Authentic German Sauerbraten Recipe using a Crockpot

➤ by Oma Gerhild Fulson

Here's the Sauerbraten recipe that comes from my Mutti's own handwritten cookbook. 

Her recipes are special to me. Full of wonderful memories, especially sitting in the dining room, enjoying these delicious feasts. This beef dinner is one of those. The meat is so tender and flavorful. 

And, it's so easy to make, especially using a crockpot, aka, a slow cooker.

The slow cooker makes this tender marinated meat ever more tender. It's a traditional German dinner and still is a favorite.

However, if you wish, you can cook it on the stove top instead. Which ever way you choose, you'll be thrilled with the tenderness and the flavor.

An authentic German sauerbraten is so easy to make, but it's NOT quick ... it takes time to marinate and to cook. It just means that you need to do some planning to allow several days for the marinating to take place. 

But, it's SO good and SO worth the time.

How long should you marinate the Sauerbraten?

For most cooking, marinating normally takes from two hours to two days. However, for German Sauerbraten, that's not long enough!

The traditional marinating time is anywhere from three to five days. During this time, all you need to do is daily turn the meat once or twice in the marinade. The results are worth the time. 

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Oma Says:

Personally, I like using the slow cooker since it's something I can leave on the counter and go shopping.

You still need to go through the browning of the meat, in order to build the flavor. Then just put the vegetables and broth (or water) in the slow cooker, along with the meat.

Then, it's set it and forget it until it's dinner time.

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OR ... satisfy your Sauerbraten craving RIGHT NOW ...

Here, I'm just about to seal the Instant Pot pressure cooker and have dinner ready in only one hour. Wunderbar!

Just got a craving for Sauerbraten. It's 4 o'clock? Follow my recipe for making this in an Instant Pot pressure cooker and you'll have a complete meal on the table by supper.

It won't be identical to a marinated roast, but if you've got a sauerbraten craving and want it for dinner tonight, it'll be the pressure cooker method. WUNDERBAR!

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How to make Sauerbraten the traditional way 

The first step is to marinate the beef. To do this, I prefer to use a Ziploc bag. I place that into a bowl or, as shown here, in a super large measuring cup. Why? Just in case the bag breaks!

If you wish, you can use a ceramic or glass bowl instead. However, using the Ziploc bag makes turning the meat daily an easy task.

Put seasoned meat into the bag. Add the vinegar, wine, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves and onion slices. Add extra water to cover, if needed.

Now just put the whole thing into the fridge and turn the meat, once or twice daily. Plan on doing this for 3 to 5 days, for the best flavor.

Then, it's time to get a nice sear on the meat. This seals in the juices and builds flavor, not only for the meat, but for the gravy, as well.

Drain the meat, discarding the marinade. In a large deep saucepan, brown the meat in fat (bacon fat really is the best) on all sides. 

Add the carrots, onions, and celery and brown these a bit as well.

Now, you get to choose how you want to actually cook the meat. Either, add the liquid to the saucepan, cover, and simmer for about 3 hours.

Or, put the meat and the rest of the contents of the saucepan into the crockpot. Add the liquid. Cover and set for 7 to 8 hours on low. This is my favorite way and the one I learned from my Mutti.

Then it's time to make the gravy and serve.

What are the best sides to serve with Sauerbraten?

Traditionally, Sauerbraten is served with potato dumplings and red cabbage (as shown above. Applesauce makes a nice accompaniment as well. Don't like potato dumplings? Spätzle, those little homemade noodles or boiled potatoes make a great side dish, as well. In fact, these little noodles are very popular in southern Germany and are the usually accompaniment for Sauerbraten there.

Want something just a bit different with Sauerbraten? Try serving potato pancakes, aka Kartoffelpuffer, with this instead. A very yummy variation.

Here's how to make Mutti's Marinated Sauerbraten...

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