It's not summer or tailgate season without beer brats. If you like the flavor of caramelized onions, then you'll love this easy 4-ingredient grilled brat recipe.

Beer brats with relish, onions, and ketchup on buns.

Beer brats are a time-honored Midwestern tradition, and no summer barbecue or tailgate party would be complete without them. It's one of the many things Wisconsinites do best!

Stock up on plenty of beer for the gathering, then tuck some away to infuse loads of flavor into these crowd-pleasing brats.

Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Wisconsin Beer Brats Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for beer brats.

Ingredient notes

  • Bratwurst: Always start with raw than pre-cooked sausages. There is nothing wrong with a pack of Johnsonville brats! If you aren't a Wisconsin local but want to pretend you are, you can shop online with Glenn's Market or Usinger's.
  • Beer: Pilsners and lagers are traditional, but IPAs, porters, and stouts all work wonderfully. If you cannot bear to pour that much beer into a pot for cooking bratwurst, substitute half the beer for water.
  • Sauerkraut: If you have the time, you can make your own sauerkraut in 5 days with just cabbage, salt, and juniper berries.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. Preheat grill over medium-high heat. Clean and oil grate. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add brats, onion, and beer.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until brats are cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Brats boiling in beer and onions in a metal pot.
  1. Remove brats to a bowl or platter. Continue cooking onions in beer while grilling the brats (use as a topping if desired). Increase heat to medium and cook brats, turning frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Serve in buns with your favorite toppings.
Grilled beer brats resting on a baking tray.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Wisconsin Beer Brat recipe makes 10 brats. Feel free to halve the recipe if you're serving a smaller crew.
  • Storage: Refrigerate any extra brats in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  • Make ahead: Beer brats are best straight off the grill, but for gatherings with staggered mealtimes, I recommend preparing Wisconsin Beer Brats in a slow cooker so you can keep them warm until you're ready to serve. You'll want to flip-flop the method: Place them in the slow cooker with the onion and beer. Cook for 4 hours on HIGH, or 7 to 8 hours on LOW. Then grill as needed.
  • Go grill-free: If you don't own a grill or want to enjoy these beer brats inside, simply use a stovetop grill pan or sauté in a skillet instead.
  • More toppings: To allow everyone to BYOB (build your own brat), consider a topping bar with sauerkraut, onions, relish, pickles, ketchup, and a couple different mild and spicy mustards.
A plate at a tailgate with a beer brat, vegetables, caramel corn, chips and baked beans.

Favorite summer side dishes

Appetizer Recipes

Cowboy Caviar

Wisconsin Beer Brats

It's not summer or tailgate season without beer brats. If you like the flavor of caramelized onions, then you'll love this easy 4-ingredient grilled brat recipe.

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 10 servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Calories 423

  • 10 bratwurst (raw, see note 1)
  • 1 large onion thinly sliced
  • 4 (12 ounce) cans beer (see note 2)
  • 10 brat buns split, for serving
  • Ketchup and mustard, for serving
  • sauerkraut for serving (see note 3)

  • Preheat grill over medium-high heat. Clean and oil grate. In a large pot over medium-high heat, add brats, onion, and beer.

  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until brats are cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove brats to a bowl or platter. Continue cooking onions in beer while grilling the brats (use as a topping if desired).

  • Increase heat to medium and cook brats, turning frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Serve in buns with your favorite toppings.

  1. Bratwurst: Always start with raw than pre-cooked sausages. There is nothing wrong with a pack of Johnsonville brats! If you aren't a Wisconsin local but want to pretend you are, you can shop online with Glenn's Market or Usinger's.
  2. Beer: Pilsners and lagers are traditional, but IPAs, porters, and stouts all work wonderfully. If you cannot bear to pour that much beer into a pot for cooking bratwurst, substitute half the beer for water.
  3. Sauerkraut: If you have the time, you can make your own sauerkraut in 5 days with just cabbage, salt, and juniper berries.
  4. Yield: This Wisconsin Beer Brat recipe makes 10 brats. Feel free to halve the recipe if you're serving a smaller crew.
  5. Storage: Refrigerate any extra brats in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: Beer brats are best straight off the grill, but for gatherings with staggered mealtimes, I recommend preparing Wisconsin Beer Brats in a slow cooker so you can keep them warm until you're ready to serve. You'll want to flip-flop the method: Place them in the slow cooker with the onion and beer. Cook for 4 hours on HIGH, or 7 to 8 hours on LOW. Then grill as needed.
  7. Go grill-free: If you don't own a grill or want to enjoy these beer brats inside, simply use a stovetop grill pan or sauté in a skillet instead.
  8. More toppings: To allow everyone to BYOB (build your own brat), consider a topping bar with sauerkraut, onions, relish, pickles, ketchup, and a couple different mild and spicy mustards.

Serving: 1 brat on a bun Calories: 423 kcal Carbohydrates: 39 g Protein: 16 g Fat: 22 g Saturated Fat: 7 g Cholesterol: 49 mg Sodium: 914 mg Potassium: 342 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 5 g Vitamin A: 5 IU Vitamin C: 2 mg Calcium: 145 mg Iron: 3 mg

I'm the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for you.

You May Also Like

Grilling and Smoker Recipes

Smoked Salmon

Chicken and Turkey Recipes

Monterey Chicken

Fish and Seafood Recipes

Grilled Swordfish