Bratwurst Burger AKA “Brat Burger”

I love bratwurst, but sometimes I don’t have a hot dog bun lying around when I want to enjoy it. So I figured out a way to make bratwurst into patties. I know what you are thinking, but you can’t just use a standard bratwurst recipe as it will dry out and fall apart. With a little extra fat, some bread crumbs and a little Bud Light you can make it happen.

I served these over my homemade hamburger buns. Super proud of them. Check out the hamburger bun recipe here.

Instructions

The first step is to grind the ingredients. You want to grind the ingredients as you want to make sure that there is enough fat in the recipe. You want a nice and juicy burger, so fat is key. Grind the fat first to lubricate the grinder and then grind the pork and veal.

Once you have the meat all ground, then you want to season with the salt, caraway, marjoram, allspice and mace. Mix well with your hands. When mixing you will notice that the meat is not binding together too well.

Next add the bread crumbs. Mix again. Now add enough beer to moisten the mixture. I used about 1/4 of the can. Thus leaving 3/4 of the can to drink. Score!

Next portion the meat and form patties. I like to form the burger patties on a piece of wax paper. That way I can individually wrap each one and keep them from sticking.

Grill over high heat.

Grill until golden and fully cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit. This burger is one that you might want to use a meat thermometer with. It can easily be overcooked and when overcooked it can be a bit dry and chewy just like a brat.

This was an awesome recipe.

I wish I had some onions and sauerkraut, but I was lacking that. However, the burgers had great flavor and were a pleasant change from basic boring beef hamburgers.

Bratwurst Burgers

Homemade bratwurst burger patties with German spices. Made with lean pork, veal, and pork fat to keep them juicy. Perfect grilled and served on buns with sauerkraut and onions.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 burgers

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: German

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 pounds lean pork
• 1 pound veal
• 1/2 pound pork fat
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 can beer Bud Light or similar

Method

 

1. Grind the pork fat first to lubricate the grinder, then grind the pork and veal together.
2. Place ground meat in a mixing bowl and season with white pepper, kosher salt, caraway, marjoram, allspice, and mace. Mix well with your hands.
3. Add bread crumbs and mix again. The mixture will not bind together well at this point.
4. Add approximately 1/4 of a can of beer to moisten the mixture. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture begins to bind together.
5. Portion the meat into 4-6 equal patties on a piece of wax paper. Form into burger patties, being careful not to overwork the meat.
6. Preheat grill to high heat.
7. Place patties on grill and cook until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes per side.
8. Use a meat thermometer to verify internal temperature reaches 160°F. Be careful not to overcook as these burgers can become dry.
9. Remove from grill and serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings. Sauerkraut and onions are traditional.

Notes

The high fat content is essential to keep these burgers juicy – do not use lean meat only. The beer helps bind the mixture and adds flavor. A meat thermometer is highly recommended as overcooking will make them dry. These freeze well between wax paper layers.