Whether you’re making schnitzel, cooking bratwurst or putting together a full meal using German recipes, this page brings together the recipes, regional dishes, sides and drinks you need to get started.
German food is known for sausages, roast meats, crisp schnitzel, potatoes, cabbage, dumplings and fresh bread, but the cooking changes considerably from one part of the country to another.
Use this page to explore German dishes by region, find recipes to make at home and decide what to serve with them.
If you’re planning a Bavarian-style spread, start with my Oktoberfest Food Guide. When it’s time to choose what to pour, use my German Beer and Food Pairings guide.
What I've Learned Eating Around Germany
- I’ve visited Germany many times, and the food has been different on every trip. What I’ve eaten in Bavaria isn’t necessarily what I’ve found in Berlin, Frankfurt or farther north. This guide brings those experiences together with the German recipes I’m now making and testing at home.
German Food at a Glance
- Known For: Sausages, bread, schnitzel, potatoes, cabbage, dumplings, cakes and regional beer
- Popular Street and Festival Foods: Bratwurst, Currywurst, pretzels, potato pancakes and roast chicken
- Comfort Foods: Jägerschnitzel, Sauerbraten, Käsespätzle, potato dumplings and hearty soups
- Foods to Try in Bavaria: Weißwurst, Obatzda, Brezn, Schweinshaxe and Hendl
- Christmas Favorites: Stollen, Lebkuchen, roasted nuts, potato pancakes and Glühwein
- Drinks to Know: Helles, Weißbier, Pilsner, Märzen, Riesling, Spätburgunder and Apfelwein
German Recipes to Start With
New to German cooking? These recipes are a good place to start, with a mix of mains, sides and beer-garden favorites.
What Makes German Food So Special?
What I love most about German food is how much it changes from one region to the next. In Bavaria, I’m usually reaching for warm pretzels, sausages, roast pork and a local beer, while in northern Germany, I’m more likely to order fresh fish, seafood or a hearty fish sandwich.
You’ll see many of the same ingredients throughout Germany, but every region finds its own way to use them.
German Food by Region
Here’s a quick look at some of Germany’s best-known regional foods and where you’re most likely to find them.
| Region | Foods to Know |
|---|---|
| Bavaria | Weißwurst, pretzels, Obatzda, Schweinshaxe, Hendl, dumplings and Brotzeit |
| Swabia and Württemberg | Spätzle, Käsespätzle, Maultaschen and onion tart |
| Baden and the Black Forest | Black Forest ham, Black Forest cake and food influenced by nearby France and Switzerland |
| Rhineland | Sauerbraten, potato dishes, mussels and regional breads |
| Hesse and Frankfurt | Grüne Soße, Handkäse and Apfelwein |
| Thuringia | Thüringer Rostbratwurst and potato dumplings |
| Saxony | Dresdner Stollen, Eierschecke and a strong baking tradition |
| Northern Germany | Herring, Fischbrötchen and other fish and seafood dishes |
German Sausages and Bratwurst Recipes
Bratwurst isn’t one specific sausage. Germany has many regional versions that vary in size, texture, seasoning and the way they’re cooked. Here are some of the best-known German sausages and sausage dishes:
| Sausage or Dish | What to Know | Associated With |
|---|---|---|
| Nürnberger Rostbratwurst | Small grilled sausages usually served several at a time | Nuremberg |
| Thüringer Rostbratwurst | Long grilled sausage with a protected regional identity | Thuringia |
| Weißwurst | Pale veal-and-pork sausage traditionally served with sweet mustard | Munich and Bavaria |
| Currywurst | Sliced sausage topped with curry-spiced tomato sauce | Especially Berlin |
| Bockwurst | Cooked sausage traditionally heated in water | Found throughout Germany |
I make bratwurst two ways at home. My Bratwurst in Beer and Onions is loaded with soft, beer-braised onions, while Bratwurst and Sauerkraut combines the sausages with apples, onions and sauerkraut.
