Beer Brats

I’ve used this recipe a few times now, I love it. Only problem I have is a tendency to overdo the red and black pepper. I find it better to go real easy, so your onions are not so peppery, and the beer sauce is still possibly useful.

Doing this again today. Works great!

Brats came out great, will make again!

Very good.

This was super tasty! I really liked how the brats came out, super juicy and with a great snap in the casing. I made exactly as written. However, I found the texture of the onions a bit off-putting, so the ones I didn’t eat I kept reducing in a skillet with the remaining liquid, to get that carmelized texture that I love (onion Beer Candy!). And perhaps some suggested beer types would be in order. I used a Hazy IPA that I had on hand, and while it was tasty, not everyone would appreciate the hoppiness. Anone else try different beers? What has everyone tried and liked? Maybe Zach can publish an update with a list of beers reviewers have tried and loved?

This is how I typically have done my brats. Very tasty!! Glad the author didn’t use pictures of Bud Light 🙂

FOUR CANS of beer? I know it’s a traditional German way in one of my 1990 cookbooks, but they only wasted two cans. Have you tried a real grill with apple/fruitwood smoke and German Scharf mustard? Sauerkraut on the side as a vegetable? The main thing is that they must be RAW before you cook. Pre-cooked is like putting lipstick on a pig when it’s raining.

I grew up near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was stationed in Nürnberg, Germany in the military, and have traveled throughout that country during my 30+ visits to that country. Those are my qualifications for for this comment. I think that clarification needs to be made as to the origin of beer brats. While there have surely been instances of beer being used in which to cook brats in Germany, it is not customary. The American “beer brat” tradition started in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1954 when the Boston (now Atlanta) Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee. Milwaukee County Stadium started selling brats as well as hot dogs because Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (two counties north of Milwaukee) is nationally famous for its bratwurst. Due to the high concentration of German immigrants in that area (as well as much of eastern Wisconsin), brats are an everyday staple (like hot dogs and hamburgers). Since Milwaukee was the beer capital of the country, “beer brats” followed naturally. As far as the recipe and cooking instructions are concerned, I usually add about a Tbsp of German stone ground mustard (Aldi) to the simmering beer and onions before the brats are added. It is important to never boil sausage or wurst to prevent the sausage spices from losing their potency. The simmering temperature should be about 165°F. Simmering over 165° will also force fat out of the casing causing, another flavor loss. German chefs never use high heat levels for that reason. Also, as stated in other comments, serve on brat buns and NEVER, ever pierce the brats before simmering or placing on the grill! The seasonings drain with the fat. Pork sausage, from which bratwurst is made in Germany, is pretty much the same (due to Purity Laws) until the butchers and brat makers add their own recipe of seasonings. Seasoning varies from maker to maker; from small butcher shops to large manufacturers. Boiling bratwurst and adding seasoning defeats the purpose of the choosing a particular brat. Try different brands to see which you like best. This is a good recipe as written, but these small changes will add to the recipe.

I love Beer Brats. One of the things we do though is reverse the order. We grill the Brats first, then boil them in beer. This causes them to be juicier and more full. Everything else was great.

Juicy and well cooked! Made some tweaks instead though. We marinated them overnight in Pilsners instead of parboiling them and then grilled them outside for 20-25 min at 350 degrees on the grill. Goes great with Jaeger Spaetzle, sauerkraut, and dijon!

These turned out juicy and flavorful. I will make this again however, next time will use a stronger flavored beer and cut the amount of the red pepper flakes by half. We like hot but my red chilies were a bit much. I did poke holes in the brats with a fork when adding to the beer as suggested by one contributor. I did mix sauerkraut with the onions and warmed before serving.

These are great for tailgating or Sunday football games! Super easy, very flavorful and the cooked down, red-pepper onions were a hit! Didn’t change a thing and these were devoured! Thank you Zach for a new gridiron season favorite!!

I used 3 cans of Guinness. We don’t have a grill so I airfried them. They we delicious. Served them with the onions, brown mustard and sauerkraut!

These were a big hit for us. Boiling in red pepper flakes definitely increased juiciness and flavor after grilling.

I enjoyed this, however, I do not like onions, so I omitted the onions, added a can of sauerkraut (with the juices), then filled the can with water and added with 2 beers. I followed the recipe other than that change and it was good. Thanks for posting.

I only cook 5 brats, there is only 2 of us and that is the “normal “ package size, the only change I do is 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper instead of 2, but a heaping teaspoon of black pepper, everything else stays the same. If you do 10 brats double recipe and maybe 3 onions

Never ever boil brats before or after grilling it takes the flavor right out of them. Grill them slowly over medium heat using indirect heat. If you want to keep them warm steam them after grilling with the beer and onions to keep them juicy.

Easy to make and really good tasting

This was a simple recipe and it turned out great! We loved it!

This was a simple recipe and it turned out great! We loved it!

Phenomenal recipe! I like to add dill and seasoned salt, and serve it on a toasted potato roll with a dill pickle slice. Don’t underestimate the red pepper, either. It really takes the recipe over the edge.