What’s the Difference Between Sausage and Bratwurst? (2024)

Meghan Splawn

Meghan Splawn

Meghan was the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.

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updated Sep 3, 2022

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What’s the Difference Between Sausage and Bratwurst? (1)

Sausages, brats, bangers, and dogs are terms that are often used when referring to any of the fresh sausage links we adore for their ability to pair well with ball games and beer. It is likely that you can distinguish a hot dog from the bunch, but do you know the difference between a sausage and a bratwurst? The difference between the two lies in its preparation, ingredients, and varieties. Here’s a detailed information about their differences.

What’s the Difference Between Sausage and Bratwurst?

Sausage is a preparation of ground meat that can be found in dried or fresh varieties and sold either in casing as links or in bulk. Bratwurst is a specific type of fresh link sausage made with pork or veal.

What Is a Sausage?

Sausage is a meat product made from minced or ground beef, pork, veal, or chicken that is mixed with fat, salt, herbs, and spices. It is also important to distinguish between dried sausage, smoked sausage, and fresh sausage here.

Dried sausage was born from a need to preserve meat trimmings before the advent of refrigeration. The word sausage is reportedly derived from the Latin salsicus,meaning seasoned of salt. Dried sausages are rarely found with a casing, since the casing helps protect the meat during the drying. Pepperoni, sopressata, salami, and Spanish chorizo are all types of dried sausage and can be sliced and eaten as is.

Smoked sausage is also made of ground meat, herbs, and spices; forced into casings; and smoked. Most varieties are sold cooked, although some specialty butchers produce lightly smoked fresh sausages as well. Kielbasa and Andouille are popular varieties of smoked sausage.

Fresh sausage is sold raw in both bulk form (think breakfast sausage) and forced into casings and sold as links. Fresh pork sausage is what you’ll find at most supermarkets. This sausage must be fully cooked — grilled, boiled, pan-fried, or baked — before enjoying. Country sausage and bratwursts are all types of fresh sausage.

What Is a Bratwurst?

Bratwurst is a specific type of fresh link sausage that originated in Germany. Typically it’s made with pork and veal, and seasoned with ginger, nutmeg, coriander, or caraway. Very traditional recipes call for both cream and eggs in their preparation. Bratwurst recipes are different in every region of Germany, and some regions of the United States. Sheboygan-style bratwursts are a popular variation out of Wisconsin. If you’re looking for a recipe to make, try sheet pan bratwursts, beets, and chard.

And What About Hot Dogs?

Technically hot dogs are a type of sausage, as they are

made from meat trimming mixed with spices

Learn How to Make Your Own: Make Homemade Sausage

What’s the Difference Between Sausage and Bratwurst? (2024)

FAQs

What’s the Difference Between Sausage and Bratwurst? ›

Sausage is a preparation of ground meat that can be found in dried or fresh varieties and sold either in casing as links or in bulk. Bratwurst is a specific type of fresh link sausage made with pork or veal.

What's the difference between bratwurst and sausage? ›

Sausage is a preparation of ground meat that can be found in dried or fresh varieties and sold either in casing as links or in bulk. Bratwurst is a specific type of fresh link sausage made with pork or veal.

Can I use bratwurst instead of Italian sausage? ›

Remember that bratwurst may have a slightly different flavor profile than Italian sausage, so adjust your use of spices and seasonings accordingly. To substitute, use a 1:1 ratio of bratwurst for Italian sausage.

What makes bratwurst taste different? ›

Notably, bratwurst often features a coarser grind and a specific blend of spices, setting it apart from other sausages like hot dogs or Italian sausages. In addition, its flavor profile, with hints of garlic, nutmeg, and other spices, gives bratwurst its signature taste.

What is the difference between a banger and a sausage? ›

A banger is a nickname that the British and Irish give to sausages. The nickname “bangers” originated during World War II, when rationing was common and meat was scarce. Bangers have two distinct characteristics – they have a much softer texture and are much less salty than their American and continental counterparts.

Is bratwurst just a hot dog? ›

Hot dogs are usually skinnier, while brats are thicker. On top of that, they both have different spices that traditionally give them each a characteristic flavor. In many cases, the meat used in hot dogs is of far lesser quality than bratwursts.

Do you grill or fry bratwurst? ›

Add brats to the pan, cover with a lid and cook over a low swimmer for 10-12 minutes. Preheat a frying pan or grill to medium to medium-high heat. Add cooked brats to frying pan or grill and cook for a few minutes a side until brown & caramelized all over. Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.

What's better, Italian sausage or brats? ›

While Italian sausage enhances pasta, pizzas, and sandwiches with its spicy taste, Bratwurst complements dishes like sauerkraut with its sweet, herbal flavor. Both sausages are versatile. Italian sausage excels in grilling and baking, and Bratwurst is well-suited for soups, stews, and grilled or baked dishes.

What is the best cut of meat for bratwurst? ›

Our recipe calls for a combo of pork shoulder and veal shoulder, each cut into 1-inch cubes. At the store, you may find both pork stew meat and veal stew meat. If you ask me, I think either would be fine for making sausages.

What are Johnsonville brats made of? ›

Ingredients: Pork, water, corn syrup, and less than 2% of the following: pork broth with natural flavorings, salt, dextrose, natural flavors, BHA, propyl gallate, citric acid.

Should you poke holes in bratwurst? ›

Avoid Poking Holes in the Casing

Poking holes in the casing of the brat will result in a release of all of the juices and flavors.

Are brats healthier than hot dogs? ›

Hot Dog — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison. Bratwursts are 5 times richer in Vitamin B1 than hot dogs. They also contain less sodium. On the other hand, hot dogs contain fewer calories, more calcium, and phosphorus.

Why are my bratwurst GREY? ›

Meat naturally oxidizes when exposed to air.

It goes from red (or pink) to brownish-gray.

What do Irish call sausage? ›

Irish Sausage is also commonly known as “English Sausage”, “British Sausage, and as “Bangers” outside of the UK; the terms are used interchangeably. The traditional recipe consists of ground pork, a rusk bread filler, eggs, seasonings and a natural pork or beef casing.

What is the closest American sausage to bangers? ›

If, after much searching, you find yourself without bangers (and without the proper equipment to make a batch yourself), then in a pinch substitute any sort of plain, fatty pork sausage. Bratwurst always seems closer to a proper banger than a mild Italian sausage in my mind.

What's the difference between kielbasa and sausage? ›

Kielbasa is a famous type of lightly pork or pork and beef smoked sausage that hails from Poland. In comparison to traditional sausage, kielbasa usually has a distinctive garlic taste along with other flavorings like smoke, cloves, pimentos and marjoram.

What is bratwurst casing made of? ›

Information. Generally, "natural" sausage casings are made from the sub mucosa of the intestines of meat animals (beef, sheep, and swine).

What makes German sausage different? ›

Leberkase. This Bavarian sausage literally means “liver cheese,” and contains neither liver nor cheese. The wurst is actually similar to meatloaf, made of corned beef, pork, onions, marjoram, and a various spices. It differs from many wursts because it is baked in a pan and develops its own crust.

Are brats and franks the same? ›

Up next, The Frankfurters…

Compared to the bratwurst, it is usually not as large nor as coarse with its texture (however bare in mind there are many different sizes available, for example, the Jumbo Frankfurter). The delicious Frankfurter is well regarded in North America.

What makes a sausage a sausage? ›

sausage, meat product made of finely chopped and seasoned meat, which may be fresh, smoked, or pickled and which is then usually stuffed into a casing. Sausages of fish or poultry are also made. The word sausage, from the Latin salsus (“salted”), refers to a food-processing method that had been used for centuries.

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