Lager-Infused Smoked Bratwurst With Sweet Onions

If you love a good brat, you will love smoking them. The level of flavor added during the smoking process using our smoked bratwurst recipe will blow you away. Trust me; you want to try this method.

Smoking brats gives them a wonderful caramelization, browning, and flavor. But I love my experiments, so I took things one step further.

I finished the smoked brats in a vat of beer and brown sugar for even more flavor and sweetness.

It’s easy, lip-smacking, and ready in under 2 hours. Let’s get to work!

🌭Ingredients

🛒Bratwurst – Choose your favorite or try new brands! We decided to go directly to a German deli to purchase specialty bratwurst. You can use what you find at the grocery store or choose to go fancy and find a deli from which to purchase. Either will work.

🛒Sweet onion – Depending on where you live and where the store sources its onions, these might be called Vidalia onions or sweet onions at your grocery store.

🛒Beer – We used a Landshark Lager, but you can use your favorite beer; just about anything will work.

🛒Brown Sugar – Light or dark brown sugar will both work.

⏲️ Equipment and Tools

✅Smoker | If you are in the market for a smoker, we prefer the Big Green Egg or a Traeger. However, this works on any pellet smoker, offset smoker, electric smoker, or charcoal smoker. As long as you have a lid and the possibility to create an indirect heat zone, you can make this recipe on a charcoal grill, pellet grill, or a gas grill too.

✅Smoking Wood | We wanted a mild flavor for these brats so we used apple wood. Other mild options include cherry wood and maple. For an intense smoke flavor choose hickory or pecan.

✅Aluminum Pan | Any disposable aluminum pan that fits in your smoker will work. You can find these at your local grocery store or warehouse store.

✅BBQ Tongs | Good for handling all grilled foods with care. In this case, the tongs are especially handy for flipping the onions, which can easily separate into layers.

🔥 Instructions

👉Step 1: Prepare your smoker. Get it preheated to 225ºF and add your wood of choice. The low and slow cooking method will gently infuse the brats with smoke flavors and prevent the juices from running out, as it can happen when cooking over direct heat on a hot grill.

👉Step 2: Place the bratwurst on the grill grate. Cut each onion in half and add those inside the smoker as well.

👉Step 3: Smoke the brats and onions for about 60 minutes with the lid closed.

👉Step 4: After the brats have been smoking for 1 hour, combine the beer and brown sugar in your aluminum pan. Set it in the smoker.

👉Step 5: Add the onions and brats to the mixture. Continue smoking this mix until the brats reach an internal temperature of 160ºF. Use a digital thermometer so the brats are perfectly cooked.

👉Step 6: Remove everything from the liquid. Slice the onions, and serve your smoked beer brats with onions and your favorite toppings.

❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks

📌Use A Meat Thermometer | Your cooking time for smoked bratwurst should be based on internal temperature; the times can vary significantly between the different brands and sizes. Use an Instant Read Thermometer or Wireless Meat Thermometer to keep track of the cooking time.

📌Space Out The Brats | If you are cooking for a group, don’t crowd the brats on your smoker grill grate. Instead, see if you can borrow or rent an additional smoker to use so that everything can be spaced out a little bit. This allows the smoke to circulate and the food to cook more evenly.

📌Keep The Beer Braise | Save the liquid left in the aluminum pan and use it for a soup or a casserole. Such an easy way to make a hearty, flavorful meal!

🧑‍🍳 Storage and Reheating

❄️Fridge | Leftover brats should be kept in airtight containers or freezer-quality plastic bags in the refrigerator. They will keep this way for up to one week and can be easily reheated in the microwave in just a minute or so. Make sure when you reheat the brats, they get up to 165ºF.

🧊Freezer | Leftover smoked bratwurst can also be frozen if you don’t plan to eat it within one week. Just place them in an airtight container and plan to thaw and reheat them within 3 months for the best flavor and texture.

The safest way to thaw frozen brats is overnight in the fridge while also ensuring the best flavor and texture. However, it’s also possible to thaw and reheat them at the same time in an oven preheated to 350°F. Simply follow the oven reheating instructions below and allow more time for the brats to reach the optimal internal temp of 160°F (71°C).

