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)

German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (4)

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.

    German Goetta Recipe - BubbaPie (7)

  • 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 are the ingredients in Glier's Goetta? ›

Glier's Goetta is a slow-cooked mixture of pork, beef, pinhead oats, herbs, and spices. The closest foods to goetta are Pennsylvanian scrappel and North Carolina livermush. Scrapple is made with cornmeal, and livermush is made with either cornmeal or rice rather than the pinhead oats used in Goetta.

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).

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 do I keep my goetta from 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.

Is goetta like scrapple? ›

A well-cooked piece of goetta is both crisp and chewy, and if cut thick, a little creamy. The cornmeal in scrapple has none of that interest. It's fine-ground and contributes only, well, a mealy texture. It doesn't get truly crisp, just forms a sort of thin crust on the outside.

Is Glier's Goetta precooked? ›

It is slow-cooked daily in our factory and perfectly prepared when browned and served.

What do Germans say when they eat? ›

Mealtime Phrases
VocabularyPronunciationTranslation
Guten Appetit!GOO-tehn AH-peh-teetEnjoy your meal!
Prost!PROHSTCheers!
Das war lecker!dahs wahr LEH-kehrThis was delicious
Das schmeckt!dahs shmehktThis tastes great!

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 long does it take to cook a goetta? ›

directions. 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. Add meat, onion, spices and cover, cooking for 1 hour more. Pour into pan/s-cool and then refrigerate.

What are the top 3 foods in Germany? ›

These are considered to be national dishes. Of all these regional and national dishes, Germany is most famous for Currywurst, sausages, pretzels and Black Forest Gateau, but as you can see, there is plenty more to German cuisine than just these.

What is the most famous meal in Germany? ›

Sauerbraten is regarded as one Germany's national dishes and there are several regional variations in Franconia, Thuringia, Rhineland, Saarland, Silesia and Swabia. This pot roast takes quite a while to prepare, but the results, often served as Sunday family dinner, are truly worth the work.

What is the most important meal in German culture? ›

Traditional German breakfast

For years, people liked to say: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

How long is uncooked goetta good for? ›

Factory-sealed goetta has a four-month shelf life in the refrigerator. Once opened, the sausage should be eaten within a week. Freshly-made goetta has a week-long shelf life too, as long as it's kept cold.

Can you cook goetta in the oven? ›

Goetta Meatloaf

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bread tin (we recommend a large tin so that the Goetta has more surface area to brown) and set aside. Mix the Goetta, eggs, bread crumbs, and Worcestershire sauce. Mixing by hand is the best way to get these ingredients fully incorporated.

Can you freeze homemade goetta? ›

Let the pans cool on the counter at least an hour, then refrigerate. The goetta is easier to slice and fry when it's had at least 12 hours to set. Slide a thin metal spatula between the pan and the goetta to loosen, then invert the loaf and wrap well in plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 year.

What is scrapple made of? ›

Scrapple is a dish made from scraps of pork meat, usually trimming, combined with cornmeal and spices. The individual ingredients are cooked separately and then put together in a loaf pan to chill. When the loaf forms, it's sliced and served.

What are the ingredients in Schublig? ›

Schüblig is a popular Swiss sausage made with pork or beef. It is usually prepared with nonfat milk, onions, and selected spices. The sausage is traditionally consumed raw and uncooked, but the local varieties are typically lightly smoked to add extra aroma.

Is goetta white pudding? ›

For the uninitiated, goetta is a Cincinnati-German peasant food of the gruetzwurst family, similar to Pennsylvanian scrapple or Scottish white pudding (though not really.)

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