German sausage goulash is one of the best comfort foods. Flavoursome, delicious and a little spicy - everybody will love it. It is a quick and easy recipe that tastes great with pasta or rice.
By popular demand, this reader-favorite recipe made it into my debut cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes!
What is German Sausage Goulash
I tried to trace the origins of Würstchengulasch, but could not really find any precise information. I know it was popular when I grew up in the 90s, as it is a great dish for using up leftovers, and is relatively cheap to make.
In Germany and Austria, you can find ready-made packet mixes to buy in supermarkets. I.E Knorr Würstchengulasch and Maggi Würschengulasch are the most common brands. However, abroad they are expensive, but it is easy to just make it from scratch.
Sausage goulash in German is called "Würstchengulasch" or "Wurstgulasch". "Würstchen" is the diminuative of sausages (Wurst). Gulasch the German word for "Gulash". You pronounce it "WIRR-ST-CHEN-GOU-LASH".
Regional Wurstgulasch from East Germany
In East Germany a special variation of Wurstgulasch is common. It is known to be a dish from the time of the GDR, (German Democratic Republic) in Germany known as the DDR. The sausage used for this dish was Jagdwurst, a cooked pork sausage. Typically it was served with pasta or macaroni.
How to make Sausage Goulash
Ingredients:
There is no setlist of ingredients that make sausage goulash, as it is a dish meant to use up leftovers. Let's have a look at what I used.
Sausages
The type of sausage to use for this dish has no limits.
- Frankfurter sausages or European Wiener sausages are easy to get hold of and are delicious.
- For smoked sausages I recommend Mettwurst or Bockwurst.
- Bratwurst is also a popular choice for this dish. (This is a great recipe to use up leftover Bratwurst after a BBQ.)
- Although I talk about German sausage goulash, the sausages don't have to be German! Lots of other sausages work well in this dish, such as Chorizo (Spanish) , Kabanos (Polish) or Debrecener (Hungerian)
Vegetables
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- Bell peppers (I used half a red and half a green bell pepper)
- 150 g mushrooms (I used champignons)
- 1 can (400g) of chopped tomatoes
Spices
- Sweet paprika (gives the distinct goulash flavour)
- Spicy paprika (optional but I love it, you can also use some chayenne pepper)
- Thyme
- Rosmary
- ½ teaspoon ground carraway seeds ( for an earthy taste)
Sauce/Stock
- Vegetable stock (affiliate link)
- Whipping cream (you can also use sour cream or creme fraiche)
- Tomato paste
- Sugar (this will balance out the acid from the tomatoes)
Sausage Goulash Recipe - Step by Step
- Finely cube the bacon. Slice the sausages. Finely cube the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Roughly chop the peppers and slice the mushrooms.
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon until browned. Add in the sliced sausage, onion, and garlic and fry until the onions become translucent and begin to brown.
- Now add the peppers and mushrooms to the saucepan and fry for about 3 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste, mix and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes, stir and then add in the vegetable stock (affiliate link). Leave to boil on a medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and sugar and spices.
- Pour in the cream and boil for a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Recipe Variations
- You can replace the sausages with cooked ham if you want.
- Use different vegetables. Vegetetables that go well with this Würstchengulasch are potatoes or sweetcorn.
- Omit the vegetables - if you are looking for a quick meal but do not have the fresh vegetables on hand, either use cans or simily omit them. It makes a nice sausage pasta sauce.
- Use 2 teaspoons of basamic vinegar or 100 ml red wine to create a sweet and sour note in your sausage caserole. The bitterness then can be balanced with some sugar.
- Make it vegetarian! Simply use Quorn sausages instead of meat one.
How to serve
Simply serve this dish with pasta of your choice or simply with a slice of rye bread.
Storage Instructions
Store this easy German sausage stew in an airtight container. It will stay good up to 4 days. Simply reheat on the stove or microwave.
Würstchengoulash is also a great dish for freezing. Divide into portions, freeze in airtight containers and it should stay good for up to three months.
