What Is Knackwurst? The German Classic, Made in Texas

Knackwurst — spelled knockwurst on many American menus and packages — is a short, plump, fine-ground German sausage, traditionally made from pork and beef with onion in the seasoning, smoked, and served whole with sauerkraut and mustard. The name comes from the German knacken, to crack: the sound a good one makes when the casing gives at the first bite.

Opa’s makes it the traditional way in Fredericksburg, Texas — fully cooked (cooked, not smoked) and, unlike the rest of the lineup, sold only at the Deli & Market and from the online store. This is the full guide: what it is, how it differs from bratwurst and from Texas smoked sausage, how to warm it, and where to get it.

What is knackwurst, exactly?

A German classic from the north of the country, where it has been a working-class staple for a couple of centuries. The defining traits: a fine grind, so the interior is smooth and dense rather than coarse; pork and beef together, lean beef for structure and pork for richness; onions in the seasoning, which is what gives knackwurst its rounder, more savory character than a bratwurst; a natural casing; and smoke.

Opa’s Knackwurst follows that map: lean beef and boneless pork, a fine grind, onion in the blend, a different seasoning from the coarse Texas-style links, natural pork casing, fully cooked — cooked, not smoked, so the onion and the fine grind lead. It has no heat — no pepper at all — and it is the most traditionally German thing in the case.

Knackwurst or knockwurst?

Same sausage. Knackwurst is the German spelling; knockwurst is the anglicized one that took hold in American delis and on menus in the twentieth century. If you search for one and find the other, you have found the right thing. Opa’s uses the German spelling on the label because it is the German sausage.

Knackwurst vs. bratwurst: what’s the difference?

Both are fine-ground German sausages, and that is where most people’s certainty ends. The differences: seasoning — knackwurst leans on onion and reads savory; bratwurst is gentler and more delicate, with the veal in Opa’s version giving it a lighter color and softer flavor. Meat — knackwurst is pork and beef; Opa’s Bratwurst is pork and veal.

Shape — Opa’s Knackwurst and Bratwurst are similar in shape and size. Smoke — elsewhere, bratwurst is usually sold fresh and has to be cooked, while knackwurst is traditionally smoked. Opa’s makes both fully cooked and neither one smoked, so either only needs warming. On the plate, both go with sauerkraut, a sharp mustard, and rye — or on a bun.

Knackwurst vs. Texas smoked sausage

Cousins from the same butchers, a century apart in style. The Texas smoked sausage is coarse-ground, seasoned with pepper and the meat-market blend, and built to be a link on a plate or a coin in a pot — it is the sausage the German and Czech meat markets in Texas evolved into. Knackwurst kept the fine grind and the onion-forward seasoning of its northern German origin. If the Country Blend is the smokehouse’s Texas voice, the Knackwurst is its German one, unchanged. The field guide to sausage styles maps the whole family.

How do you cook knackwurst?

Opa’s Knackwurst is fully cooked; the job is warming it through without breaking the casing. The traditional method is the gentlest: simmer, don’t boil — into hot water or a pot of sauerkraut kept below a boil until warmed through. A hard boil splits the casing and spoils the crack. A skillet over medium heat works for color; so does the indirect side of a grill. Serve it whole — with sauerkraut, a sharp German mustard, and potatoes or good rye, or on a bun.

Where do you buy knackwurst?

This is the one Opa’s sausage that is not in grocery stores. Opa’s Knackwurst is made for the Deli & Market in Fredericksburg and for the online store, which ships it nationwide, cold-packed. If you have been searching for good knockwurst near you and coming up empty — most cases don’t carry a real one — the honest answer is that it can be at your door in a few days, made by a Texas-German family business that has been in Fredericksburg since 1947.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is knackwurst made of? Traditionally pork and beef, fine-ground, seasoned with onion, in a natural casing, and smoked. Opa’s Knackwurst is lean beef and boneless pork with onion in the blend.

Is knackwurst the same as knockwurst? Yes. Knackwurst is the German spelling; knockwurst is the American one.

Is Opa’s Knackwurst fully cooked? Yes. Warm it through gently — a simmer, never a boil — and it is ready.

Is knackwurst spicy? No. It has no heat — it is savory, and the character comes from onion and the fine grind, not pepper.

Can I find Opa’s Knackwurst at the grocery store? No — it is a deli-and-online product. Order it from the online store or visit the counter in Fredericksburg.

Small Batch. Craft Made. Texas-German tradition — since 1947.

Opa’s Knackwurst is at the Deli & Market at 410 S Washington St in Fredericksburg and ships nationwide from opassmokedmeats.com. The rest of the lineup is also in the refrigerated case at leading grocery stores across Texas, the South and Southwest (store locator).

This post is part of The Sausage School — everything Opa’s teaches about choosing, warming, and serving smoked sausage.