This Oktoberfest Stew recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy the fall season and celebrate Oktoberfest. It is a hardy, delicious, filling dinner recipe that is perfect for the whole family. Oh and it’s easy too. Save this recipe now so you can make it later!
Kevin and I have always talked about going to Oktoberfest in Germany. It started last week on Sept. 16 and the idea came up again. He’s part German and he loves specialty beer. In fact, when we moved to Grand Rapids one of the things he loved was all the breweries here. The city is known for it.
Kevin has even talked about joining the Grand Rapids brewery bandwagon and trying to brew here on the farm. We bought him some equipment, and built a space for it. However, once his job is done for the day, and then taking care of the farm, he doesn’t have much energy left for hobbies. So, instead we visit the breweries in and around the city and wait until the day we can go to Oktoberfest in Germany. Until that day, we will settle for celebrating it at home with my Oktoberfest Stew recipe and a good German beer.
What is Oktoberfest?
Oktoberfest originally began as a celebration of the marriage of the crown prince of Bavaria – who later become King Louis I, to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. They were wed Oct. 12 in 1810. The first celebration concluded five days after their wedding with a horserace called called Theresienwiese (Theresa’s green). On their first anniversary, the celebration was combined with a state agricultural fair and vendor booths started selling food and drink.
By the late 1900s, the festival had become so large that giant beer halls were constructed in the place of those original small booths. These are temporary structures made from plywood and each of the Munich brewers makes one that includes balconies and bandstands. They are able to seat about 6,000 people and the Mayor of Munich kicks off the festival by tapping the first keg.
There are parades with beer kegs, floats, games, amusement rides and people in folk costumes. About 2 million gallons of beer is consumed and 6 million people attend the celebration. Even though I’m not a beer drinker at all, it sounds like a delightful celebration. I’ll be found near the sausages booth.
What kinds of foods are served?
German food is celebrated all throughout Oktoberfest. It focuses heavily on bread, potatoes and meat, more specifically pork. Greens include cabbage, spinach and kale. Beans, carrots, turnips and peas are also common. You can find a few of these elements featured in my Oktoberfest Stew recipe.
Ingredients in my Oktoberfest Stew recipe
Aside from sausages, stews are a popular meal in Germany. To celebrate Oktoberfest, and because we are now in the middle of the autumn season here, I decided to make our celebration in stew form. Kevin is also a big fan of stews. He prefers them over soup (and will usually take most of the ingredients in the soup but barely any broth) and love a slow cooked stew with beer.
While I don’t consider this stew slow cooked because you can make it in less than an hour, it does come together to be a hardy, delicious meal that feels like it took all day to make.
My Oktoberfest Stew recipe includes a smoked pork sausage, cabbage, onion, carrots, potatoes, thyme, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, chicken broth and a German Oktoberfest beer. You can use a stout (this is what Kevin recommends) but a lighter beer is fine too. As for the smoked sausage, bratwursts will be the easiest thing to find in the United States. The Butcher might have the best options. You can use Kielbasa too, but don’t tell the Germans because that’s a Polish sausage. 🙂 I do wish I had some kale to add to this but we were out. If you’re a kale lover, be sure to throw that in at the end too.
Making the Oktoberfest Stew recipe
The first step in making this stew will be to brown the sausage. Whether you are using a smoked sausage or a bratwurst that needs to be cooked, you want to start by caramelizing it in the pan. Then remove it so it doesn’t overcook while making the rest of the Oktoberfest Stew recipe.
Then the onions, carrots and garlic all get added so they can begin to soften and caramelize as well. It all cooks down together for about 5 minutes. The caraway seeds and mustard seeds are added and then the cabbage gets added too. Once the cabbage begins to cook down and wilt, add the beer and let everything cook another five minutes or so as you continuously stir. The chicken broth and potatoes are all added to the mix before the stew gets brought to a boil over medium heat. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Next the beans and thyme to simmer for another 10-15 minutes. If your sausage needs to be fully cooked, add it in now too. If the sausage was smoked add it in with about 10 minutes left before turning off the heat. Make sure that the non-cooked sausage is cooked through before serving.