Schnitzel and German Meat Dishes
Schnitzel is one of the German dishes most people in the U.S. already recognize. The meat is pounded thin, coated in breadcrumbs and fried until golden and crisp. Pork, veal and chicken versions are all common.
My German Schnitzel keeps things simple with a crisp breaded pork cutlet and lemon. Jägerschnitzel builds on it with mushrooms and plenty of Mushroom Gravy.
Other meat dishes worth knowing include Sauerbraten, a marinated pot roast with a sweet-and-sour character, and Schweinshaxe, a Bavarian pork knuckle roasted until the meat is tender and the skin is crisp.
German Potato and Side Dish Recipes
The sides are half the reason to make a German dinner. Potatoes, cabbage, dumplings and noodles soak up all that gravy and turn a few sausages into a meal worth sitting down for.
- German Potato Pancakes: Crisp Kartoffelpuffer served with applesauce, sour cream or as part of a savory meal.
- German Potato Salad: Potatoes dressed with a vinegar and beef broth and served warm.
- Mushroom Gravy: A rich mushroom sauce for Jägerschnitzel, potatoes and pork.
- Spätzle: Soft German egg noodles served with butter, gravy or alongside meat dishes.
- Käsespätzle: Spätzle tossed with melted cheese and topped with crispy onions.
- German Red Cabbage: Sweet and tangy braised cabbage served with sausages, schnitzel and roasted meats.
German Bread, Cheese and Snacks
Bread is a big deal in Germany, and the bakery selection goes well beyond pretzels. You’ll find everything from dark rye and mixed-flour loaves to crusty Brötchen and plenty of regional specialties.
Still, warm German Soft Pretzels are a pretty great place to start. In Bavaria, pair them with Obatzda, sliced radishes, onion and a cold beer. Add bratwurst and mustard and call it dinner.
That same no-fuss approach carries over to Brotzeit, a Bavarian spread of bread or pretzels, cheese, sausage, cold cuts, pickles and radishes. Abendbrot is similar, but it’s traditionally served as a simple cold meal at the end of the day.
What to Drink With German Food
Beer gets most of the attention, but wine has just as much of a place at the German table. For beer, my German Beer and Food Pairings guide covers everything from Helles and Weißbier to Märzen and Dunkel.
Riesling has been my favorite wine for more than 20 years, and Dr. Loosen is one of the German producers I return to again and again. German Riesling comes in a wide range of styles, from bone-dry to sweet enough to serve with dessert.
You’ll also come across Spätburgunder, the German name for Pinot Noir, along with Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder, better known as Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. You can find more ideas in my Wine Pairing Guides.
Oktoberfest Food and Recipes
Many of the German foods most familiar outside the country are Bavarian. Pretzels, roast chicken known as Hendl, pork knuckle, Obatzda, Weißwurst and large beer-hall meals are all closely connected with southern Germany.
Want the full Oktoberfest lineup? My Oktoberfest Food Guide covers what you’ll find in Munich’s beer tents and what to make for your own Oktoberfest spread at home.
Here are a few of the most popular foods found at Oktoberfest:
German Christmas Food
German food gets even better at Christmas. The markets fill up with Stollen, Lebkuchen, Spekulatius, roasted nuts, sizzling sausages and hot potato pancakes, with something good to eat around just about every corner.
Then there’s Glühwein, the warm spiced wine served throughout the Christmas-market season. My version combines red wine with citrus and whole spices and can be made ahead for a holiday gathering.
The first time you walk into a German Christmas market is hard to forget. The lights, wooden stalls and smell of sausages, roasted nuts and warm spices make the whole thing feel a little magical.
My Favorite German Christmas Market Souvenir
- The Glühwein mugs are part of the fun. Many Christmas markets create their own design each year, usually marked with the city, market or date. You pay a deposit when you order your drink, then return the mug or keep it as a souvenir. I’ve kept a few over the years, and they’re still some of my favorite things I’ve brought home from Germany.
All German Recipes
Here is the full collection of German recipes currently available on Foodie & Wine.
