German Recipes

Eva Kolenko

From bacon and apple sauerkraut to herring and beet salad, here are some terrific German recipes.

Start Slideshow

1 of 21

German-Style Pretzels

Go to Recipe

These chewy pretzels from chef Hans Röckenwagner develop a shiny, professional-looking crust as they bake.

More Tasty Snacks

2 of 21

Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

Go to Recipe

Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville, California uses panko bread crumbs to give chicken a crunchy crust. "Pounding chicken breasts to a uniform thickness cuts down on cooking time," he says.

More Amazing Chicken Recipes

3 of 21

Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut

Go to Recipe

In Germany's Pfalz region, cooks braise sauerkraut with onions, apples, seasonings, a touch of sugar and a little of the region's Riesling wine, creating an addictive accompaniment for juicy weisswurst or bratwurst.

More Sausage Recipes

4 of 21

Linzer Torte

Go to Recipe

Frankies co-owner Frank Castronovo's wife, Heike, a talented home baker, created Prime Meats's outstanding jam tart with cocoa-flavored pastry. "If she entered it in a country fair in her hometown in Germany, she'd win a blue ribbon," says Frank Falcinelli. "But she has an unfair advantage, since her father is a professional baker in Freiburg, Germany."

More Pies and Tarts

5 of 21

Spaetzle with Gruyère and Caramelized Onions

Go to Recipe

The spaetzle can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.

More Quick Side Dishes

6 of 21

Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta and Brown Butter Dressing

Go to Recipe

Grace Parisi whisks brown butter into a tangy, mustardy dressing for creamy fingerling potatoes.

More Potato Salad Recipes

7 of 21

Red-Wine-Braised Beef Brisket

Go to Recipe

Both Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo had early experiences with sauerbraten, the German braised brisket. Castronovo sampled it on trips to Germany; Falcinelli had it at the German deli where he worked as a teenager. The terrific recipe they ultimately perfected is both very sweet and very sour, made with raisins, apples, red wine vinegar and red wine.

F&W's Beef Cooking Guide

8 of 21

German Soft Pretzel Sticks

Go to Recipe

"I've always been a fan of any food high in salt and starch," Grant Achatz says,"and soft pretzels right out of the oven are awesome." You can eat these slightly sweet, chewy, dark pretzel sticks plain or with mustard; Achatz goes for ranch dressing.

More Tasty Snacks

9 of 21

Sweet-and-Sour Braised Cabbage

Go to Recipe

To punch up the flavor of braised cabbage, a classic accompaniment to sauerbraten, Frank Castronovo adds dried sour cherries, apples and a pinch of ground cloves.

More Quick Side Dishes

10 of 21

Fried Semolina Dumplings with Apricots and Apricot Preserves

Go to Recipe

These griesschnitte (fried semolina dumplings) are moist and not too sweet, a perfect end to a meal. This recipe, from chef Roman Albrecht of The Kosher Classroom in Berlin, is made with margarine and soy milk.

More Apricot Recipes

11 of 21

Grandma Zerr's Apricot Kuchen

Go to Recipe

Kuchen is a traditional German fruit- or cheese-filled yeast cake that's common in North Dakota (Nancy Olson says it's in countless church cookbooks) and served at any time of day. This is Olson's adaptation of her grandmother's version. "I love that this is a hearty, rustic, belly-filling pastry; nothing dainty about it," she says.

More Apricot Recipes

12 of 21

Spicy Beer Mustard

Go to Recipe

Chef Jeremy Nolen updates German classics, including this intense mustard for sausages.

More Condiment Recipes

13 of 21

Herring and Beet Salad

Go to Recipe

A fairly simple and refreshing appetizer, this recipe gets its kick from mayo and wasabi.

More Appetizer Recipes and Tips

14 of 21

Crispy Wiener Schnitzel with Lingonberry Preserves

Go to Recipe

"Schnitzel and Grüner Veltliner isn't a very creative pairing, but I think it's a beautiful one," says Wolfgang Ban. He loves how rich styles of the Austrian white wine still have bright acidity, which is delicious with crispy veal cutlets.

