The Best Beer Brats Recipe
Bust out the grill for this one: we’ve got flavorful, juicy, hot beer brats topped with all the fixings like yellow mustard, tender and savory beer-soaked onions, and hot sauerkraut on a buttery toasted bun. But these easy beer brats are totally customizable based on your own tastes. They come together in about 30 minutes with a quick simmer in a delicious beer broth, then are followed by a few minutes on the grill to give it that flavor we all love and crave. Midwestern-style beer brats are perfect year-round for any sport and incredibly delicious in the summertime.
What Do I Need For Beer Brats
The beer brat…a hot dog's more sophisticated cousin with notes of onion and lager. The best part? They are just as easy to make (and eat!)
When cooking beer brats, you’ll need only a few ingredients that you likely have on hand:
Beer, preferably lager
Yellow onion
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Fresh cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
Bratwurst sausages
Extra-virgin olive oil
Hoagie rolls
Mustard, mayonnaise, and sauerkraut for serving
What to Serve with Beer Brats?
Whether you are enjoying them in the heat of the summer or during a big sports game, we think these char-grilled beer brats pair well with some of our favorite grilled sides like Grilled Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Romaine Salad, Elote (Mexican Street Corn). You can also keep it simple with our traditional Corn on the Cob. Of course, you can’t go wrong with favorites like Classic Coleslaw, Classic Potato Salad, or Dressed Up Baked Beans. Add a few veggies to the mix – it’s the perfect accompaniment to Hot and Sour Cabbage, Butter Lettuce Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (the mustard complements the brats so beautifully), or Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Caramelized Onions! Too many just to select one! Serve alongside a refreshing agua fresca by following our guide on How To Make Agua Fresca.
How Long to Boil Brats in Beer
If you’re wondering how to boil brats in beer, we’re here to help you out! There are two traditional methods to make beer brats: the first, simmer the beer and onion mixture with the brats before grilling, and the second – you guessed it – simmer the beer and onion mixture with the brats AFTER grilling. For our recipe for beer brats, we’re going with the first. When it comes to timing, always start with raw brats. While cooked bratwursts are usually delicious to use, you really need to start from scratch to impart the flavor from the beer. We boil for about 10 minutes with the beer and onions, then finish them for about 10 more minutes off on the grill for a gorgeous char exterior and caramelized flavor. When it comes to the best beer for brats, we like to use a lager or pilsner, something that is light yet flavorful as it allows the brat flavor to shine — but IPAs and stouts will also work well, too, if that’s all that is available.
How to Cook Beer Brats
Follow these steps by step directions below to make easy beer brats:
Prep the grill! Heat the grill up to medium heat. Pro Tip: get your olive oil and grill brush ready for later!
Boil the brats! Combine the beer, onions, onion and garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. When it’s bubbling, add in the brats. Cook for 10 minutes to develop all the flavor. Transfer to a plate.
Grill em! Once the grill is ready, brush it with olive oil. Pop on the brats for about 3 minutes, undistributed – you’ll get those perfect grill marks. Turning often, cook for about 5-8 more minutes until fully cooked. Pro Tip: this is the ideal time to toast your rolls! Additionally, if you don’t have a grill, you can sear them off in a hot cast iron skillet.
Top 'em’ and enjoy! We love putting out a full toppings bar for our family and friends to BYOB – build your own Brat! Our favorites are mustard, mayo, sauerkraut, and good ole’ Caramelized Onions! You can’t forget a side of Homemade Dill Pickles.
Tools You’ll Need For This Beer Brats Recipe
Large spoon
Sausage, Brats, Hot Dogs, and More!
Dress 'em’ up, dress 'em’ down, and no matter what you call them, they make for a delicious and easy meal. We even curated a list for you of the best Hot Dog Toppings for all your summer picnics and BBQs. Check out some of our favorite ways to enjoy:
These Brats Are Bursting With Flavor!
Enjoying beer brats is a family-friendly activity! Snap a photo of your beer brats and maybe all the beautiful folks who enjoyed them! Tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper. Happy eating!
