Bratwurst and Sauerkraut with Apples & Onion (my mom’s recipe)
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My mom braises her bratwurst and sauerkraut in apple juice instead of beer, so the kraut mellows without needing a spoonful of sugar to help it along. The apple slices go in the pan at the end, where they stay bright against the butter-browned, juicy sausage.
My mom has always braised her bratwurst and sauerkraut in apple juice, and I swear it’s the only way to make it. There’s no beer, broth, or spoonful of sugar stirred into the pan to take the edge off the kraut. The apple juice does all of that on its own, softening the sauerkraut into something round and mellow while the sausages sit in it and drink up the sweetness.
The apple slices are a separate move, and they go in at the very end. Five minutes, uncovered, is just long enough to warm them through and soften them slightly. Cook them any longer, and they dissolve into the kraut. Added to the pan at the end, they stay as slices, and you get a bright, sweet bite against the salty sausage.
Everything lands on a pile of buttery mashed potatoes, which I boil while the brats are browning, so the whole dinner comes out of just two pans. It’s a Sunday kind of plate that fits on a Tuesday.
Selecting your sauerkraut
There are two kinds on the shelf, and they taste different. Fermented sauerkraut is cabbage and salt, left to sour on its own over weeks. Vinegar-brined sauerkraut gets its tang poured in, and it comes through sharper and flatter. I use fermented, which is how my mom makes hers, and it’s what this recipe is built around. The sourness is rounder, so it has somewhere to go when it meets the apple juice.
The ingredient list tells you which one you have. Traditional sauerkraut lists cabbage, salt, and sometimes water, and that’s all. If vinegar is on the label, you have the other kind. The fermented jars are usually in the refrigerated section near the pickles, and the shelf-stable jars and cans are more often vinegar-brined.
One to skip: red cabbage sauerkraut. The color bleeds and turns everything on the plate a purple-gray.
What to serve with bratwurst and sauerkraut
The mashed potatoes are built into the recipe, so the plate is mostly finished before you start thinking about sides. What it wants is something sharp. A spoonful of sour cream stirred into the kraut, a good grainy mustard, or my mayo mustard sauce if you want both at once.
After that, something green and plain. A simple salad with a vinegary dressing cuts the richness of the sausage without competing with the kraut, which is already doing the tart work on the plate.
If you’d rather swap the mashed potatoes for a different starch, or you’re feeding a crowd and want more on the table, my side dish recipes have options that hold up next to this. Rye bread and butter works too, and it’s the least effort of anything here.
Watch how to make it
Bratwurst and Sauerkraut with Apples & Onion (my mom’s recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 8 bratwurst sausages
- 1 cup apple juice
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 3 cups sauerkraut (drained)
- 1 medium apple (sliced)
- Minced parsley (to serve)
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 lb potatoes (diced )
- ¾ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup whipping cream
Instructions
- Start by making the mashed potatoes. Place the diced potatoes in a medium pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water and then drain the pot. Add the butter, cream, salt, and pepper, then mash the potatoes. Slowly stir in some of the reserved cooking water until the potatoes are wonderfully creamy.1 lb potatoes, ¾ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper, 2 tablespoons butter, ¼ cup whipping cream
- While the potatoes are boiling, make the bratwurst. Melt the butter in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the bratwurst and cook until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the pan.1 tablespoon butter, 8 bratwurst sausages
- Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, about 5 minutes, then add the sauerkraut and mix well. Add the bratwurst to the pan, then pour the apple juice over the top. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes, until the bratwurst reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.1 large onion, 3 cups sauerkraut, 1 cup apple juice
- Nestle the apple slices around the bratwurst and cook, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Serve the bratwurst and sauerkraut over the mashed potatoes with a little minced parsley for color.1 medium apple, Minced parsley
Video
Nutrition
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I made this for an Oktoberfest party and it was a solid win. Thanks for such a fabulous recipe, and for making me look good!!
I didn’t see my comment posted, so wanted to leave my question again. This looks amazing, and I’d like to make it for an Octoberfest party I’m having next weekend. I’m having 20 people at the party. I’m assuming I can make the first batch ahead and keep in the fridge? Maybe except for the apples, and just add them when I reheat?
Hi Susan! While I haven’t made this in advance before, I think your plan sounds great. I would make the recipe through step 3 then reheat it and add the apple slices before serving. Have a great party!
Thank you for this recipe, love this.
This is hands down the best recipe for brats & kraut I’ve ever had! And I can’t tell you how many recipes I’ve gone through. What kind of sauerkraut do you usually get? A lot of people prefer the canned stuff with vinegar but I prefer fermented sauerkraut like Bubbie’s (no vinegar or preservatives). I’m so making this again, probably going to be an every month meal. Thanks for sharing!
My favorite is my mom’s homemade sauerkraut. It’s so good! I’ve had Bubbies before and it’s really really good!
I’m not normally a big fan of sauerkraut but I think I might still have to try this… I bet the sweetness of the apples would help to temper the sourness of the sauerkraut, which might make it just perfect for me 🙂
It definitely does temper the sauerkraut. Also, not all sauerkraut is the same so you might want to try a few different brands to find the one you like best. My favorite is my mom’s homemade sauerkraut. I’ll have to see if she’ll share that recipe with me!
This is my fav….and my sauerkraut is almost ready to use……I lv your addition of the sour cream, Perfect
It’s the best!!