This beer brats recipe tells you everything you need to know about how to make them whether you're cooking on the stove or the grill, including how long to boil brats in beer and what to serve with them and on them—let's face it, it's all about the toppings!
My goal here is to recreate the recipe for brats cooked in beer that we had on our trip to Germany, they were delicious, whether grilled or seared to perfection—and those onions!
Everyone should be able to enjoy beer brats, grill or no grill. They can be made on the stovetop with a grill pan or cast iron skillet, or make them entirely on the grill from boiling the brats in beer to getting those perfect sear marks!
If you're looking for more ways to cook bratwurst, try Baked Sausage and Apples with Parsnips and Onions.
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Beer brats recipe ingredients
- Beer: I prefer to use a light, German-style lager when cooking brats in beer. And by light, I don't mean low-calorie, I'm talking about a "yellow" beer that you can see through. See FAQs below for more options.
- Bratwurst: There are many types of bratwurst, so choose your favorite based on the spices that you like.
- Onions: I like yellow onions for their sweetness, their flavor holds up even after boiling with the brats in beer.
- Neutral oil: We need some oil to caramelize the onions before we add the beer, use something like canola oil or sunflower oil that doesn't have any pronounced flavor.
- Kosher salt: Just a pinch of kosher salt when you're finishing the onions.
- Optional for serving: Buns, mustard, pickles, banana peppers, etc.
How to cook beer brats on the stove or on the grill
I'll show you how to cook brats in beer two ways, both of them easy and equally tasty. The descriptions for both methods are listed under each step, choose what works for you!
Step 1: Prepare the onions
Use a good chef's knife and slice the onions about ยผ inch thick.
If cooking on the stove, place a large, deep pot over medium high heat. If using the grill, place a cast iron dutch oven, or deep disposable aluminum grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and once shimmering, add the sliced onions and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized.
Step 2: Boiling the brats in beer
Add the beer to the pot or aluminum pan and bring to a simmer, add the bratwurst and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sausages are nearly fully cooked.
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Step 3: Grill or pan sear the bratwursts
Transfer the brats to the grill or if cooking on the stovetop, a pre-heated cast iron grill pan or cast iron skillet, and cook over medium heat until they are browned, about 3-5 minutes per side.
Let the beer and onions continue to simmer while the brats finish cooking to deepen the flavor.
Serve immediately topped with the simmered onions, grainy mustard and toppings of your choice, or turn the heat to low and put the grilled brats back in the beer to keep warm until ready to serve.
Expert tips
- Add water to the onions if cooking too fast: When browning the onions, if some of them are getting too dark too quick, add a bit of water to slow down the cooking and even it out.
- Don't skip caramelizing the onions first: You need to cook down the onions first for a few reasons. First, they will not be fully cooked in the time that it takes to cook the bratwurst, second, you need them to release their water so that they can absorb the beer and its flavor, and finally, the caramelization makes them taste better!
- Let the beer and onions cook a little longer after the brats: This allows the onions to sweeten further and ensures that any fat or juices that escaped the bratwurst are fully cooked and won't contaminate the onions.
How long to boil brats in beer
It's important to boil the brats most of the way in the beer before transferring to the grill or cast iron pan, for about about 10-12 minutes. The beer will cook them gently, then when you go to brown them, they won't overcook or burst.
And let's be clear, we are not talking a rolling boil here, the beer should be simmering. Remember that the internal temperature of cooked sausage should be 160 degrees F for safe consumption.
FAQ
The simple answer is flavor! The brats and the onions will take on the flavor of the beer and it's heavenly. The other reason is that boiling brats in beer is a gentle way of cooking, putting them directly on a hot grill can sometimes overcook the outside before the inside of the sausage is done.
I like to use a light German lager (one that's yellow in color, not low in calories) you could also use an amber beer if you prefer something sweeter. Don't use IPA's or other bitter beers because the beer is going to cook down and continue to get more and more bitter, and we don't want that. Don't use stouts or brown beers, they are too dark and syrupy.
If you want all the flavor without the alcohol you can absolutely use non-alcoholic beer!
What to serve with beer brats
Wondering what to serve on the side? Think bbq and cookout side dishes. These simple salad recipes are some of my faves. Try starting with dill pickle dip, and for dessert a peach crumble would be just the ticket.
What to put on beer brats
Of course we're going to serve them with those beer-braised onions, but here are some more toppings ideas.
- Sauerkraut is a classic topping choice.
- Grainy mustard is my favorite on bratwurst.
- Pickles and relish of any kind taste great.
- Try an Italian twist and serve with giardiniera.
- Serve on hot dog buns, pretzel rolls, or without a bun at all!
Brats cooked in beer are an easy recipe to make on the stove or the grill!
- You don't need an outdoor grill to make these.
- Use any kind of bratwurst you like.
- Cook them on the stove and enjoy any time of year.
- Serve with loads of fun toppings!
- Beer brats are a great recipe for game day, Oktoberfest, or Maifest.
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Recipe
Beer Brats Recipe
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Equipment
- 12" cast iron skillet optional depending on cooking method
- cast iron grill pan optional depending on cooking method
- disposable aluminum grill pan optional depending on cooking method
Ingredients
- 2 onions
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil such as sunflower or canola
- 36 ounces German beer 3 cans at 12 ounces each
- 8 bratwursts
- pinch kosher salt for the onions
Instructions
Both grilling and stovetop instructions are included in each step.
- Slice the onions about ¼ inch thick.
- If cooking on the stove, place a large, deep pot over medium high heat. If using the grill, place a cast iron dutch oven, or deep disposable aluminum grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and once shimmering, add the onions and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly caramelized.
- Add the beer to the pot or aluminum pan and bring to a simmer, add the bratwurst and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sausages are nearly fully cooked.
- Transfer the brats to the grill or if cooking on the stovetop, a pre-heated grill pan or cast iron skillet, and cook over medium heat until they are browned, about 3-5 minutes per side. (Internal temp should be 160 degrees F.) Let the beer and onions continue to simmer while the brats finish cooking to deepen the flavor.
- Serve immediately topped with the simmered onions, grainy mustard and toppings of your choice, or turn the heat to low and put the grilled brats back in the beer to keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
- Add water to the onions if cooking too fast: When browning the onions, if some of them are getting too dark too quick, add a bit of water to slow down the cooking and even it out.
- Don't skip caramelizing the onions first: You need to cook down the onions first for a few reasons. First, they will not be fully cooked in the time that it takes to cook the bratwurst, second, you need them to release their water so that they can absorb the beer and its flavor, and finally, the caramelization makes them taste better!
- Let the beer and onions cook a little longer after the brats: This allows the onions to sweeten further and ensures that any fat or juices that escaped the brats are fully cooked and won't contaminate the onions.
- Food safety: Remember that the internal temperature of cooked sausage should be 160 degrees F for safe consumption.
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