Whatever you do, don’t tell any of my Wisconsin neighbors about these Better than Classic Beer Brats. Wisconsin, doncha know, is credited with the innovation of the Beer Brat. Wikipedia backs it up. A Minnesotan making outrageous claims might be the final straw – and none of us needs any more stress this year! With that settled, let me tell ya all the secrets of making the BEST Beer Brats!
Better than Classic Beer Brats, draped with Caramelized Onions
It comes down to two simple changes. It’s just a technique that’s going to give you a tender, juicy brat with a beautifully browned, snappy bite, ready to be draped with beer-braised, caramelized onions. It’s all you could ever want in a brat.
About Better Than Classic Beer Brats:
First of all, we’re NOT boiling the Brats. The standard beer brat is either boiled in a mixture of beer and onions, with a little butter, then grilled. Or sometimes grilled and then boiled.
Instead, these brats gently steep in a beer and onion bath, just long enough to heat through without losing all that juicy flavor. Then they hit the grill (or pan if you have to go there) for that perfect snap and browned exterior.
It’s a small tweak, but it makes a big difference:
- Plump Brats; Juicier Inside
- Better Texture and Snap
- More flavor in Every Bite
Once you try Beer Brats made like this, it’s hard to go back. And we haven’t even gotten to the caramelized onions, yet!
Making the Better than Classic Beer Brats:
The beer and onions are brought up to a boil in a heavy pot. The brats are dropped in, a lid is added, and the heat is turned off.
The Brats steep, soaking up flavor for exactly 7 minutes. They’re almost done, hovering around 148 degrees F., and it’s time to hit the grill.
Grilling the Brats:
When the Bratwurst hits the grill is when you’ll actually see the difference in this recipe. All the juices (and the flavor) are IN the brats, and the grill draws some of those juices to the surface. That browns them beautifully (no splotches, cracking, or bursting) and sears that casing, forming that perfect smoky, snappy bite.
Take your time grilling over medium heat, gently; it will take about 6 to 8 minutes, turning as needed. The final temp for sausages, according to the USDA is 160 degrees F. If your brats contain poultry (?), cook to 165 degrees F.
Your patience will pay off. Not only are they beautifully browned, but they’re also perfectly juicy. Take a bite and give it a squeeze. You’ll see all the juices glistening and rivulets forming. That’s your flavor!
In a pinch, Brats can be sautéed or finished in a grill pan, but that’s not the real way. Up Nord here, you’ll find people grilling, even in the dead of winter, and sometimes in their shorts and tennis shoes. (Unless it’s too cold to get the grill going – if that happens, usually the propane is too cold to vaporise and will need to be warmed up.)
About the Caramelized Onions:
Now for the onions. Cut them pole to pole, about 3/8ths of an inch thick at the thickest part.
- If you want tender onions, you’ll need one good-sized onion for a package of brats. Like softball size. Or two medium.
- If you want caramelized onions, they cook down more; double them.
Toss the onions into the beer with the butter as soon as they’re sliced, before you bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the brats, turn off the heat, and steep for 7 minutes. Remove the brats, crank up the heat to a good, hard simmer.
- The onions will be tender and soft with a lot of liquid left at about 10 minutes, which is about how long it will take to grill the brats and get them back in the house. This is a great option if you want to hold the brats in the liquid for serving over time.
- If you want to let the beer keep reducing to intensify the flavor and let the onions start to caramelize (I do!), it will take another 10 minutes or so. Hold the brats, covered, for 10 minutes before tossing them on the grill to give the onions extra time. Watch onions carefully at the end – there should be some liquid still in the pot.
Add the Brats to the Onions or Not:
Those onions will carry so much of that subtle beer flavor, and when the brats come off the grill and marry with the onions, it’s like alchemy. There’s a crazy exchange. The brats are coated in the caramelized flavor of the onions, and the onions pick up the smokiness of the brats.
So toss the brats in with the onion mixture, or top your brats with the onions (or both). It’s your call.
The Buns:
Use a good bun, not a hot dog bun. Something with some heft. Brush the buns with melted butter or a little neutral oil and toast them on the grill if you wish. That’s not the real way, but the bun is less likely to disintegrate.
Without toasting by the time you get to the end, your brat will be a mess. Yes, it’s a delicious mess, but toasting really helps solve the gummy bun issue. For some, that’s part of the experience, so you do you.
Toast the buns if you want. My son did all the grilling and threw in some burgers, too. Should be enough for the three of us, lol!
