You are going to love all these popular German dishes! Each recipe comes with full instructions so you can make it at home.
Travel is my passion, and my favorite way to explore is through the food. I try to share my favorites from my trips, like this Italian bean soup or one of these traditional Italian desserts, many of which I tasted when I was in Italy on the Costa Smeralda Mediterranean cruise.
When I was in Regensburg with Viking River Cruises a few years ago, the first thing we did was head to the Historic Sausage Kitchen of Regensburg for a brat.
You really can't go to this part of the world and not have this experience. Until you get there, try this roasted bratwurst skillet meal.
A beer is a must with a bratwurst!
A few years later I spent some time exploring the Romantic Road in Germany. After that trip, I knew I wanted to share some traditional German food with you.
I loved the food in Germany, but feel like so many people told me not to get excited about eating there. They were SO wrong!
There is a very serious German food culture, and those who told me not to expect amazing food just hadn't tasted truly authentic recipes from Germany.
These recipes are scrumptious any time of year, but especially popular when Oktoberfest rolls around! Have an Oktoberfest night at your house for something festive. We could all use a cheery holiday meal!
Comfort Food at its Best
German cuisine is pure comfort food, in a stick to your ribs kind of way. You'll find different styles of food depending on the region of Germany.
Most of the time the meat is braised, though there are also 1,500 different varieties of sausages, usually fully cooked in a water bath and finished on some type of griddle or grill.
And then there are the delicious German recipes for side dishes. YUM!
Though I didn't see that many traditional veggies when I was in Germany, I did fall hard for their potato salad, applesauce, and that popular dish, German spaetzle dumplings! I think I could live on spaetzle!
I do think you should try the traditional German recipe for sauerkraut. My grandmother made sauerkraut to put on hot dogs and I hated it.
I was actually intimidated about even trying it in Germany, and now I can't imagine not having it with Bratwurst. We do not know how to make sauerkraut here in the United States!
Sometimes, one of these recipes for hearty traditional German cuisine is just what you need at the end of the day.
These authentic German dishes are easy to prepare and very family-friendly, which means the kids will like them, too! You might just fall in love with German cooking!
Even vegans will find a couple of recipes here, and scroll to the bottom for a couple of German desserts!
Pan-Roasted Bratwurst Skillet Meal
Sauerkraut Chickpea Flour Pierogies with Spiced Apple Sauce
Cheddar & Ale Bratwurst Soup
Sauerbraten
Vegan Cabbage Soup with Sausages - My Pure Plants
Hot German Potato Salad
Easy Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
Authentic German Potato Salad
Slow Cooker Sauerbraten Beef in Gingersnap Gravy
German Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream Dressing
Skillet Cabbage with Bacon & Garlic
Slow Cooker Sauerkraut and Sausage Recipe
Spaetzle with Bacon and Onions
Cabbage And Sausage Skillet
German Spiced Cabbage
Instant Pot Brats with Beer
Gluten Free German Schnitzel with Potato Salad
German Potato Pancakes
German Potato Salad
Spaetzle Recipe
German Solyanka Recipe
Beef Rouladen
Old Fashioned German Potato Salad
Traditional German Cabbage Rolls Recipe | Stuffed Cabbage Rolls |
Schweinebraten (German Roast Pork Shoulder)
Bavarian Apple Torte
Black Forest Cake Recipe, German Chocolate Cake
Wine Pairings
As for wine pairings, you could go with a white wine like a German Pinot Blanc (German word: Weissburgunder) for any of these German dishes.
For the heartier meat dishes, you might prefer a red wine like Spätburgunder, Germany's Pinot Noir. You could even begin with white and switch to red for the main course.
Germany's dessert wines are heavenly, so for something at the end of the meal with dessert (or even as dessert) you can't go wrong with a Riesling. Wine isn't just for special occasions. It really can bring out the flavors of the food! Go with your taste buds. I'd drink a Pinot Noir with just about any of these famous German dishes.
With the bratwürst, I might have to go with a good German beer!
Though not from Germany, I have to share one more stick to your ribs comfort dish.
I took this recipe from the Viking Cruises cookbook I bought when I sailed with them on their Rhone River cruise. This Easy Beef Stroganoff dish actually comes from Russia and is so easy to make. I can't wait to hear how much you loved it, too.
What are your favorite German comfort foods? Let me know in the comments so I can try to find a recipe! And please let me know if you try one of these recipes. Enjoy!