More Veal Recipes

15 of 21

Candy Cookies

Go to Recipe

These truffle-like cookies have an unexpected piece of candy in the centers. They're adapted from a traditional holiday cookie that Renato Poliafito discovered during his travels in Germany.

More Holiday Cookie Recipes

16 of 21

Country Potato-and-Cabbage Soup

Go to Recipe

For a low-cost version of this meal, use bacon, which costs less than guanciale.

More Warming Soup Recipes

17 of 21

Pork Schnitzel with Warm Potato Salad

Go to Recipe

Wolfgang Puck of Los Angeles's Spago makes his schnitzel by deep-frying cutlets of Kurobuta pork, a deeply marbled heritage meat imported from Japan. At home, opt for boneless pork chops from the supermarket, pounding them tender. Pan-fry the schnitzel in a shallow pool of oil instead of deep-frying it.

More Recipes From Wolfgang Puck

18 of 21

Mixed-Berry Dutch Baby

Go to Recipe

A Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, is a mixture of eggs, flour and whole milk that gets baked in a heavy skillet until it becomes puffy and golden. In the terrific version here, Grace Parisi folds in fresh berries to create a wonderful summer dessert that's also great for breakfast.

F&W's Ultimate Summer Fruit Recipes

19 of 21

Lamb Schnitzel with Aioli

Go to Recipe

This quintessential German recipe goes well with a pinot noir from New Zealand's North Island with ripe cherry flavors.

More Amazing Lamb Recipes

20 of 21

Pretzel Dumplings

Go to Recipe

Prime Meats is beloved for its handmade pretzel appetizer served with homemade mustard. Frank Castronovo's dumplings, a twist on traditional bread dumplings, are a clever way to use up leftover pretzels. The dumplings are good right after they're boiled but even better when sautéed in butter, too.

More Tasty Snacks

21 of 21

Baked Spaetzle with Green Pea Pesto

Eva Kolenko

Go to Recipe

While spaetzle is traditionally boiled like pasta, here the mini dumplings are tossed in olive oil and baked with leeks until crisp and browned, then blanketed with a creamy fonduta. The herb-and-pea pesto takes the dish from comfort fare to a vibrant spring side. The colder the ingredients for the pesto, the more brilliant green it will be; chill them before blending, and use frozen peas.

Replay gallery

Your Profile

German Recipes

1 of 21

German-Style Pretzels

1 of 21

2 of 21

Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel

2 of 21

3 of 21

Sautéed German Sausages with Bacon and Apple Sauerkraut

3 of 21

4 of 21

Linzer Torte

4 of 21

5 of 21

Spaetzle with Gruyère and Caramelized Onions

5 of 21

6 of 21

Warm Potato Salad with Pancetta and Brown Butter Dressing

6 of 21

7 of 21

Red-Wine-Braised Beef Brisket

7 of 21

8 of 21

German Soft Pretzel Sticks

8 of 21

9 of 21

Sweet-and-Sour Braised Cabbage

9 of 21

10 of 21

Fried Semolina Dumplings with Apricots and Apricot Preserves

10 of 21

11 of 21

Grandma Zerr's Apricot Kuchen

11 of 21

12 of 21

Spicy Beer Mustard

12 of 21

13 of 21

Herring and Beet Salad

13 of 21

14 of 21

Crispy Wiener Schnitzel with Lingonberry Preserves

14 of 21

15 of 21

Candy Cookies

15 of 21

16 of 21

Country Potato-and-Cabbage Soup

16 of 21

17 of 21

Pork Schnitzel with Warm Potato Salad

17 of 21

18 of 21

Mixed-Berry Dutch Baby

18 of 21

19 of 21

Lamb Schnitzel with Aioli

19 of 21

20 of 21

Pretzel Dumplings

20 of 21

21 of 21

Baked Spaetzle with Green Pea Pesto

21 of 21

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Share the Gallery