Easy Homemade Oktoberfest Burger with Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Nutrition: 836 Calories | 44g Net Carbs | 45g Protein | 49.g Total Fat

Enjoy some robust German flavors at home with this easy recipe for Oktoberfest Burger with Bratwurst plus pretzel buns, spicy mustard, and tangy sauerkraut.

Are you looking for a fun, festive meal inspired by classic German flavors? These burgers have all that. Plus, they’re really easy to make. This meal actually came at the request of my three adventurous daughters. They saw an Oktoberfest burger advertised by a local restaurant and asked, “Mom, could you make that at home?” Well, challenge accepted. I love experimenting in the kitchen, and this is no exception. And, as it turns out, it’s not a challenge at all. My version of an Oktoberfest burger with bratwurst has, you guessed it, a seasoned beef patty and a grilled bratwurst along with spicy brown mustard, creamy cheese, and sauerkraut served on a pretzel bun. It’s a delicious mouthful of flavor.

Get The Grill Going

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The first thing you need to do is start cooking the meat, so heat up the grill. I used an indoor flat top grill that sits right on top of my gas stove. You could also us an outdoor grill, electric griddle, a grill pan or a large skillet. Start by cooking the bratwurst, because they’ll take the longest to finish. Turn the sausages regularly to get them caramelized on all sides. It’ll take 15-20 minutes to fully cook them.

After about 15 minutes, when the bratwurst are almost done cooking, add the hamburger patties to the grill. Season the patties on both sides with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook the burgers to your desired level of doneness, flipping halfway through to sear both sides. A medium-well burger takes about 9 minutes total to cook. If you’re using a skillet, you might have to cook the meat in shifts instead.

Slice and Warm the Pretzel Buns

Pretzel buns are a fun way to bring some more German flavors to these burgers. Pretzels were originally brought to the United States by German emigrants. With various sizes, styles, shapes and flavors available today, they are a classic snack loved by so many. These days you can often find pretzel buns sold at the grocery store near other buns in the bread aisle.

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While the bratwurst are cooking, slice open your pretzel buns if they didn’t come pre-sliced. Then, put them on a baking sheet, cut sides together. This helps the inside stay soft while the outside toasts just a little. Warm the buns in the oven at 350° for about 5 minutes, or follow the package directions.

The buns taste best when they are warm, so put them in the oven after you get the burger patties on the grill. Then, they’ll be ready when it’s time to build your burgers.

Butterfly the Bratwurst

Once the brats are finished cooking, move them to a cutting board. Now it’s time to butterfly them, which is just a fancy way to say cut them almost in half. First, gently slice through the sausages length-wise being careful not to cut all the way through. You’ll want to leave some of the casing uncut to keep the two halves together. Then, open the cut bratwurst like a book. They should be able to lay flat on the cut side. The way the two halves are connected make the sausage resemble a butterfly.

Butterflying the bratwurst has two purposes. First, the sausage will fit better in the burger, and you’ll get bratwurst in every bite. Second, it gives you an opportunity to make sure the sausages are cooked all the way through. If not, don’t worry, we’re going to put them back on the grill anyways.

Finish the Bratwurst and Burger Patties

Your burgers are almost ready. First, put the butterflied bratwurst back on the grill to sear the cut side and finish cooking if necessary. Then, put a slice of cheese on each burger patty to let it melt. We used muenster cheese for our burgers, which is deliciously creamy and melts beautifully. Muenster originated in France, but today is made in France, the United States, and Germany. If you can find some other artisan German cheese, this would be a fun time to try it.

Build Your Oktoberfest Burger with Bratwurst

With all your ingredients ready, it’s time to build your burgers. So, pull those warm pretzel buns out of the oven. Then, spread some mustard on both sides. We used horseradish mustard, but some other good options include: spicy brown mustard, whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard, or yellow mustard. Next, put a cheesy burger patty on the bottom bun followed by the bratwurst. Lastly, top your burger with some sauerkraut and the top bun. Enjoy all the robust German flavors in your Oktoberfest burger with bratwurst.

Low Carb Option

If you want to enjoy this flavorful meal and keep it low carb, simply omit the buns. You could do a lettuce wrap instead like I did in my Easy Bunless Burger Recipe. The rest of the ingredients are low carb and very keto friendly. And you’ll still get to enjoy all the other tasty German inspired flavors.

Other recipes to check out: Easy Chorizo Burger with Avocado and Fiesta Ranch, Effortless Instant Pot Bratwurst, and Easy Bunless Burger Recipe.