How to Cook Weisswurst

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson Reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs

Last Updated: January 25, 2024

If you love eating sausages at breakfast, you'll love the weisswurst, the white sausage specialty of Bavaria. Since weisswurst are made without preservatives or nitrates, you'll need to cook them soon after buying them. You can prepare them in the traditional way by simmering the links in salted water. If you'd like to give the weisswurst a smoky flavor, you can cook them on the grill and baste them with beer. For a complete meal, pan-fry the weisswurst and cook them with sliced onions, sauerkraut, and apples.

Ingredients

Bavarian-Style Simmered Weisswurst

Weisswurst links
Water
Salt

Serving size varies

Pan-Fried Weisswurst with Beer

1 pound (453 g) weisswurst sausage
1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
2 onions
3 cups (450 g) well-drained sauerkraut
2 cups (473 ml) beer
2 granny smith apples
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 4 servings

Grilled Weisswurst

Weisswurst links
Bavarian or wheat beer

Serving size varies

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Bavarian-Style Simmered Weisswurst

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1
Bring salted water to a boil. Set a pot on the stove and fill it at least half full with water. Add several generous pinches of salt and turn the heat to high. Heat the water until it comes to a boil. ^{[1]
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- The pot should be at least 2-quarts (1.89 liters) in size.
Turn the heat down to low and slowly lower as many weisswurst links as you want into the water. The water should be bubbling gently. ^{[2]
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3
Simmer the weisswurst for 10 minutes. Keep the lid off of the pot and simmer the sausages until they're completely warmed throughout. This should take 10 minutes. ^{[3]
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- Although many people don't like to poke the sausages, you can insert a meat thermometer to check the temperature. The weisswurst should reach 170 °F (77 °C).
4
Remove and serve the classic Bavarian weisswurst. Turn off the heat and scoop the cooked sausages to a large serving bowl. Spoon some of the salted water from the pot into the bowl with the sausages. Let guests help themselves to the weisswurst and serve it with sweet mustard, a large pretzel, and a Bavarian beer. ^{[4]
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- You can slit and peel off the casings from the weisswurst. Or to eat them traditionally, trim off the end of the weisswurst and suck the sausage out of the casing.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Pan-Fried Weisswurst with Beer

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1
Sauté the weisswurst for 2 to 4 minutes. Pour 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of vegetable oil into a large, heavy skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Place 1 pound (453 g) of weisswurst in a single layer in the skillet. Sauté and turn the sausages frequently until they're golden brown on the outside. This should take 2 to 4 minutes. ^{[5]
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- Use a skillet that's at least 12-inches (30 cm) in diameter.
- Avoid over cooking the weisswurst since they'll finish cooking in the oven.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the pan while searing, which will lead to uneven browning. Instead, do 2 or 3 sausages at a time in batches if need be; then, add them all back to the pan when they're done searing to complete the cooking process.
Peel 2 onions and use a sharp knife to slice them thinly . Get out 3 cups (450 g) of sauerkraut and place it in a fine mesh strainer over a sink. Press against the sauerkraut so the liquid drains out of the sauerkraut. ^{[6]
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3
Combine the weisswurst, onions, sauerkraut, and beer in the skillet. Carefully drain and discard any of the hot grease in the skillet. The sausages should still be in a single layer in the skillet. Spread the sliced onions and drained sauerkraut evenly over the weisswurst. Pour 2 cups (473 ml) of beer over the mixture. ^{[7]
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- You can use any wheat or Bavarian-style beer.
4
Cook the weisswurst for 15 to 20 minutes. Put a lid on the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Let the weisswurst, onions, and sauerkraut cook until the sausages are cooked throughout and the onions soften. This should take 15 to 20 minutes. ^{[8]
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- If you don't have a lid for your skillet, consider laying a baking sheet down over the skillet.
Use an apple corer to remove the cores from 2 granny smith apples. Slice the apples into 1-cm thick slices and add them to the skillet with the sausages. You should also sprinkle the dish with freshly ground nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. ^{[9]
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6
Cover and cook the dish for 2 more minutes. Put the lid back on the skillet and cook the mixture over medium heat until the apples soften a little. This should take 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve the cooked weisswurst, onions, sauerkraut, and apples while they're hot. ^{[10]
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- You can store this dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.