Sizzled Bratwurst With Mashed Potatoes
Updated March 19, 2025
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2large russet potatoes, scrubbed and quartered (1¼ pounds)
- 4fully-cooked bratwurst, each pierced once with a knife (12 ounces; see Tip for using fresh bratwurst)
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½cup whole milk, warmed
- Pinch of grated nutmeg, preferably fresh
- Salt and black pepper
- Sauerkraut and German mustard, for serving (optional; see Tip)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
468 calories; 35 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 856 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cook the potatoes: Add the potatoes to a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Turn the heat off. Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and cover to steam them until fluffy, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 2
While the potatoes are simmering, cook the bratwurst: Add the bratwurst, ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium skillet and bring to a simmer over high. Cover with a lid or sheet pan, then reduce the heat to continue simmering, flipping the bratwurst once halfway through, until they are plump and heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Uncover, raise the heat to medium and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the bratwurst start sizzling in their own fat. Sear both sides until browned to your liking, 2 to 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Mash the potatoes: Using tongs, carefully remove the skins from the steamed potatoes. (The peels should slip right off.) Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan and whip the potatoes with an electric mixer or mash with a fork just until smooth. Gently stir in the milk and nutmeg, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover if the bratwurst are still sizzling.
- Step 5
Place the bratwurst and mashed potatoes on a plate, creating a small well in the potatoes to pour in the bratwurst fat from the pan. If serving sauerkraut, heat it in the empty skillet over low heat, stirring until warmed through, and serve alongside the bratwurst and potatoes with a squirt of mustard.
- Many grocery stores carry fully cooked bratwurst. Fresh bratwurst, which you can find in Germany and some butcher counters in the United States, are a dream to cook as well: Just make sure they are fully cooked through by adding 10 minutes to the steaming time in Step 2.
- Ranging in spiciness from sweet to very hot, German mustard is sharp, delicious and has a more straightforward mustard seed flavor than American yellow mustard or Dijon mustard (both of which are perfectly adequate substitutes). If you live near a German market or don’t mind placing an online order, consider adding German mustard to your condiments shelf. It ordinarily comes in a jar, but sometimes comes in a tube. Common brands include Löwensenf, Händlmaier and Thomy.
Private Notes
Comments
Just fry the bratwurst in a little bit of oil, no simmering in water. No German does this, except when you have Bockwurst or Wiener. And to the mashed potatoes: Peel the potatoes before boiling them. And please never ever use an electric mixer for mixing them or will end up with what the Germans call “Tapetenkleister” (wallpaper glue). Use a potato masher or a ricer. Add a generous pinch of nutmeg and salt, no pepper.
@Charlotte I don’t know how Margot would make Sauerkraut, but I use my Berliner mother’s technique of sautéing chopped onion and apple before adding the rinsed sauerkraut. She likes to add barley, but I don’t. I like to add caraway seeds and/or a little crispy bacon bits, but she doesn’t.
In Wisconsin, bratwurst are typically boiled in a mixture of water and beer before frying, for what it's worth.
My mom would have put the bratwurst and kraut (not rinsed and from a bag or can) in a slow cooker and cooked it all day. She would have served it with mashed potatoes, rye bread and apple sauce. I miss a good German meal.
I grew up in Nordrhein-Westphalen, im Ruhrgebiet und Münsterland, 100% German. Mom and grandma never used water in the preparation of Bratwurst. “Brat” is derived from the verb braten (to roast), so preparation only involves roasting/frying. Get the process going with a little added fat. One the Bratwürste plump up, use a fork to poke holes into the casings so the sausage doesn’t burst and the rendered fat gets released. Once there’s a good amount of drippings in the pan, add 1-2 large inions, sliced into rings. Fry over medium heat until both onions and sausages are deeply colored. Traditionally, potatoes are peeled for mashed potatoes, but I skip that step. My family prefers waxy potatoes —the really waxy varieties aren’t generally available in the US, but Yukons are better than Russets by far. Boil chunks in salted water until done and drain. Add a pat of butter, a good splash of milk, more salt as needed, and some grated fresh nutmeg to taste. Use a potato masher to smash the potatoes- any remaining chunks are much preferred over “Tapetenkleister.” The Sauerkraut needs to be drained and rinsed or it’s too salty and sour. It’s decent when braised in white wine with bayleaf, peppercorns, and juniper berries, and finished with a pat of butter. To serve, dish up mashed potato and Sauerkraut. Add the sausage on the side and pile a generous helping of the caramelized onions on top of sausage and mashed potatoes. Guten Appetit!
I make sausage at home grinding & stuffing, when I store them I Vac-Pac them in two or 4 packs then when ready to cook from frozen I put the packs in 140 degree Sou Vide for about 20-30 min so they are mostly cooked thru then grill indirect, bake or sauté Cooking in the sou vide keeps them Nice & Juicy