
Currywurst with sticky-onion oven fries
- Published: 11 Oct 22
- Updated: 4 Apr 24
Recreate Berlin’s favourite street food – currywurst – at home with our easy recipe. Serve with loaded fries topped with sticky onions. Just add a cold pilsner.

We’ve got 50+ more German recipes – from sauerkraut to schnitznel – for you to try. Guten appetit!
-
Serves 4
-
Hands-on time 20 min, plus 40 min simmering time. Oven time 45 min
Ingredients
- Knob unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 large onions, halved and finely sliced
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 750g floury potatoes
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 4 bratwurst
- 200ml lager
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp mild curry powder
- 100g tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- Dash Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp caster sugar
Method
- To make the sauce, put a small pan over a medium heat. Add the curry powder, cook for 10 seconds, then pour in the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce (if using) and sugar. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce slightly, then bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Put a large lidded pan over a low-medium heat and add the butter and 1 tbsp of the oil. Once the butter has melted, add the onions with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp water. Stir to coat the onions in the oil and butter, then cover and leave to steam for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, then add the sugar and thyme leaves to the onions. Cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until deeply caramelised and sticky.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Peel and cut the potatoes into chips (roughly 1cm thick), then give them a good wash in cold running water to remove the starch. Dry well, then toss with the remaining vegetable oil and the cornflour. Arrange in a single layer on a baking tray (or 2), then put in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, put the bratwurst in a baking dish and put them in the oven. Turn the chips over, then cook them (and the sausages) for 25-30 minutes until golden and crisp.
- Once the onions have broken down into a sweet sticky tangle, increase the heat and pour in the beer. Simmer vigorously until the liquid has reduced almost completely and the onions have returned to a dark sticky mass.
- To serve, divide the chips among serving dishes and dollop the sticky onions on top. Slice the bratwurst into bite-size chunks, arrange on top or alongside, then serve with the spicy-tangy currywurst sauce
- Recipe from October 2022 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 542kcals
- Fat
- 24.2g (6.1g saturated)
- Protein
- 13.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 60g (18.3g sugars)
- Fibre
- 8.2g
- Salt
- 1.2g
delicious. tips
The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
Berlin’s popular streetfood, currywurst – sausage in a curry sauce – was supposedly invented in 1949 by Herta Heuwer after she mixed curry powder with ketchup obtained from British soldiers stationed in the city after World War II. A stein of helles or pilsner with these is a no-brainer.
Buy ingredients online
Rate & review
Rate
Reviews
Subscribe to our magazine
Food stories, skills and tested recipes, straight to your door... Enjoy 5 issues for just £5 with our special introductory offer.
Subscribe
Unleash your inner chef
Looking for inspiration? Receive the latest recipes with our newsletter