German Sausage With Curry Ketchup (Currywurst)

By
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin
Jennifer McGavin learned to cook German food while living in Germany for 11 years and has worked in the food industry for many years.
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Updated on 03/1/22
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Germans take tremendous pride in their sausages, known around the world for their flavor. Many recipes for German sausage are closely guarded family secrets, while others are hotly contested for their authenticity. Some are served on a roll, as Americans serve hot dogs, but others are eaten with a knife and fork, depending on how fancy the meal is.  

German Sausage With Curry Ketchup (Currywurst)

The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Sausage with curry ketchup, known as currywurst, is the number-one imbissbuden, or take-away/street food in Germany. Vendors sell them at street fairs and carnivals, and they're a great introduction for those unfamiliar with this ubiquitous German delicacy.

It starts with a grilled sausage (Berliners use a pork sausage that resembles a hot dog, while other cities might use bratwurst) and curry-flavored tomato ketchup.

A good currywurst is made with good-quality sausage that is grilled hot, and the ketchup should have body rather than being the thin, watered-down stuff found in squeeze bottles.

Included below is a recipe for homemade ketchup that starts with tomato paste, just in case you don't have any ketchup on hand.

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons oil

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

  • 1/2 cup chopped apple

  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

  • Water, to thin tomato paste

  • 6 ounces tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons honey

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

  • 5 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste

  • 1/4 cup vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

  • 1 bay leaf

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 4 to 6 links sausage, bratwurst, knockwurst, or old-fashioned butcher-style frankfurters

Steps to Make It

Note: While there are multiple steps to this recipe, this German dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Make the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    German Sausage With Curry Ketchup (Currywurst) ingredients

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. In a medium saucepan, add the oil, onion, and apple and sauté until onion is translucent.

    oil, onion, and apple in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.

    garlic added to the mixture in the pan

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  4. For a more elite taste, add the spices to the garlic and sauté, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes or until spices are fragrant.

    add spices to the mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  5. Otherwise, pour in 1/2 cup water and deglaze the pan.

    use water and deglaze the pan with the vegetables and spices

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  6. Add the tomato paste, honey, allspice, curry powder, vinegar, ginger, bay leaf, and pepper.

    Add the tomato paste, honey, allspice, curry powder, vinegar, ginger, bay leaf, and pepper to the mixture in the pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or longer, adding water to reach desired consistency.

    sauce cooking in a pan

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  8. Remove bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender for a smooth sauce, or leave chunky if desired.

    sauce in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  9. Keep sauce warm or rewarm it when ready to serve.

    sauce in a pan

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Grill the Sausage

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    German Sausages on a plate

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  2. Grill sausage links and then cut into 1-inch bites and serve with hot sauce.

    cooked sausage cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  3. Alternatively, score the sausage links on the diagonal and grill to create more crispy surface area and then slice.

    cooked sausage cut into pieces

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

  4. A third approach would be to slice the link on the diagonal but leave it whole after grilling for the diners to cut as they wish.

    German Sausage With Curry Ketchup (Currywurst)

    The Spruce / Ali Redmond

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tip

  • Unlike other varieties of German sausage, currywurst is not traditionally served on a bun or a roll, but french fries are a frequent accompaniment.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
545 Calories
40g Fat
27g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 545
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g 51%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 94mg 31%
Sodium 1107mg 48%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 77mg 6%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 984mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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