Oven Braised Beer Brats are a great way to free up space on the grill! Brats braise in beer, onions and garlic before taking quick trip to the grill for that delicious grilled flavor and color. This recipe serves 10.
Make me choose between hot dog or brat and I’ll go for the brat every.single.time.
Mustard (hold the ketchup), extra onion and pickled jalapenos please and thank you.
With Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, I was thinking you may be planning and strategizing your party menu. Normally you might toss brats on the grill grates and cook them low and slow until the skins split and juices sputter. That’s how I like it. But this year, why not try the beer braised brat method?
Cooking the brats in your oven does free up quite a lot of space on the grill. Which is so nice. It gives me (or Pat) a chance to get the burgers, dogs, corn on the cob… whatever it may be, out of the way. After the brats have braised in beer, onions and garlic; they take a quick trip to the grill for that delicious grilled flavor and color.
Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).
In one of those disposable aluminum pans; 2 sliced yellow onions, 4 cloves minced fresh garlic and top with 2 tablespoons butter.
Add the brats. My family is cheddar brat fans so that is what I’m using here. But use what you like!
Pour four 12-ounce bottles (room temperature) over the brats and onions. Or enough beer so the brats have something to sink into.
I use tongs to nestle the brats into the liquid. As the onions cook and reduce the brats will sink further into the beer. YUM!
Tightly cover with foil and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Slide the pan into your preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Once the first 30 are up, uncover and flip, continuing to bake (uncovered) for 30 more minutes.
Ta-da! Fully cooked and in desperate need of some grill time.
Grill The Brats:
At this point I will grill the brats on the outdoor (400℉ or 200℃) grill for only a few minutes a side, just to get the skin crisped and some much needed color on them. Afterwards, you can place the grilled brats back into the beer to keep warm while serving.
Top the brats with the beer-soaked onions, mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut… whatever your heart desires.
I’m pretty firm with what I like on my brats. What you see here ^ is my norm. But sometimes I go the caramelized peppers and onion route.
Sides Served With Brats:
- baked beans – classic homestyle, sweet and spicy, spicy jalapeño or 5-ingredient barbecue beans!
- pasta salad – classic macaroni, italian bowtie pasta or greek orzo salad is a great place to start!
- grain-free salads – bacon pea salad, confetti picnic salad, broccoli crunch salad, cucumber salad or fruit salad.
- potato salad – Try classic, ranch, dill pickle or grilled potato salad!
- coleslaw – This classic one is our go-to!
- potato chips
- corn on the cob or grilled veggies
Enjoy! And if you give this Oven Braised Beer Brats recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Oven Braised Beer Brats
Ingredients
FOR THE OVEN-BRAISED BRATS:
- 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 10 brats, any kind you like
- 48 ounces beer, lager preferably
FOR SERVING:
- 10 hotdog buns, or brat/sausage rolls
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400℉ (or 200℃).
- In a disposable lasagna pan, break apart the onions and layer them in the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle the garlic over top and dot with butter.
- Place the brats on the onions, pour in the beer and nestle the brats into the liquids so half is submerged into the beer. Cover the pan tightly with heavy duty aluminum foil.
- Place on the middle rack of your preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. When time is up, flip and slip the uncovered pan back into the oven for 30 more minutes or until the brats are fully cooked.
- Preheat your grill to 400℉ (or 200℃).
- Grill the brats for 2 to 3 minutes a side or until the skin is crispy and has good color. Transfer the grilled brats back to the warm beer liquids to keep warm while serving.
- Serve with the beer-soaked onions, sauerkraut, mustard, jalapenos or anything your heart desires.
Notes
This recipe was originally posted on May 18, 2016 and has been updated with clear and concise instructions, new photography and helpful information.
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Hi Laurie, this sounds great! I wondered if you think I could this in the crock pot in the heat of the summer?
Hi Julie! Absolutely! I don’t see why not 🙂
These look great! Perfect for easy summer dinners!
Thank you Roxana!
Winning!!! I saved this for the Fouth of July weekend and the brats were so delicious! (I am sad my store was sold-out of cheddar brats, next time!)
Next weekend we’re having your chicken sausage skewers.
I made these for 4th of July 2020, and they were absolutely amazing!
Thank you, Laurie, for sharing this recipe with the world!
Oven Braised Beer Brats are a fantastic way to mix things up, freeing up grill space for other dishes. This method brings out such great flavors, much like a mollejas recipe https://argentineasado.com/how-to-prepare-mollejas/ —rich, savory, and full of depth. Perfect for any barbecue!