cook Time10

Total Time40

Course: BBQ, Dinner, Grilling, Main Course

Cuisine: German

Keyword: German homemade sausage recipe, homemade bratwurst recipe, homemade sausage recipe

Servings: servings

Calories: 233kcal

Equipment

1 meat grinder I use the attachment for my kitchenaid mixer
1 sausage stuffer
1 Zester
1 Garlic Press

Ingredients

750 grams pork shoulder cut into medium-sized cubes, or ground pork
250 grams bacon cut into smaller pieces
1 handful fresh cilantro use leaves only, finely chopped
2 red chili peppers seeds removed & finely sliced (I used a milder, red pepper)
1 garlic clove minced
1 lemon zest only
1 lime zest only
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 meters sausage casing

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together using your hands and grind with the fine meat grinder plate.
750 grams pork shoulder, 250 grams bacon, 1 handful fresh cilantro, 2 red chili peppers, 1 garlic clove, 1 lemon, 1 lime, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
Carefully fill the sausage into the casings, using even pressure. Do not overstuff them. Make sure you soak your casings in water according to the instructions before filling them.
3 meters sausage casing
Once fully stuffed, twist the casings about every 8 inches to separate the sausages. Now cut apart at each twist using kitchen shears.
Grill over hot coals without a flame. First, place over indirect heat for 3 minutes, keeping the lid closed. Without turning them, move them over direct heat, close the lid, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn once, close the lid, and continue cooking for 3 more minutes.You can also cook these sausages in a skillet with a lid. Start with medium-low heat, then turn up to medium heat for the remaining cooking time.The internal temperature of the cooked sausages should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit or 71 degrees Celsius.
This is the perfect recipe for a nice Grillabend (a German-style BBQ).
Enjoy with some homemade pretzels, my Oma's creamy potato salad or a Bavarian potato salad and/or cooked or raw sauerkraut.

Notes

Which sausage casings to use for homemade sausage

I found that these hog sausage casings are great and easy to work with because of the "helper tube," making it easier to stuff them. And they last for up to a year when stored in the fridge! Here some additional instructions from this sausage casings vendor on how to stuff sausages.

You only need one to two sausage casings for this recipe, so store any remainder in the fridge for later use.

Why do my sausages break?

It's important to soak the casings and to keep the casings moist when using them, so your casings don't break. Always fill them using even pressure and don't overstuff them. You will still need to twist the sausages to separate them after stuffing them, which puts extra pressure on them. It helps to have a second person available to help with stuffing and placing the sausages on a wet tray as they come out of your meat grinder/stuffer.

Nutrition