Beer Brats are a family favorite recipe! Bratwurst cooked in beer, onions and our secret ingredient that makes them super tender and flavorful. You can make these ahead of time and finish them off on the grill right before dinner. An easy, make ahead dinner recipe that’s perfect for cook outs and parties!
Our Family Secret Recipe For Beer Brats!
Beer Brats are one of those family recipes that each family cooks slightly different than everyone else. The basics are always the same: bratwurst, beer and onions. But then I have found that different families add their own little touches.
For our family the secret ingredient is butter. Why? Because butter seems to make everything taste better.
This bratwurst recipe is perfect for cook outs, parties and holidays but also just for an easy dinner night at home. Grab your favorite beer and let’s get grilling!
What Is Bratwurst?
Bratwurst is a mild German sausage typically made from pork, but it can be made from a combination of pork, veal and beef.
Bratwurst usually are made with a natural casing made from animal intestines that give the sausages a delicious snap when you bite into them.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these Beer Brats:
- Bratwurst: Raw bratwurst (not pre-cooked) is what we’re looking for here. They don’t have to be “beer” brats, regular bratwurst works just fine.
- Vidalia Onions: A Vidalia onions is a large yellow onion that’s super sweet. You can use regular yellow onions and that will work just fine, but grab Vidalia onions if you can!
- Beer: Use your favorite beer, whatever you like to drink. A summer ale like we have here is delicious, but you can use a pilsner, lager or really anything you have on hand. Darker beers like stout work great too if you really want to amp up the beer flavor in these brats!
- Hot Dog Buns: Hot dog buns seem to be the perfect size for bratwurst, but you can use any long roll that you find.
Side Dish Ideas
Gather up all your favorite sides for these delicious grilled sausages! We have so many side dish options here to share with you, so go ahead and check out our full side dish menu when you have a chance.
Here are some of our favorite sides to serve with bratwurst:
- Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
- German Potato Salad
- Classic Potato Salad
- Super Creamy Coleslaw
- Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Can Bratwurst Be Made Ahead Of Time?
Absolutely. This is a perfect make ahead dinner recipe for easy nights at home or for parties and BBQs!
Boil the bratwurst in beer, onions and butter for 1 hour and then let cool. Place the pot into the refrigerator until you’re ready to grill.
This can be done a day ahead of time if needed. Remove the pot from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to bring to room temperature and then grill the brats for just a few minutes to warm them up and crisp up the skin.
What To Use Instead Of Beer
If alcohol isn’t on the table for you, even when cooking, there are a few options. Use non-alcoholic beer or you can simmer the bratwurst in chicken broth or beef broth.
Try adding different flavors to the liquid like apple juice and bay leaves for added flavor.
Looking For More Grilling Recipes?
- Chicken on the Grill
- Grilled Salmon Recipe
- Grilled Barbecue Pork Chops
- Dan’s Famous Whiskey Flank Steak
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
- Homemade Hamburger Patties
For extra reference, see the step by step photos with instructions below the recipe card!
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Beer Brats
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeGrab your favorite beer to make these addicting, super flavorful Beer Brats! We have one secret ingredient that makes our recipe the best. Bratwurst on the grill is such an easy dinner idea, but also perfect for cook outs and parties!
Ingredients
- 2 packages uncooked bratwurst (5 to a package)
- 3 large Vidalia onions, sliced (can also use yellow onions)
- 8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick)
- 4 – 12 ounce cans beer (your favorite kind!)
- Buns for serving
Instructions
- Add the bratwurst, onions and butter to a pot. Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for one hour.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees.
- Remove the bratwurst from the pot and place onto a platter. Grill the brats for 2-3 minutes on each side and then remove from the grill.
- Using a slotted spoon, spoon out the onions from the beer and add to a bowl for serving.
- Serve on buns with the onions spooned on top.
Recipe Notes
To Make Ahead: Boil the bratwurst in beer, onions and butter for 1 hour and then let cool. Place the pot into the refrigerator until ready to grill. This can be done a day ahead of time if needed. Remove the pot from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to bring to room temperature and then grill the brats per the recipe.
Store: To store leftover bratwurst, place in a container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freeze: After the brats have cooled completely, wrap individually and then freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost and warm up in the microwave, oven or back on the grill.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top / Grill
- Cuisine: American
How To Make Beer Brats – Step By Step Photos
- Simmer: Add the bratwurst, onions and butter to a pot. Pour in the beer and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, for one hour.
- Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat, about 400 degrees. Remove the bratwurst from the pot and place onto a platter. Grill the brats for 2-3 minutes on each side and then remove from the grill.
- Serve: The bratwurst is fully cooked after simmering in the beer and onions, so this step is just to crisp up the skin for better flavor and texture. If a grill isn’t an option, you can use a grill pan or just a regular skillet.
With my father and grandfather both hailing from the bratwurst capital of the world–Sheboygan, Wisconsin–they’d both claim the recipe is backwards: You want to cook the brats on a grill for the smoky flavor and crispy casing, and THEN dunk them in a luscious brine of beer, onions and butter for a few minutes before serving.
I’ve had more than my share of both variants and theirs is definitely a solid notch above a boiled-out brat. You WANT all those hot meat juices to remain, not cook out in boiling beer. The beer and onions flavor should be topical, not boiled into the essence of the meat.
Purists (like them) would also insist on a hardroll, not a long hot-dog-like bun. And to this day, my dad refuses to use tongs when grilling brats — with a bit of water, he wets his fingers and can feel when they’re exactly right.
No disrespect for the recipe, but merely a suggestion based on real-deal Germans who loved their beer and butcher shops.
So I’m from the mid-west originally, an Illinois suburb, and this is how my family always made them. The beer, butter and onions infuse into the brats, giving them tons of flavor. Then you just crispy the skins up on the grill so you get that delicious pop. I know all families do it differently though!
You forgot sauerkraut
Would definitely be a great addition!