German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2024)

This Goetta Recipe will change the way you think about breakfast meats. Ground beef and pork are made into a loaf with authentic seasonings, sliced and then cooked on a skillet. This dish was born in Cincinnati from German Immigrants and has been a mainstay in many dishes of that area for decades. With this easy recipe, you can make this delicious dish in your own kitchen. Your family will thank you for this one!

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (1)

Contents hide

1 Traditional Cultural Dishes

2 What Is Goetta?

3 How To Make Goetta

4 Notes, Tips and Variations

Traditional Cultural Dishes

We love to make Comfort Food here at Bubba Pie. Since we started this website, I’ve searched all around the internet for inspiration to find new Comfort Food dishes. And, while a lot of the dishes that I’ve found have been “traditional southern cooking“, I’ve actually found that many of the most wholesome dishes are recipes that have been passed down not only through many generations, but from other cultures. America, after all, is made up of immigrants. So, just like we all know that Shepherd’s Pie came from England, there are tons of other, lesser known recipes that are full of tradition, culture and flavor.

For instance, there are these Korean Sweet Potatoes andShrimp Mei Fun. I had just as much fun learning how to make these recipes as I did learning about the history of them! The same is true with today’s recipe: Goetta

What Is Goetta?

A lot people will label Goetta (pronounced “Getta) as a uniquely German dish. And, that is sort of true. But the more accurate truth is that immigrants from Germany actually created this in America. Cincinnati, Ohio to be exact. My father was actually born and raised in Cincinnati, so I know there is a strong German heritage in that city. In fact, nowadays, Cincinnati even has a “goettafest” sponsored by Gliers, a regional meat company in the greater Cincinnati area.

Goetta was created by immigrants for much the same reason that Haggis and Scrapple was made by the Scottish and the Dutch. It stretches the livestock to use as much of the animal as possible to feed everyone in hard times. This is often done by pairing the the meat scraps and trimming with a grain or an oat and then cooking with spices.

It is great as a breakfast meat, taking the place of other meats such as sausage, bacon or ham.

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2)

How To Make Goetta

In researching this recipe, many of the dishes had a lot in common and most had some differences too. This looks like one of those traditional dishes that has morphed slightly from generation to generation. A lot of the differences are in the spices used to season this dish. And, while I saw a lot of variety, almost every dish had Marjoram in it.

From there, we sort of made our own version of this, although there may be some that say this isn’t “traditional Goetta”. They may be right, but this is an easy, tasty version that we will stand by!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to get started:

  • 1 ¼ cup steel cut oats
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon marjoram
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Notes, Tips and Variations

Many people have noted about how frustrating Goetta can be to make. It’s really hard to keep it together in your skillet. Some common mistakes that are made that may be causing this is that you are slicing it too thin before frying it. Make sure you don’t slice it thinner than 1/4 inch. You may want to go even thicker if you’d like.

Also, don’t use oil in this recipe. I know it’s tempting when you “fry” something in a skillet, but it will just make the meat too soggy and break apart. Just use a non-stick skillet and get it nice and hot. Put the Goetta on the non-stick pan gently and let it sit until the first side is nice and browned. Then gently flip it over for the second side.

While we used Ground Beef and Ground Pork in our recipe, I’ve seen people use Ground Chicken and Ground Turkey as well. You could even mix in some Chorizo Sausage in place of some or all of the pork to give this dish a little bit more of a kick!

I hope you enjoy this recipe Traditional German Goetta. Let me know how it turns out in the comments section!