More Goulash Recipes
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Recipe
Easy Sausage Goulash (Würstchengulasch)
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 knife
- 1 saucepan at least 2 ltr
Ingredients
- 5 (5) Frankfurter sausages alternatively, use smoked sausages such as Mettwurst or Bockwurst. It also goes well with Debrecen, Kabanos or Bratwurst
- ½ cup (100 g) bacon 3.5 oz
- 1 (1) onion about 120 g /4 oz
- 1 (1) garlic clove
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) tomatoes paste
- 1 (1) pepper red, green or yellow. (I used half a read and half a yellow one)
- 5 oz (150 g) mushrooms I used champignons. Alternatively use canned mushrooms
- 1 can (1 can) tomatoes 400 g/ 14.1 oz/
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth
- ½ cup (1220 g) whipping cream (can be replaced with sour cream or crème fraiche)
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) oil sunflower or olive oil
Spices
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) spicy paprika optional
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) rosemary
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) thyme
- ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) ground caraway seeds you can also substitute it with cumin
To serve
- 18 oz (500 g) pasta OR
- 18 oz (500 g) rice
Instructions
- Finely cube the bacon. Slice the sausages and mushrooms. Finely cube the onion and garlic. Roughly chop the peppers.5 Frankfurter sausages, ½ cup bacon, 1 onion, 1 garlic clove, 5 oz mushrooms, 1 pepper
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the bacon on a medium heat until browned. Add in the sliced sausage, onion, mushrooms and garlic and fry until the onions become translucent and begin to brown.1 tablespoon oil
- Add the peppers and mushrooms to the saucepan and fry for about 3 minutes.
- Add in the tomato paste, mix and fry for a further 2 minutes.2 tablespoon tomatoes paste
- Pour in the tomatoes, stir and then add in the vegetable stock (affiliate link). Leave to boil on a medium to low heat for 20 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and sugar and spices.1 can tomatoes, 2 cups vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon spicy paprika, ½ teaspoon rosemary, ½ teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon ground caraway seeds
- Pour in the cream and boil for a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.½ cup whipping cream
To serve
- Serve with pasta or rice.18 oz pasta, 18 oz rice
Notes
Recipe Variations
- You can replace the sausages with cooked ham if you want.
- Use different vegetables. Vegetables that go well with this Würstchengulasch are potatoes or sweetcorn.
- Omit the vegetables - if you are looking for a quick meal but do not have the fresh vegetables on hand, either use cans or simply omit them. It makes a nice sausage pasta sauce.
- Use 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar or 100 ml red wine to create a sweet in a sour note in your sausage casserole. The bitterness can be balanced with some sugar.
- Make it vegetarian or even vegan! Simply use Quorn sausages instead of meat ones and omit the bacon.
How to serve
Simply serve this dish with pasta of your choice or simply with a slice of rye bread.Storage Instructions
Store this easy German sausage stew in an airtight container. It will stay good up to 4 days. Simply reheat on the stove or microwave. Würstchengoulash is also a great dish for freezing. Divide into portions, freeze in airtight containers and it should stay good for up to three months. Please note: nutrition information is for just the sauce, not for the pasta or rice.Nutrition
Love this authentic German recipe?
This is one of 65 traditional dishes featured in my cookbook, German Kitchen-Classic Dishes - all tested, perfected, and handpicked by readers like you!
Risa J says
Had some German sausage from the butcher and no idea what to make. So happy I found this recipe! I've made it twice now and my husband raves about it. So easy to make with ingredients I already have on hand. But I did use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock, and served over noodles. This will be a staple meal in our house from now on.
Marita Sinden says
Hi Risa, Thank you for your feedback! I am glad you got to try it! It super easy and versatile! Thank you for sharing! Best Wishes
Marita
Fanica says
Hello from America. It is my cousin's birthday and I am making your recipe at this moment. I will be making spaetzli to serve with the sausage goulash. The only change I made is to add a pinch of sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes, we are both old. Lol. I also used beef broth and cumin because I could not find the ingredients. Thank you for the recipe 😊
Marita Sinden says
Hi Fanica,
thank you so much for your feedback! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe! Happy Birthday to your cousin. Best Wishes Marita
Jeannie says
I just got some sausages and am excited to make my own goulash. Perfect dinner recipe!
Sue says
Oh this really does look like the best comfort food! Yum!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/ says
I'm a bit under the weather, and I would sooo love a hot bowl of goulash! I'll see if anyone would volunteer to cook for me. They'd only have to follow your instructions!