Oma's Wurstsalat & Fleischsalat – Traditional German Meat Salads

by: Gerhild Fulson  / Oma Gerhild shares easy, authentic German recipes you can trust, rooted in family tradition and featured in her cookbooks.

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German Meat Salad comes in two types. One with mayo, Fleischsalat, shown at the back and one without, Wurstsalat, shown at the front. Both are so scrumptious and SO German!

Wurstsalat ... a traditional meat salad from southern Germany, is shown below at the front of the photo. In the north, it's Fleischsalat, shown behind it.

However, this is sometimes not the case and a southern one will have mayo and a northern one not! Try them both. Then, choose your favorite. Both are wonderfully different and delicious! 

There are so many variations for both of these. Check below for lots of ideas on making this meat salad that's traditionally just served with some German bread or buns.

As well, one of our Facebook fans, Christian, sent in the one his wife makes. The recipe is right near the bottom of the page and includes a collage so you can see the way she makes it.

Tips on making Meat Salad 

These additions work with either the Wurstsalat or the Fleischsalat. Try them individually or combine several:

• 2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 apple, diced or grated
  
• ½ pound Gouda or Edam cheese, shaved or julienned
• add a bit of sugar to taste
• add some pickle juice from the jar
• add some dill
• use leftover sausage or other meat
• add chopped chives
• a bit of chopped cucumber

 Check out the recipe that Garry Brotschul sent in. He calls it Bayerisches Fleischsalat, but I think most would call it Bavarian Wurstsalat! You check it out and let me know what you'd call it!

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Basic Ingredients for making Meat Salad

You'll need just a couple of ingredients, but chose the best brand of each that you can get. It really does make a difference in the final product. German Lyoner sausage is best. If you can't find that, then get the very best bologna you can find. Using a cheap cut will taste cheap.

Below, I've decided to make both the Wurstsalat and the Fleischsalat to provide a perfect pairing for a quick supper for hubby and I.

Ingredients for wurstsalat and fleischsalat

The process is the same for both salats. Cut into the meat into matchsticks if you're wanting to be traditional. Or else, just be creative and cut into strips or cubes. 

For my Wurstsalat (the one without mayo), I'm adding just the basics.

Mixing the wurstsalat

For the Fleischsalat, I'm omitting the onions. The reason? My hubby's not a fan of raw onions. 

If you like onions, do include them. If you're sort of so-so about onions, you can always just soak the chopped onions in some water for about 10 minutes, drain, and then add them. This will remove some of their sharpness.

Mixing the fleischsalat

These salads are ready to serve immediately. Like some other salads, letting them marinate a bit in their dressings is also a good idea. Just make sure you keep these cold in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

The Fleischsalat is on the left and the Wurstsalat is on the right. Both lecker.

Oma says:

Can't find any good German bread?

I like to make my Artisan Bread. It's so easy to make (just have to allow time for the resting and rising) ... and it almost tastes like German Brötchen. It goes so good with both of these meat salads!

What to serve With Meat Salads

Aside from the traditional bread or Brötchen, serving either of these meat salads with a side of Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) makes for a wonderful lunch or light supper.

Variations of Meat Salads

There are some traditional versions of Wurstsalat, most notably the Swabian one, Schwäbischer Wurstsalat, which includes of blood sausage.

There's also the Swiss version, Schweizer Wurstsalat, that uses a Swiss sausage called Cervelat and naturally has Swiss cheese in it, such as Appenzeller oder Emmentaler.

The Strasburg one, Straßburger Wurstsalat, also includes Swiss cheeses, such as Emmentaler oder Bergkäse, but uses the Lyoner sausage.

And there's the Elsässer Wurstsalat from the Alsacian region also uses Emmental cheese and uses the traditional Swiss Cervelat.

And then of course, there's a mixing up of these with other sausages, meats, and cheeses, proving you can add what you want to create your own version.

What's the difference Between Wurst and Fleisch?

Wurst means "sausage" and Fleisch means "meat". For the both the Wurstsalat and the Fleischsalat, the same type of meat can be used. Remember, all sausage is made from meat, so for me, the difference in names only. 

Usually a Lyoner sausage, which is a type of bologna, is used to make both. However, any type of sausage and even cooked meat can be used to make either of these salads.

For both salads, the main difference really is just in the dressings. One with mayo and the other without. 

Ready to make some Wurstsalat and Fleischsalat?

Print Recipe

1. Oma's Wurstsalat

Wurstsalat ... a traditional meat salad from southern Germany. Traditionally, it's made without mayonnaise as are most salads in the south. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time none

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Lyoner sausage or ring bologna
• 2 large pickles, German if available
• 1 large onion
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
• salt, pepper
• fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:

1. Cut Lyoner sausage into thin strips (julienned) or thin slices.
2. Dice pickles.
3. Cut onions into thin rings.
4. Put the meat, pickles, and onions into a bowl and gently mix.
5. Make a salad dressing by mixing the vinegar and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over Wurstsalat and mix. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and let sit for about ½ hour in the fridge before serving.
6. Serve with German bread, pumpernickel, or buns.

Hints:

For delicious variations, add any of the following:

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 diced apple or cucumber
  
• ½ pound Gouda or Edam cheese, shaved or julienned
• add a bit of sugar, to taste
• add some pickle juice from the jar
• add some dill or chives
• use leftover sausage or other meat

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

04.13.2023 revision update

Ready to make some Fleischsalat?

Print Recipe

2. Oma's Fleischsalat

Fleischsalat ... a traditional meat salad from northern Germany. Traditionally, it's made mayonnaise as most salads in the north. 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time none

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Lyoner sausage or ring bologna
• 2 large pickles, German if available
• about 5 tablespoons mayonnaise, German if available
• about 1 tablespoon mustard, German if available (optional)

Instructions:

1. Either dice or cut meat into thin strips (julienned)
2. Either dice or cut pickles into thin strips (julienned)
3. Mix together the mayonnaise and mustard (if using)
4. Mix everything together and let sit about ½ hour in fridge.
5. Serve with German bread, pumpernickel, or buns.

Hints:

For delicious variations, add any of the following:

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 1 diced apple or cucumber
  
• ½ pound Gouda or Edam cheese, shaved or julienned
• add a bit of sugar, to taste
• add some pickle juice from the jar
• add some dill or chives
• use leftover sausage or other meat

*  *  *  *  *

Unless otherwise noted recipe, images and content © Just like Oma | www.quick-german-recipes.com

04.13.2023 revision update

3. Christian's Rindfleisch Salat (Beef Salad)

Follow along with Christian's photos as his wife makes his favorite Beef Salad.

One of our German Facebook fans, Christian Spallek, sent in the above photos and instructions of the Rindfleisch Salat (Beef Salad) made by his wife.

He says that whenever she makes a Beef Soup (one of his favorites), she’ll buy double the meat. She’ll take half the cooked meat (about 1.5 lb) as leftovers for her delicious and easy Beef Salad, made just the way her mother makes it.

• First the cold meat gets diced into small pieces
• Add 2 diced medium red onions and several diced pickles (as much as you like)
• Take 3 hard-boiled eggs, cut into small pieces and add
• Season with Maggi, salt, and pepper
• Add white or red vinegar (depending on your taste) and some (up to 6 spoons) good sunflower oil.
• Mix it well and put in the fridge for 2 - 3 hours.
• Good with Bratkartoffeln (German fried potatoes) and a glass of fresh beer. Guten Appetit!

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Hi, I'm Oma Gerhild! As a food writer and cookbook author, I'm always looking to find ways to pass on my German heritage using local ingredients. Quick and easy. That's my goal. Wunderbar food. That's the result.