15 Best German Street Food You Need to Try

One of the many great things about Germany is the diversity and deliciousness of their street food! If you visit Germany, I recommend that you try the street food. It’s delicious! You can buy hot pretzels with cheese on them at almost any time of day.

Whether it’s the roasted chestnuts (yes, on an open fire) during Christmas time or the various other foods you can find throughout the year, you’re bound to find a variety of foods you’ll fall in love with!

Tasting food of all types is one of the great things to do in Leipzig. German street foods are sold from stalls or stands on the side of German streets and at markets, fairs, and other gatherings. German street foods can be either savory or sweet, hot or cold.

The most common type of street food is sausage, which comes in many varieties such as bratwurst, weisswurst, bockwurst, and so on.

Other types of German Street Foods include currywurst (a spicy sausage), döner kebab (a Turkish-style sandwich with fried meat), and frankfurters with ketchup and mustard.

Best German Street Food to Try

Here are a few of the best German foods to try…

1. Brezel (Pretzels)

Pretzels are a great German street food because they’re so easy to eat! Pretzels are delicious, and you can get them at almost any time of day. German pretzels often come with cheese on them or mustard for dipping on the side, but it’s also really common for German pretzels to just be plain.

German pretzels are delicious, and I highly recommend that you try some while you’re in Germany!

2. Currywurst

Currywurst is another German street food that you should definitely try! Currywurst is made with German sausage (usually bratwurst), ketchup, curry powder, and Worcestershire sauce.

The spices give the German sausage a nice flavor while allowing you to taste its authentic German roots. German currywurst is amazing, so be sure to try one when you’re in Germany!

Currywurst is a dish made from fried Bratwursts that are first fried before being served in pieces with a tomato sauce on top. Many curry sauces on the market come in a variety of tastes. It’s then served as a common street meal, available on a disposable cardboard plate.

Herta Heuwer, a woman from Berlin and Northern Germany, created the recipe by combining ketchup and curry powder at a modest Schnellimbiss (snack stand).

See Related: Germany Currency: Everything You Need to Know

3. Roasted chestnuts

If you love chestnuts, roasted chestnuts are the best German street food for you! You can roast them over an open fire or in an oven at home.

Roasted chestnuts are actually incredibly easy to prepare — remove the outer shell of the chestnut with a sharp knife, and you’re all good to go! Roasted German chestnuts are a great snack that you can enjoy even when it’s cold outside.

Roasted chestnuts are among the most popular German street foods, particularly during winter Christmas markets. Roasted chestnuts are a German delicacy.

4. German Cookies

Another food to try from fast-food stands is German cookies! German cookies have incredible flavors and are much better than the American version of cookies.

German cookies often have different kinds of nuts, giving them an amazing flavor that any other type of cookie can’t replicate. German cookies are delicious, and you’ll definitely want to try some the next time you visit Germany!

5. Weisswurst 

Weisswurst is another food served by street vendors that you should try in Germany! German weisswurst consists of German veal sausage links. The links are encased in a white, German, fine wheat flour (farina) casing. German weisswurst is usually served with a top Wiener (bun). Weisswurst also contains mace and salt.

Why is German Weisswurst a great German snack? German weisswurst offers a unique flavor that most other German foods don’t have. It’s typically very light and fluffy, making it the perfect breakfast or lunch choice.

If you like German sausages, you’ll love German weisswurst because it has the same German flavors with a unique twist that sets it apart from all the other German foods on this list.

6. Döner Kebab 

German food is diverse and delicious, making it one of the many reasons to visit Germany! German Döner kebabs are no exception to this rule. German Döner kebabs offer a versatile German flavor that you’re sure to fall in love with.

German Döner kebab meat is typically lamb or chicken that has been marinated with a mixture of garlic, salt, pepper, spiced, etc., before being rotisserie cooked atop a flatbread which can be tomato seasoned or multigrain pita bread, depending on individual preference.

Some regions have their particular style for this dish. For example, Germany’s variation comes with additional tomato-based condiments such as vegetables and sauces, whereas the Turkish variant will come loaded with fries, sauces, onions, and tomatoes.

See Related: Top-Rated Restaurants in Germany

7. Schnitzel mit Pommes Frites 

You may know schnitzel as more traditional German food, but schnitzel can come in more of a to-go form and as street food.

German schnitzels in street food come with either Pommes Frites (French fries or fried potatoes), German potato salad (a German dish typically consisting of boiled potatoes in a dressing), or German vegetables.

