Bratwurst With Caramelized Onions and Chakalaka

By Yewande Komolafe

Updated August 18, 2025

  • Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Megan Hedgpeth.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
25 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
20 minutes
Rating
4(16)
Comments
Read comments

In this recipe for pan-seared bratwurst with spiced caramelized onions, the real star of the show is the topping of chakalaka. A popular South African condiment often served with grilled meats or fish, chakalaka can be an easy way to have vegetables with every meal. Start with a hot skillet large enough to get a nice sear on the sausages and the onions, and with a quick assembly and ease, a clever meal awaits.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 4 hot dog buns

  • 5 tablespoons softened unsalted or salted butter, divided

  • 4 bratwurst or lamb sausage links (1 ½ pounds)

  • 1 medium red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced 

  • Salt

  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced 

  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems, chopped

  • ¾ cup chakalaka 

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large skillet over medium until hot. Open the hot dog buns and brush the insides of each with 1 tablespoon butter. Place the buns in the skillet with the butter side down. Gently warm the buns and toast until light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Work in batches if you have a small skillet. Move the toasted buns to 4 plates.

  2. Step 2

    Turn heat up to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan, swirl around and add the sausages in a single layer. Cook until seared and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the sausages and move to one side of the pan. Turn heat down to medium.

  3. Step 3

    Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until they’re softened and lightly caramelized at the edges, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the garlic and spices, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the parsley. Remove from heat and move each sausage to the buns. Top with onions and chakalaka. Serve.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
16 user ratings
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Comments

CFXK

To clarify the timing: 25 minutes to make the bratwurst and caramelized onions; 40 minutes to make the chakalaka. The chakalaka can be made in days in advance, but you still gotta make it to complete this dish.

nicole w

This recipe is delicious! Just one note: When I turned up the heat to medium-high and added butter, the butter burned, setting off the smoke detector. I turned the heat down and cooked the sausages a few minutes longer than recommended with a lid covering them for the last few minutes. It still turned out amazing, scorched butter and all!

Helen Ullric

This is a great recipe. However, the order of cooking ingredients seems wrong to me. Per the recipe, I browned the buns and brats first, set them aside to sauté the onions. Everything was mise en place, so there was no wasted time. However, by the time the onions were sautéed and spiced, the brats and rolls were cold. I suggest sauteeing the onions first, stashing them in a warming drawer or 200deg. oven, then browning the rolls and brats. That way, everything is nice and warm when you eat it. Btw, the spiced onions were delicious. Didn’t make the chakalaka as, here in the Northeast, in January, summer veggies are very pretty but tasteless. I’ll wait for my summer garden veggies to make that.

Andrew

@Helen Ullric the recipe calls for the bratwurst to stay in the pan while you cook the onions. Also, the chakalaka is part of the recipe; don’t say you made the recipe if you did not.

Ive

Where can I find chakalaka?

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