16 Oktoberfest Recipes – Traditional Bavarian or German Style Foods & Dishes
These German dishes may not be made with beer, but they pair perfectly with a nice big mug of it. Try these delicious, traditional Bavarian meals at Oktoberfest or follow the recipes to make them at home.
By The Beer Community on Sep. 09, 2017
1. German Pretzel – a traditional Oktoberfest food
This is an Oktoberfest must! Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye (a.k.a. sodium hydroxide), is the same solution that is used to make soap and clean drains.
Bavarian Pretzel Recipes:
Papa Drexler’s Bavarian Pretzels
Authentic German Pretzels
2. Weisswurst (Bavarian White Sausage)
Weisswurst is a traditional German/Bavarian sausage made from minced veal and pork back bacon. These sausages are usually flavoured with lemon, onions, ginger, and parsley.
German Weisswurst Recipes:
Weißwurst
Pan-Fried Weisswurst
3. Bratwurst – an Oktoberfest favourite
Bratwurst is a type of German sausage made from veal, beef, or most commonly pork. The name is derived from the Old High German Brätwurst, from brät-, finely chopped meat, and Wurst, sausage, although in modern German it is often associated with the verb braten, to pan fry or roast.
Bavarian Bratwurst Recipes:
Beer Glazed Brats and Sauerkraut
Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions
4. Currywurst – a curry ketchup dish
Currywurst is a popular “fast food” meal in Berlin, Germany. This dish consists of steamed, then fried port sausage, and seasoned with curry ketchup. You’ll be sure to find Currywurst at Oktoberfest!
German Currywurst Recipes:
Homemade Currywurst
Currywurst Sauce
5. Schweinshaxe – German roasted pork knuckles
Traditional, German Schweinshaxe is a roasted ham hock. The ham hock is the end of the pig’s leg. German/Bavarian Schweinshaxe is a popular Oktoberfest meal.
Schweinshaxe Recipes:
Schweinshaxe Roasted Pork Knuckle
German Port Knuckle
6. Schweinsbraten – Pork Roast
Schweinsbraten is a traditional meal in Austria and Bavaria. Schweinsbraten is typically made with pork cooked in beer, with potatoes and onions on the side.
Traditional German Schweinsbraten Recipes:
Authentic Schweinebraten (German Port Roast)
Omas Schweinsbraten
7. German Dampfnudel Mit Vanillesosse
Dampfnudel (literally steamed noodles) are German steamed rolls. They are made from a yeast dough, then cooked in a tightly closed pot with butter and water (or milk). Dampfnudel can be savory or sweet. Even the sweet varieties are often served as meals.
Oktoberfest Dampfnudel Mit Vanillesosse Recipes:
Dampfnudel Mit Vanillesosse (German Steamed Dumplings with Vanilla Sauce)
Dampfnudeln mit Vanillesoße
8. Wiener Schnitzel – Oktoberfest Dish
Wiener schnitzel, sometimes spelled Wienerschnitzel, is a type of schnitzel made of a thin, breaded, pan-fried veal cutlet. It is one of the best known specialities of Germany and one of the national dishes of Austria.
German Wiener Schnitzel Recipes:
Vienna Wiener Schnitzel
Traditional German Schnitzel
9. Chicken Schnitzel
Chicken Schnitzel is a popular and tasty meal served throughout Austria.
Chicken Schnitzel Recipes:
Chicken Schnitzel
Baked Chicken Schnitzel
10. Sauerkraut – it wouldn’t be German without fermented cabbage!
Sauerkraut is finely cut cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid that forms when the bacteria ferment the sugars in the cabbage.
Traditional Sauerkraut Recipes:
Homemade German Sauerkraut
Simple Sauerkraut
11. German Spatzle Dumplings
Spätzle are a kind of soft egg noodle found in the cuisines of southern Germany and Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Alsace, Moselle and South Tyrol.
Spatzle Recipes:
German Spaetzle Dumplings
Granny’s German Spaetzle
12. Hendl – Oktoberfest roasted chicken
Hendl is a roasted chicken, also called Brathähnchen or Broiler in the eastern part of Germany. Many beer gardens offer Hendl.
German Hendl Recipes:
Paprika Hendl
Oktoberfest Brathendl
13. Knödel (Savory or Sweet German Dumplings)
Knödel, or Klöße are boiled dumplings commonly found in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
German Knödel Recipes:
German Homemade Dumpling
Knödel
14. Lebkuchnherzen – German Gingerbread Cookies
Lebkuchen as we know it today was first invented during the 13th century by monks residing in Franconia, Germany.
Recipes for Lebkuchnherzen:
German Gingerbread Hearts
Lebkuchen herzen
15. Bavarian Steckerlfisch
Steckerlfisch is a fish grilled on a stick in the traditional way of a fisherman or camper in Austria and Bavaria. The dish is commonly served in beer garden and on folk festivals and has nothing to do with the dried Stockfish.
Traditional Steckerlfisch Recipes:
Grilled Fish on a Stick
Bavarian Steckerlfisch
16. Flammkuchen – German Pizza
When most people think pizza, they think Italy, but Flammkuchen, a crispy and smoky German pizza, is definitely worth your time!
Oktoberfest Flammkuchen Recipes:
German Flatbread
Elsässer Flammkuchen
Now that you know a bit more about traditional German foods, check out these other fun Oktoberfest articles:
What’s Oktoberfest?
List of Oktoberfests Around The World
How to Pick Lederhosen for Oktoberfest
How to Pick the Perfect Dirndl for Oktoberfest