Beer Brats are a super easy recipe for a great dinner or a get together. Your family is going to love this simple three ingredient recipe.
I’m so happy to be working with Johnsonville to bring to you this amazing and easy recipe.
Growing up in Wisconsin, if you are serving brats, they really better be Beer Brats. A staple around here for tailgating, get togethers, and BBQs, they are a must.
So when Johnsonville asked me if I would share with you about Bratsgiving, a day devoted to bratwurst every August 16th, I knew there was only one way to celebrate: Beer Brats.
What is Bratsgiving
Bratsgiving is a day dedicated to celebrating bratwurst and creating memories with families and friends. This year, two midwest chefs are competing head to head: Chicago Chef Joe Flamm vs. Executive Chef of the Green Bay Packers, Heath Barbato, in a brat recipe contest. (Can you guess who I’m voting for??)
Head to Johnsonville’s website to cast your vote, and the winning chef will receive $10,000 to donate to the charity of their choice! Plus there are tons of great brat recipes and you can even send your friends and family a brat e-card!
What are Beer Brats?
Beer Brats are brats that are both grilled and cooked in beer. It creates a delicious and flavorful juicy brat that everyone raves over. Johnsonville makes the best brats, so use theirs for the best results!
Beer Brat Ingredients
While you can find complicated Beer Brat recipes out there, I kept mine extremely simple. They are delicious!
- Johnsonville Bratwursts
- Beer
- Onion
How to Make Beer Brats
There is a lot of argument over whether to boil the brats in the beer and then grill or to first grill and then let them warm in the beer and onion. After a lot of talking to Wisconsinites and research, I feel great about this method.
- Grill the bratwursts.
- Add onion, beer, and the brats to a slow cooker and keep on warm.
The brats are already fully cooked (after grilling), so they are just staying warm in the beer and onion mixture. After warming in there for 30 minutes, they have the perfect beer flavor while still being moist and tender from being grilled first.
As one of my neighbors said: It is the biggest life hack! This way you get your cooking done, and guests can serve themselves as they arrive and you enjoy your company.
What Beer to Use
Use whatever beer you like most! I like a Pilsner because they have a very mild flavor that will accommodate most people’s tastes. If you have a beer loving crowd, use a richer and darker beer.
What to Serve with Beer Brats
Some great recipes to put out with your brats are:
If you make these Beer Brats in celebration of Bratsgiving (or ever!) let me know what you think! Or drop me a comment and tell me your favorite brat recipe.
Beer Brats
Ingredients
- 10 Johnsonville Original flavor bratwursts
- 24 ounces beer (two 12 ounce cans)
- 1 large onion sliced thin
Instructions
- Preheat your grill to 350 degrees. Grill the bratwursts for 7 minutes on each side or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
- Add the onions to the base of the slow cooker. Add the grilled bratwursts. Pour the beer over them and then add 2 cups of water. (Please note that the brats just need to be covered in liquid).
- Set the slow cooker to warm and let the flavors combine for 30 minutes. Then allow your guests to eat at their leisure, pulling out a Beer Brat and topping with with some of the onions in a bun.
Lynn Dike says
Beer and onion first and grilling second or grilling first and beer and onion second…can’t go wrong.
Kim says
Add some butter to this and you will find this amazing. It adds to the flavor and moisture/tenderness of the brats.
Roseann says
What if you don’t have a grill what do you do
You could pan fry them, or I highly recommend an indoor grill (this is the one I have). It doesn’t work quite the same because you aren’t covering them, but with going in the beer after for 30 minutes they will get fully cooked.
Kathy says
My crockpot has only 2 settings low or high. How long on low setting?
I would go with 30 minutes on low, and then just keep an eye on things so that they aren’t simmering. If that starts to happen, I would turn it off for a bit.
Pete DiGangi says
Use your broiler in your oven. It works great
Earlyne says
Some of the questions some of you ask …ie, no grill!?!? Got a stove, frypan? That’ll work.
Kim says
Add some butter to this and you will find this amazing. It adds to the flavor and moisture/tenderness of the brats.
Carla Erickson says
Always do beer & onions- MIL taught me 50 yrs ago!
Love Johnsonville brats too. I’m an IL gal now in MN.. Still close to WI Bratland. 😍
Diana says
Will try this, this weekend just had grilled brats yesterday. Just love them
I hope you love it, Diana!
KYM says
Have you tried.adding peppers.of any kind? Hot, green, pepperonconi etc????
I haven’t, but that sounds delicious!
Kelly D says
This is the order i cook them, but one major difference. I put sauerkraut in the bottom of the slow cooker instead of onions and add the beer and water. Delicious that way also!
Dori says
I just love all your recipes! Thank you!
You’re welcome!