Options for Cooking Better than Classic Beer Brats:
If you wish, you can make this whole recipe on the grill if your side burner is hot enough or you don’t mind cooking over the grates.
- I wouldn’t use a disposable aluminium pan to bring the beer to a boil – too hard to regulate, and the beer is too acidic.
- I wouldn’t put my pricey enamel cast-iron pot on the grill, but a very well-seasoned cast-iron pot is fine.
- Otherwise, just use a heavy non-reactive pot. The pot needs to be heavy to hold the heat while the brats steep.
Things to Avoid When Cooking Brats:
Do not poke holes in the casing. People do that so fat will release or to keep brats from splitting. I’ve never had a brat split with this gentle cooking method, and the fat is what keeps them juicy and allows the casing to get good and snappy.
Do not boil brats: it leaches out all the juiciness and flavor, which should stay in the brat.
What Kind of Beer to Use for Beer Brats?
There’s no question that for a classic flavor, you should be using a German-based beer, preferably a Pilsner, and I love Hamm’s for this recipe. See my post for Iowa Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches! You’re looking for a lighter beer that adds just a bit of sweetness w/o too much bitterness.
I’m no expert on beer, but these guys at Home Brew Talk are, and they recommend several other options with much discussion about nuances.
Common subs for beer are ginger ale, broth, or apple cider or juice, although I haven’t tried any of them. I personally think I’d use a good tart apple cider with a tablespoon of vinegar if I couldn’t use beer.
Saving Money on Better than Classic Beer Brats:
If you’re buying grocery store Bratwurst, watch for sales and know that most Brats come in packages of five. Brand-name sausage goes on sale regularly, especially during the fall, but watch for lows before the big Summer Holidays – check my post Win at the Grocers Summer Holidays.
Often, a sale from one brand of sausage will include all their link sausages, so great prices are a signal to stock up. Sausage will keep well in a deep freeze, well wrapped, for a long time, but expect it to last for just a couple of months before quality suffers in a fridge/freezer combination.
It’s some kind of weird rule that the buns are going to be in different amounts than any sausage or hot dog packages! Get a better bun for these; your store’s bakery may be a better bet for both price and quality than the bread aisle.
Shop carefully for your alcoholic beverages and be aware of seasonal and cyclic changes, as well as great prices on newly available offerings. Sign up for email alerts and know that Holidays and before big sporting events are often the best times to buy. Learn how to store and for how long in this excellent article by Eat by Date.
Better than Classic Beer Brats
Better than Classic Beer Brats
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 to 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 brats 1x
- Category: Pork Main Dish
- Cuisine: German
Ingredients
- 1 package uncooked bratwurst
- 1 to two cans beer (enough to cover brats by at least 1″)
- one to two large yellow onions, sliced pole to pole about 3/8ths in thick (see note)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 package quality buns
- a little oil or melted butter for buns (optional)
- mustard for serving
Instructions
Add the beer (start with one can but make sure there is enough to cover bratwurst by about an inch; the pan size may cause the amount to be a variable) to a non-reactive pan along with the onions and butter.
Preheat Grill to Medium.
Bring beer, onions, and butter to a boil. Drop in bratwurst and immediately add lid and turn off heat. Set timer for 7 minutes. When time is up, the Bratwurst should be about 148 degrees F. Remove and set aside to grill.
In the meantime, bring onions up to a good simmer and reduce as desired while the brats grill. Either:
- Reduce for at least 10 minutes or until onions are tender. This is a great option if holding the brats for serving.
- Or caramelize the onions by reducing longer until the onions are golden and most of the beer has evaporated, about 20 to 25 minutes. In this case, hold the brats, covered, for about 10 minutes before grilling to give the beer/onion mixture more time to reduce.
Grill bratwurst until nicely browned, about 6 to 8 minutes, to 160 degrees F. (165 degrees F if the Brats contain poultry) turning and tending as necessary. If desired, brush cut sides of buns with a little oil or butter and toast as the brats cook.
Brats may be served as is or dropped into the pan with the onions.
Serve with the onions and mustard.
Notes:
- Onions: If cooking onions until tender, one onion will probably do, but if reducing the beer and caramelizing the onions, double it
- Recipe may be increased. You will not need to increase the beer or butter in the same proportions. Just add enough beer to cover the brats by about an inch. Also, add butter to taste, increase by a little, but again, not in direct proportion.)
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I’ll be sharing Better than Classic Beer Brats Fiesta Friday #333 and the Weekend Potluck.
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