8. Hähnchenschenkel mit Kartoffelsalat

Another German street food that you should try is German Hähnchenschenkel mit Kartoffelsalat. German Hähnchenschenkel mit Kartoffelsalat is a German dish that’s typically made with German fried potatoes and German fried chicken leg, which has been boiled in a broth consisting of garlic, onion, parsley, butter, and milk.

German Hähnchenschenkel mit Kartoffelsalat offers a great flavor that any other type of German food can’t replicate.

9. Leberwurst or Leberkäse

Leberwurst is a type of German sausage and is another popular street food in Germany that you should try! German leberwurst consists of pork liver and bacon.

Most leberwursts have a coarse ground texture and is usually served with German soft buns. German leberwurst also contains salt and spices such as pepper.

Leberwurst offers a unique, porky flavor that most German foods don’t have and is typically very rich and fatty, which makes it the perfect choice for lunch or dinner.

10. Glühwein

Glühwein is a German drink that’s been around for over 1,000 years. German Glühwein can be made from any fruit or red wine. German Glühwein is typically served hot and during winter.

German Glühwein is a German staple drink you should try when visiting Germany! This is a must-have and must-try while touring around one of Germany’s legendary Christmas markets.

11. Kartoffelpuffer

A nice, simple potato pancake is the Kartoffelpuffer (Reibekuchen). The plain potato pancakes are recognized for their love of potatoes and wit. German potato pancakes are a dish that’s been around since the 18th century.

German Kartoffelpuffer is traditionally eaten with apple sauce and sour cream. German potatoes can be made from mashed or grated potatoes. Kartoffelpuffer is the perfect blend of German flavors!

See Related: Famous Mountains in Germany

12. Schaschlikspieß (Meat skewers)

Schaschlikspieß is the ultimate hidden gem of German foods! Schaschlikspieß is usually composed of vegetables, meat, and German spices.

Schaschlikspieß is great for portion control because it provides a well-rounded meal that contains all the nutrients you need. This dish can be served with rice or potatoes.

Schaschlikspieß also contains olive oil and lemon juice, which add flavor to this German street food favorite. This street food offers protein to make it more filling and vegetables for fiber content and also provides German spices to the dish.

See Related: Kartoffelklose Recipe

13. Frikadellen

Frikadellen is a German street food that can be found virtually anywhere in Germany. Frikadelle is a German specialty dish that consists of German minced grilled meat, optionally with onion or garlic, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs.

Frikadelle is usually served in German restaurants with German curry sauce and/or a spiced tomato sauce. Frikadellen are great quick snacks because they’re so versatile.

German Frikadellen can be served hot or cold, with either cheese or without, or with other vegetables to make a more filling meal perfect for lunch or dinner. Pair this with a bread roll and melted butter, and you’ll be blissful.

14. Schneeball

The Schneeball is a trendy shortbread pastry from Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Southern Germany. The conventional design is white sugar, although it may be found in a variety of tastes and designs these days.

When you bite into them for the first time, they taste crispy, owing to the sugar or sauce added throughout the meal. They are wonderful snacks to take during tours and especially during holidays.

See Related: Types of Traditional German Christmas Food

15. Flammkuchen (Alsatian pizza)

Flammkuchen is a thin-crust pizza dish from Germany. Traditionally, pizzas are round. They’re either oval or square. It packs a wallop because it fills yet remains comfy throughout the meal.

The Alsace Region is actually in France, and the Alsation Pizza could be considered French and German. The largest city in Alsace, Strasbourg, has been under German and French rule. If you visit there, you’ll notice street signs in both German and French!

It works excellently with German beer, so pair it with your local brew. This Alsace specialty may contain almost all kinds of toppings.

Watch the video below for a walkthrough and taste of some of these street foods in Germany.

Street Food In Germany | Amazing Street Foods In Germany

German street food is at the core of German culture. You’ll find it all over the country and in many other German-speaking countries, such as Austria and Switzerland.

It has been around for centuries but was particularly popular during World War II because of its low cost and high nutritional value – something people were always hungry for after rationing took effect throughout Europe.

Fast food in Germany comes in many forms: you can get fresh pretzels, wurst (sausages), potato pancakes, or bratwurst with sauerkraut; there are various types of dumplings like schupfnudeln (potato flour noodles) or goulash soup; freshly squeezed German apple juice might be to your liking too!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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• Sauerbraten Recipe

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