Finally, I will add 1/8 cup of four to thicken the stew. Gently whisk it in until it dissolves and you notice the broth become thicker. If you want to add kale, add after you turn off the heat and just before you serve it. Stir it in and leave it. It will wilt and reduce.
Tips for making the Oktoberfest Stew recipe
- Pay close attention to which kind of sausage you are using. If it is smoked you don’t want it to overcook. If it was raw you don’t want it to not be cooked.
- I say to let the Oktoberfest Stew simmer for 10-15 minutes. However, if you have extra time, you can give it a 30 minute simmer time.
- Try to find an Oktoberfest beer to use. If you can’t find an Oktoberfest beer specifically, go with a German Stout.
- Use sea salt and fresh cracked pepper when seasoning. I’ll give you a recommendation in the recipe but then always season to taste.
- Be sure to use fresh thyme where it is called for. You will really be able to taste it in the stew and it is a typical herb used in German cooking.
- To save the Oktoberfest stew, store it in the refrigerator in an air tight container. It will keep for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this.
- To reheat it, put it in the Dutch oven and simmer for about 15 minutes. Or use the microwave. If it is frozen, defrost it in the microwave or let it thaw in the refrigerator one day prior to use.
- I make the Oktoberfest stew recipe in a large Dutch Oven. I use one similar to this one {HERE}. It is an investment piece but cookware like this will last you years and years. I use mine 2-3 times per week.
Looking for more fall recipes? Or bread for the stew?
If you are looking for more fall recipes or some homemade bread to go with the Oktoberfest Stew recipe, try these:
- Sausage and Fennel Pasta {HERE}
- Braised Apple Cider Turkey Breast {HERE}
- Roasted Poblano and Corn Chowder {HERE}
- Maple & Plum Skillet Pork Chops {HERE}
- Honey Butter Peach Chicken {HERE}
- Parmesan Cabbage Steaks {HERE}
- Homemade Soft Pretzels {HERE}
- Irish Soda Bread {HERE}
- No Knead Dutch Oven Bread {HERE}
Thank you so much for visiting today, friends! I hope you love my my Oktoberfest Stew recipe. You can find a full, printable recipe below with all the ingredients and steps. You can also find me on instagram @sugarmaplefarmhouse and @sugarmaplekitchen. Our YouTube channel is @sugarmaplefarmhouse. Happy eating!
Oktoberfest Stew recipe
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 1/5 lbs German or smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups diced white onion
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots
- 5 cups cabbage
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 11 oz Oktoberfest beer or German Stout beer
- 32 oz chicken broth
- 1 lb Baby Dutch potatoes, sliced in half or quarters
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 16 oz. cannellini beans 1 can
- 1/8 cup flour to thicken
Instructions
- Add 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil to the pot over medium heat and let it heat through, then add the sausage and let it begin to brown and caramelize. About 3-5 minutes. Then remove it from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the next 2 tablspoons of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and then add the onions and carrots. Let them all begin to caramelize for about 5 minutes. then add the garlic, caraway seeds and mustard seeds. Cook another 3 minutes or so.
- Add the cabbage and mix it in well so it begins to wilt. Once you notice it wilting add in the beer and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Now add in the chicken broth and the potatoes. With heat on a medium flame bring it to a boil. Then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes.
- When time is up, add the beans and thyme. Let simmer for another 10-15 minutes. If the sausage needs to finish cooking, add it now too. If the sausage was smoked add it in with about 10-5 minutes left before turning off the heat. Make sure that the non-cooked sausage is cooked through before serving.
- Add 1/8 cup of four to thicken the stew. Gently whisk it in until it dissolves and you notice the broth become thicker. Serve with additional fresh cracked pepper and sea salt to taste and more fresh thyme.
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