Bratwurst is the most popular German recipe. Usually made from pork, it is not only the most popular German food in the US, but meat dishes are a favorite of German foodies, too.
That funny sounding word schnitzel simply means a cutlet of meat that is usually pounded thin.
Yes! Many German dishes are vegetarian. In fact, one of the most popular dishes is Spätzle, which is egg noodles. Who couldn't live on pizza, pasta, and veggies?
Ideas for your Vacation to Germany
Traditional German Dishes
Ingredients
- Pan-Roasted Bratwurst Skillet Meal
- Sauerkraut Chickpea Flour Pierogies with Spiced Apple Sauce
- Cheddar & Ale Bratwurst Soup
- Sauerbraten
- Vegan Cabbage Soup with Sausages
- Hot German Potato Salad
- Easy Old-Fashioned Cucumber Salad
- Authentic German Potato Salad
- Slow Cooker Sauerbraten Beef in Gingersnap Gravy
- German Cucumber Salad with Sour Cream Dressing
- Skillet Cabbage with Bacon & Garlic
- Slow Cooker Sauerkraut and Sausage Recipe
- Spaetzle with Bacon and Onions
- Cabbage And Sausage Skillet
- German Spiced Cabbage
Instructions
- Choose your favorite German recipe.
- Gather up the ingredients to make it.
- Make and enjoy a delicious German dish.
Rebecca Massirer Lopez
I am of German descent and grew up in a home where German was still spoken daily. One of the dishes we had that is not on your list is pickled tongue. So good we would scramble to get as much as possible! My mom also made a good soft cheese she called schmearcase. Today I am making true Jaegerschnitzel or hunter's cutlet using venison harvested by my family.
Kelly Stilwell
That's amazing, Rebecca! I love food at its freshest!
Mary Nowak
Hello from Minnesota! Sure would love the German Sauerkraut recipe also thank you in advance. Can’t wait to try some of these recipes!
Lois Christensen
Thank you Kelly for featuring my German Cucumber Salad.
Judith Howard
In the US you can buy potatoes dumplings , they come in a box, much easier to make than homemade . In German there are three different ways, to make potatoes dumplings (Knoedel) cooked Potatoes, raw potatoes and half row and half cooked. Also dumplings made from Rolls (Semmelknoedel)
Kelly Stilwell
I will have to search these out, Judith. Thank you for sharing!
Maureen
Knodel boxes are hard to come by now, do you have a recipe for those?
Kelly Stilwell
Hi Maureen,
I had never heard of Knodel Boxes but now want to try them! I think this recipe looks easy. Let me know how they turn out! https://www.masterclass.com/articles/easy-homemade-knodel-recipe-recipe-for-german-bread-dumplings#classic-german-kndel-recipe
Jackie Moore
Would love to have your recipe for sauerkraut!
Kelly Stilwell
I have never made it, but now I will! The recipe my family used was awful, but I loved it in Germany! I'll work on finding a good recipe! Stay tuned!
Bob
You are so right!! I don't know where American kraut came from but it awful, makes me sick. German kraut is so good, nothing like that American stuff. Keep up the good work, I love German food. Bob Stallard
Kelly Stilwell
Right, Bob?! I guess I better get to work on a recipe for traditional sauerkraut!! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Trina
In our family a favorite meal handed down in my Dad's German family from his grandmother...Glace...love it!! Whenever I make this for anyone it's a bit!! As a child always my favorite!
Kelly Stilwell
Oh my gosh, I looked it up and I want to try it! Do you have a recipe you could share? Thank you!
Barbara
So glad I just happened on your site! We were stationed in Italy but toured Germany and at the October fest I drank some beer which I've never liked beer but had to try it, delis. I cant wait to cook your recipes they look so good and we miss the German foods! Thanks for making my tummy happy. ????
Kelly Stilwell
I love the food there so much, and BEER! So delis is right! Let me know what you try! I have more coming!
Sandra Barnes
Would love to have this cookbook. We have a German restaurant here that makes a lot of these foods, but are expensive to take a family to. If I could get these recipes I could cook them at home and save some money also.
Jamie
Would love to find a dish called Spetzla a pasta dish I hope I spelled it right
Kelly Stilwell
I think you mean spaetzle, Jamie! It's SO good. Let me see what I can find!
Emily
Thank you for including my German cabbage recipe in your post :).