Jacqueline Casey 
Unless you’ve had Currywurst, it’s not the easiest to describe. I first tried this from a food truck in Freiburg not knowing it is one of the most common German Street food. When researching for this post I learned that the creation of Currywurst is credited to Herta Heuwer from Berlin in 1949 when she mixed Ketchup, Curry Powder and other spices then poured it over grilled pork sausage. She started serving the dish at a street stand and it was a huge hit. It’s so popular in Germany, you can even find Curry Ketchup or Currygewürzketchup sold as a condiment in the supermarkets. A grilled German Sausage is amazing on it’s own but paired with this spicy curry ketchup, brings it to another level. It’s probably the most ingredients I’ve ever used to make a sauce (10!) but it’s so worth it. All in all it only takes 20 minutes, including grilling your sausage. If you plan on having any type of Oktoberfest, German Theme party, or just want to try Grilling something a bit different this is the perfect recipe!
Options, Tips & Substitutions!
- What type of sausage can I use? Steamed Sausage is what’s typically used, meaning a fully cooked version of either a Bratwurst, Knackwurst or Bockwurst. I think Bratwurst is usually the easiest to find. I used these Fully Cooked Bratwurst from Trader Joes, but they are a seasonal item. Boars Head is another good brand that can be found in a lot of supermarkets and has a few different types of cooked wurst. If you go to a German Specialty store you might even find more of the type of sausage used which is longer and thinner.
- Once you have your sausage, it can either be lightly pan-fried or grilled. Since it is already fully-cooked, it just needs to be pan-fried of grilled until each side is a bit browned/charred.
- Traditionally, a beef broth is used, but I’ve used Chicken Stock and even Vegetable Broth and did not taste any notable difference so because you are only using 5 Tbsp, I would recommend using whatever you have most handy.
- If using an Emersion Blender like me, I like to use my biggest pot because this can splatter a lot while blending and the sauce is a bright bright red.
- I truly like recipes that have lots of pictures, but the thing is, I’m terrible at remembering to take pictures during the actual cooking/baking process. In an effort to try and get better, here are some pictures of the how the sauce looked right before using my Emersion blender and after:
- You can absolutely make the ketchup in advance and then have it readily available for whenever you make your sausage. I made this ahead and stored in the refrigerator in a mason jar, any container would do.
- The ketchup made plenty + extra for 4 Bratwurst. I think this sauce would actually make enough for at least 8. If you are making more than 8 sausage, you may want to double to ketchup recipe.
- To complete the meal. Currywurst is commonly served with Pommes Fritz (French Fries) or Brötchen (Rolls). Of course the ketchup is also amazing on the French Fries.
- For an extra Curry kick, curry powder can be sprinkled on top of the sausage before adding the ketchup on top.
Currywurst
Bratwurst or Knockwurst is grilled or pan-fried then topped with a Spiced Curry Ketchup.
- Emersion Blender or Food Processor
- 4 Bratwurst ((Grilled or Pan-Fried))
Curry Ketchup
- ½ cup Yellow Onion
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 5 Tbsp. Broth
- 1 cup Ketchup
- 1 tsp Paprika
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tbsp. Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Worchester Sauce
Chop ½ cup yellow onion. Add onion and olive oil to large pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
Turn down to low heat and add broth, ketchup, paprika, garlic powder, curry powder, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard and worchester sauce.
Turn off heat and using an Emersion Blender, blend until sauce is smooth. If using a food processor or blender, pour sauce into blender and mix until smooth.
With a grill pan, or frying pan, brown Bratwurst on each side.
Slice Bratwurst into pieces and pour generous amount of sauce on top. For extra curry kick, sprinkle a bit of curry powder on top of the Bratwurst prior to pouring the sauce on top.
