Currywurst is a beloved German street food that combines juicy sausages with a flavorful, tangy curry ketchup sauce. Simple yet packed with bold flavors, it’s a dish that’s easy to recreate at home for a quick snack or casual meal. Whether you’re reminiscing about a trip to Germany or trying it for the first time, this currywurst recipe will bring a taste of authentic German comfort food to your kitchen!
What is Currywurst
Currywurst is a super popular street food in Germany, made from sliced bratwurst that’s covered in a tangy curry ketchup sauce. It’s often served with fries or a crusty bread roll, and you’ll find it at food stalls and snack bars all over the country. The dish actually originated in Berlin after World War II when a woman named Herta Heuwer mixed ketchup with curry powder, a gift from British soldiers. Since then, it’s become a go-to snack, especially for something quick and filling! Now you can find it at food stalls all over the country. Simple, spicy, and totally delicious. A must at Oktoberfest (see our collection of Oktoberfest recipes).
The name “Currywurst” comes from two key elements of the dish: “Curry” and “Wurst.”
- “Curry” refers to the curry-flavored ketchup sauce that gives the dish its signature spicy and tangy flavor. The curry powder used in the sauce was inspired by British influences after World War II.
- “Wurst” is the German word for sausage, and in this case, it usually refers to Bratwurst, which is a grilled or fried sausage made from pork, veal, or beef.
So, “Currywurst” literally means sausage with curry sauce!
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this easy recipe:
Bratwurst – is a traditional German sausage made from pork, veal, or beef, though pork is the most common. It’s seasoned with a mix of spices like nutmeg, ginger, and caraway, giving it a mild, savory flavor. Bratwurst is typically grilled or pan-fried, and its name comes from the German words “brat,” meaning finely chopped meat, and “wurst,” meaning sausage.
You could also use smoked Polish kielbasa sausage instead. Frankfurters are also a good substitute.
Ketchup – use your favorite brand.
Curry powder – use Western-style mild curry powder.
Instead of onion powder and garlic powder, you can sautee 1 small onion in olive oil and then add 1 minced garlic to the sauce. Mix the sauce in a blender until smooth.
Instead of making homemade curry ketchup, you just purchase store-bought curry ketchup, but trust me, homemade tastes best!
How to make it step-by-step
Make the curry ketchup: Add ketchup, tomato paste, and water to a medium pot. Heat until hot.
(1 cup ketchup, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/4 cup water)
Add all the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
(1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, pinch of cayenne pepper, or more, to your taste, 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce)
Cook the sausages: Meanwhile, heat frying oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the sausages and cook on both sides until brown. Transfer to a plate and cut into slices.
(4 Bratwurst, German-style sausages, 3 tablespoons frying oil)
When the sauce is thickened, taste it and season to your taste if necessary (the amount of sugar and vinegar may be different for you, especially if you have used other brand of ketchup), season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve sausage slices with curry ketchup and sprinkle more curry powder on top.
Enjoy!
Storage
Curry ketchup stores really well, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Serving suggestions
- Currywurst is usually served with Brötchen/Semmeln (bread rolls), or Pommes Frites (French Fries). Bier also tastes wonderful with it.
- Bratkartoffeln (German fried potatoes with bacon and onions)
- Sauerkraut salad
Did you make this recipe? RATE THE RECIPE or tell me in the COMMENTS how you liked it! You can also add a photo of your dish. It would make me very happy and will help other readers. Thank you!!
Curry Wurst Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Bratwurst German-style sausages
- 3 tablespoons frying oil
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder Western-style mild curry powder, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper or more, to your taste
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Make the curry ketchup: Add ketchup, tomato paste, and water to a medium pot. Heat until hot.
- Add all the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
- Meanwhile, heat frying oil in a large frying pan over high heat. When hot, add the sausages and cook on both sides until brown. Transfer to a plate and cut into slices.
- When the sauce is thickened, taste it and season to your taste if necessary (the amount of sugar and vinegar may be different for you, if you have used other brand of ketchup), season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve sausage slices with curry ketchup and sprinkle more curry powder on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Currywurst is usually served with Brötchen/Semmeln, or Pommes Frites (French Fries). Bier also tastes wonderful with it.
- Calories = 1 serving (1/4 of the recipe). This is only an estimate!
No Comments