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (3)

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Rate this Recipe

German Goetta Recipe

Course Bread

Servings 10 patties

This German Goetta Recipe will change the way you think about breakfast meats. Ground beef and pork are made into a loaf with authentic seasonings, sliced and then cooked on a skillet. This dish was born in Cincinnati from German Immigrants and has been a mainstay in many dishes of that area for decades. With this easy recipe, you can make this delicious dish in your own kitchen. Your family will thank you for this one!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 hours hrs

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup steel cut oats
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 to 4 bay leaves
  • ½ pound ground beef
  • ½ pound ground pork
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried sage
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon marjoram
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Combine the oats, beef broth, water, salt, and bay leaves in a large stock pot. Cook over medium heat until the liquid begins to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (5)

  • When all the liquid has been absorbed by the oats, add the beef, pork, onions, garlic, pepper, sage, paprika, marjoram, and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

    German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (6)

  • Cover and cook on low for one hour, stirring occasionally.

  • When all the liquid has been absorbed, remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

  • Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and press the meat mixture into the pan. Cover and chill overnight.

  • When ready to cook, remove the meat from the loaf pan and slice in ¼ inch thick slices.

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  • Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the slices of meat. Cook on one side until golden brown, around 5 minutes, then flip and cook the other side for five to seven minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal

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German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (8)

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (2024)

FAQs

What's the best way to cook goetta? ›

How Do You Cook Goetta? Place the patties in a non-stick skillet that has been preheated to a medium temperature, 350 degrees. Let it cook for about 6 minutes, allowing the first side to brown completely. Flip, and brown the other side until crisp.

What does goetta mean in German? ›

The word goetta comes from the Low German word Götte, meaning groats or coarse grains (or a food made from them).

How to make a getta? ›

directions
  1. In a large pot bring water to a boil and add oats, salt and pepper-reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 2 hours.
  2. Add meat, onion, spices and cover, cooking for 1 hour more.
  3. Pour into pan/s-cool and then refrigerate.
  4. Turn out, slice and fry until brown in a bit of butter or oil.

Do they eat goetta in Germany? ›

Goetta is a peasant food from Germany. It was not known as goetta in Germany. It's known as grutzwurst over there, or grits, grain, wurst, sausage, grain sausage,” Glier said. “It was brought over by the early immigrants, probably in the late 1800s.

How to cook goetta without it falling apart? ›

Pro Tips for Cooking Goetta

The first key to helping them keep shape is slicing them thickly (at least 1/2 inch thick). The second key is to avoid using any oil whatsoever. Oil will only make it soggier and fall apart more. Just use a dry non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

How long can you cook goetta in the oven? ›

Goetta Breakfast Balls

Mix all of the ingredients until fully incorporated, add water to help the ingredients come together. Make 1 inch balls out of the mixture and place on a foil-lined baking tray. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

What do Germans say when they eat? ›

Etiquette Rules when Dining Out in Germany

You'll find that most Germans begin the meal with a hearty Guten Appetit! Similar to Bon Appetit, it is an elegant way to phrase "Let's eat!". More informally, especially at lunch, you can expect an exclamation of "Mahlzeit!".

Is goetta like scrapple? ›

Scrapple. Technically goetta is a type of scrapple, though scrapple has become associated with Germans who settled in Pennsylvania, while goetta is associated with Germans who settled in Cincinnati. Both dishes were created as a way to use up scraps of meat, especially the offal, and are traditionally pan fried.

Why is goetta only in Cincinnati? ›

Goetta gets its origin from the German immigrants who settled in what is now the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In order to stretch their food dollar, they used the scraps from local butchers and hog slaughterhouses to make a satisfying, inexpensive dish.

How healthy is goetta? ›

1 serving of glier's original goetta (Generic) contains 180 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 22% carbs, 60% fat, and 18% protein. This is a good source of protein (14% of your Daily Value).

Can you cook goetta on the grill? ›

A thick and meaty Goetta burger is grilled over hot coals until tender and juicy! This recipe has flavor piled high! This recipe makes tailgating, game day, or any day of the week taste amazing! When it comes to food, Cincinnati is known for two things, chili (we love our chili dogs) and Goetta!

Is goetta fully cooked? ›

Traditionally, goetta was eaten for breakfast. Get a hot skillet or pan and fry a piece of goetta. It's a fully cooked product. When cooking it at home, you just want to get it golden brown and crispy on each side.

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