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Beer Braised Grilled Brats are simple to make, with just a few ingredients, and loads of flavor. This one-pot meal starts on the stove and finishes on the grill, to give the brats beautiful color and char marks.
I always have Johnsonville Italian sausage on hand. The spicy variety is my favorite, but the sweet sausage is really delicious as well. The links are individual portions and they’re great for a meal in a pinch.
Sausage Spinach Artichoke Stuffed Shells are fabulous for entertaining. For a fun twist, I love my Farro Sausage Stuffed Peppers. And when I can’t decide what I’m craving, I make Italian Sausage Bell Pepper Pasta.
I never really think about cooking brats, but I had really delicious ones at a friend’s party so the challenge was on. So I passed over the Italian sausage, bought a package of brats, and created Beer Braised Grilled Brats
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- The onion, pepper, and beer add so much delicious flavor
- You can prep the vegetables ahead, and finishing the brats is so easy
- You can prepare the entire dish on the grill
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR BEER BRAISED GRILLED BRATS
I use traditional, plain brats. But there are lots of different flavors out there, so use your favorite.
Finishing the brats on the grill adds the beautiful char marks and a nice smoky flavor. Plus the brats cook through more quickly than just in the skillet.
Cut the onions and peppers all about the same size, so they cook evenly. I cook the onions first, slowly for about 10 minutes. And then I add the peppers for another 10 minutes.
Use a beer you like to drink! The brats and vegetables soak up that beer, so if you use a beer you don’t like, you’ll end up with a dish you don’t want to eat.
A couple of years ago I discovered Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, and I absolutely love it so that’s what I use. It’s a lighter beer, with a touch of lemon, and so refreshing.
Spicy Mustard adds a really nice kick of additional flavor to the Beer Braised Grilled Brats.
You can use regular hot dog buns, but I recently discovered brat buns. They’re a little larger and sturdier than regular buns.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat grill to 350°.
Melt the butter in a cast-iron skillet. Add onions and a pinch of salt, and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add 12oz of beer and cook for 3 minutes.
Place brats on top of onion/pepper mixture and cook for 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the skillet to the grill. Place the brats directly on the grill grates. Close the cover and cook for 5 minutes per side. Only open the grill cover to turn the brats, so the temperature doesn’t drop too much.
Transfer brats back to skillet.
The skillet handle will be EXTREMELY hot. Make sure to use oven mitts to transfer the skillet to the table.
FINISHING & SERVING BEER BRAISED GRILLED BRATS
Place brats and peppers/onions inside of brat buns. If desired, top with spicy mustard.
If you want to keep this dish low carb skip the buns and enjoy the Beer Braised Grilled Brats on their own.
MAKE-AHEAD OPTIONS AND LEFTOVERS
Make-Ahead
- Cook the onions and peppers up to one day ahead, and store in an airtight container in the fridge
- Return the vegetables to the skillet, add the beer and raw brats up to two hours ahead, and rest them in the fridge. The brats will absorb much more of the beer flavor
- Finish the brats up to 30 minutes ahead. Cover the skillet with foil and rest in a 200° oven until ready to serve
Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Don’t discard the broth! It helps to prevent the brats or veggies from getting dry while you reheat
Reheating
- I like to cut the brats into 1/2” pieces so they heat faster
- Heat in a microwave-safe container for 3 minutes at about 80% power
- Handy some crusty bread handy, so you can soak up the fabulous broth
MORE DELICIOUS GRILLING RECIPES
- Grilled Romaine Cobb Salad
- Grilled Vegetable Fajitas
- Citrus Marinated Grilled Chicken Sandwich
- Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs
- Grilled Honey Bourbon Chicken Wings
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Beer Braised Grilled Brats
Beer Braised Grilled Brats are simple to make, with just a few ingredients, and loads of flavor. This one-pot meal starts on the stove and finishes on the grill, to give the brats beautiful color and char marks.
Ingredients
- 4 brats (I like to use plain brats)
- 4 brat or hot dog buns
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 1/3 cup red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1/3 cup green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
- 12oz of your favorite beer (I use Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy or any other lighter beer)
- Spicy mustard, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat grill to 350°
- In a large cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Add bell peppers and cook for another 10 minutes
- Pour in beer, salt, and pepper and cook for 3 minutes
- Add brats on top of onion/pepper mixture and cook for 5 minutes per side
- Transfer the skillet to the grill, and put it over indirect heat. Place the brats directly on the grill grates, over direct heat.
- Close the grill cover and cook for 5 minutes per side. Only open the cover to turn the brats, so the temperature doesn't drop too much.
- Transfer the brats back to the skillet.
- TO SERVE: place brats and pepper/onion inside of brat buns. Top with spicy mustard
Notes
IMPORTANT: The skillet handle will be EXTREMELY hot when it comes off the grill. Make sure to use oven mitts to transfer the skillet to the table.
Keep Beer Braised Grilled Brats low carb! Skip the buns and serve the brats and veggies on their own.
Use a beer you like to drink! The brats and vegetables soak up that beer, so if you use a beer you don’t like, you’ll end up with a dish you don’t want to eat.
I use Leinenkugel's Summer Shandy because I love the light taste and refreshing flavor.
MAKE-AHEAD OPTIONS AND LEFTOVERS
MAKE-AHEAD
- Cook the onions and peppers up to one day ahead, and store in an airtight container in the fridge
- Return the vegetables to the skillet, add the beer and raw brats up to two hours ahead, and rest them in the fridge. The brats will absorb much more of the beer flavor
- Finish the brats up to 30 minutes ahead. Cover the skillet with foil and rest in a 200° oven until ready to serve
LEFTOVERS
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
- Don’t discard the broth! It helps to prevent the brats or veggies from getting dry while you reheat
REHEATING
- I like to cut the brats into 1/2” pieces so they heat faster
- Heat in a microwave-safe container for 3 minutes at about 80% power
- Handy some crusty bread handy, so you can soak up the fabulous broth
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 682Total Fat: 53gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 2073mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 26g
Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc
Kari Alana
Sunday 19th of July 2020
Maryland, hands down, you had me with the beer! Love brats and love these hot dogs
Karyl
Saturday 8th of August 2020
Oh thank you so much for the kind comments Kari! So glad you loved them