Name: Baked Bavarian Leberkäse with Swabian Potato Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 500 g Leberkäsbrät (raw Bavarian Leberkäse mixture); oil or butter, for greasing the pan (optional; only if you do not use an aluminum baking tray); to taste sweet or medium-hot mustard (for serving, as much as you like. Check the label)

70 minStart to table

331kcal*

16 gProtein*

1 gCarbs*

*Per serving, estimate. Serves 4.

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Baked Leberkäse is the Bavarian classic from the oven: a fine, tender meat loaf with a deep brown, crisp crust. This version uses 500 g of raw Leberkäsbrät, baked for 60 minutes at 160 °C, with a diamond pattern cut into the top.

The 60 minutes in the oven are the perfect time to make our Swabian Potato Salad with Bacon and Pickles, which is its own recipe on this site. Serve thick slices with the lukewarm salad and sweet or medium-hot mustard.

Leberkäsbrät is not always gluten-free, so check the label of the product you buy.

Two slices of baked Leberkäse with a brown crust next to potato salad with bacon and pickles on a white plate, fork and knife on a festive tablecloth

Baked Bavarian Leberkäse with Swabian Potato Salad

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine German

Servings 4 servings

Calories 331 kcal

Ingredients

500 g Leberkäsbrät (raw Bavarian Leberkäse mixture) about 1.1 lb. In a baking-ready aluminum tray, or for a small loaf pan. Check the label for gluten
oil or butter, for greasing the pan optional; only if you do not use an aluminum baking tray
to taste sweet or medium-hot mustard for serving, as much as you like. Check the label

Instructions

Preheat. Heat the oven in good time to 160 °C (320 °F) on the fan setting (circulating air).
Prepare the Leberkäsbrät. If you did not buy it in a ready-to-bake aluminum tray, lightly grease a small loaf pan and spread the Brät in, as free of air bubbles as possible.
Score the pattern. Smooth the surface with a moistened dough scraper or the back of a knife. With a sharp knife, cut a diamond pattern about 0.5 cm (¼ inch) deep into the top. This gives the typical look and stops the loaf from tearing open at random.
Bake. Bake on the middle rack at 160 °C (320 °F) for 1 hour (60 minutes), until risen and deeply browned with a crisp crust.
Cook the potato salad in parallel. As soon as the Leberkäse is in the oven, put the potatoes on (5 minutes in an Instant Pot or 20 to 25 minutes in a pot). While the potatoes cool and are sliced, cut the pickles and fry the onions and bacon for the dressing. Toss the salad with the hot broth dressing and let it stand for the last 10 minutes of the bake. Method in our Swabian Potato Salad with Bacon and Pickles.
Rest and serve. Take the Leberkäse out of the oven, let it rest briefly, cut it into finger-thick slices and serve right away with the lukewarm potato salad and mustard.

Notes

Gluten: some Leberkäsbrät products contain wheat or other binders. Read the ingredient list of the exact product and ask the butcher if it is unpacked. Check the mustard and the potato salad ingredients (bacon, pickles, broth) as well: look for wheat, rye, barley or oats in the ingredient list (the EU requires these to be highlighted) and for malt vinegar. A product marked gluten-free is the safest choice; no special brand is needed.

Portions: plan about 125 g of Leberkäse per person. If your guests are real Leberkäse fans, use 750 g to 1 kg for the same four people. For a bigger loaf, adjust the bake time to the recommendation on the packaging and check that it is cooked through in the middle; the potato salad quantity stays the same, because the salad is already generous.

Timing: the whole meal takes about 70 minutes. Start the potatoes right after the loaf goes into the oven so the salad is ready for the last 10 minutes of the bake.

Brät is a raw meat mixture, so keep it chilled until it goes into the oven and wash hands and tools after handling it.

Nutrition values are an estimate calculated from typical values for raw Leberkäsbrät, not a lab analysis. They cover the Leberkäse only, not the potato salad or mustard; check the pack for your product.

Keyword baked Leberkäse, Bavarian meatloaf, German classic, Leberkäse with potato salad

Questions about baked Leberkäse

What is Leberkäse?

Leberkäse is a Bavarian baked loaf of finely emulsified meat, often called Bavarian meatloaf in English. This recipe starts from raw Leberkäsbrät, the ready-mixed raw mixture sold in an aluminum baking tray or by the butcher, and bakes it until it has a deep brown, crisp crust.

Is Leberkäse gluten-free?

Not automatically. Some Leberkäsbrät mixes contain wheat or binders, so check the ingredient label of the exact product you buy before serving it on a gluten-free diet. The recipe itself adds no flour; the other items on the plate should be label-checked too: for the mustard and the potato salad (bacon, pickles, broth), look for wheat, rye, barley or oats in the ingredient list (the EU requires these to be highlighted) and for malt vinegar. A product marked gluten-free is the safest choice; no special brand is needed.

What do you serve with baked Leberkäse?

We served it with our Swabian Potato Salad with Bacon and Pickles and sweet or medium-hot mustard. The salad is made in parallel while the Leberkäse bakes for 60 minutes.