♨️Reheating | The oven offers one of the gentlest methods to reheat the already cooked and smoked leftover bratwurst. Preheat it to 350°F (175°C) and reheat the brats in a baking dish. Optionally, add a few tablespoons of water or beer to keep the sausages moist as they reheat. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and reheat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the bratwursts are heated through. The internal temperature should reach 160°F (71°C) when checked with a food thermometer.

You can also reheat leftover brats on the stovetop over medium heat. Just like for the oven method, it’s a good idea to add a splash of broth, beer, or water to the skillet. It will create steam and the bratwurst will reheat gently while staying moist. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the bratwursts reheat for about 5-10 minutes, turning them halfway through for even heating. Ensure the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C).

Reheated bratwurst should be served right away for the best quality.

Note: Don’t microwave the frozen brats. It will be difficult to thaw the brat thoroughly without parts of it becoming rubbery using this method. You can also thaw the frozen brats in boiling water.

🌶️Additions and Substitutions

👌Try Other Sausages | Reinvent your smoked brats by changing the types of brats you purchase, or even go for another sausage you love.

👌Explore Bun Varieties | Enjoy the bratwurst with different buns. Try pretzel buns, sesame seed buns, or homemade bread for variation.

👌Use Different Types Of Onions | If you cannot find sweet onions you can use a different onion. There are lots of varieties and you can see some of our favorites in the best onions for burgers guide.

👌Experiment With New Toppings | Try different types of mustard, ketchup, relish, and other condiments to find new favorites.

Chili, pimento cheese, pickles, onions, sliced radish, coleslaw, sauerkraut, or even baked beans are other fun toppings to add to your bun.

👌Use A Different Smoking Wood | This is one of the easiest flavor changes you can bring to smoked bratwurst. We love apple and cherry wood chips or chunks for this recipe but as you can see in our free printable smoking wood chart, there are other options to explore. Let us know if you find any interesting pairings!

🍽️Serving Suggestions

👉Classic BBQ Sides. Brats go with anything! Traditionally served around campfires or straight off the grill, smoked bratwurst brings a new level of flavor and sophistication to the dish. Classic sides like chips, grilled baked beans, smoked mac and cheese, or coleslaw will always be crowd favorites.

👉Creative Sides. If you want to break with tradition, serve your bratwurst with grilled bacon-wrapped tater tot bombs. We’re not done yet! Here are some more ways to serve smoked bratwurst:

👉Salad Ingredient. Slices of juicy brats are an excellent way to add protein to a hearty salad like this smoked potato salad.

👉Bratwurst Tacos. This is a flavor-packed taco version that will knock your socks off! We love serving it with spicy Creole coleslaw, and chipotle mayo but you can definitely play with the toppings.

👉Bratwurst Skewers. Thread sliced bratwurst with fresh vegetables like onions, peppers, and tomatoes as we did for these grilled cheeseburger kebabs, and arrange them on a platter.

👉Bratwurst Scramble. Scrambled eggs with cheese and smoked brats is the kind of breakfast that will make my entire day better!

👉Pizza or Pasta Topping. Try one or both, either way you won’t be sorry. A pizza or pasta dish with a smoky flavor is the best kind there is (try it on this super easy grilled pizza).

👉Bratwurst Stews and Casseroles. I find it absolutely amazing when I can pull some frozen smoked brats from my freezer and make a heavenly soup, stew, or casserole like this grilled sausage breakfast casserole. This is the perfect soul-warming food for the cold season.

♨️More Sausage & Bratwurst Recipes

Smoked or grilled, sausages including brats get the amazing smoky flavor any BBQ fan loves.

For a large gathering, grilled beer brats or this grilled beer brat chili will ensure no one leaves your place hungry.

Or serve a quick appetizer like these honey mustard beer brat bites. You can make them ahead so they are great for picnics, tailgating, and parties.

🍲Should brats be boiled before smoking?

This is not something we recommend. If you boil them first, that means you’re smoking already cooked meat and the total time spent in the smoker will be shorter. This also means less smoke flavor.

Our recipe requires smoking the raw brats at 225ºF for an hour and then cooking them in a disposable aluminum pan with beer, brown sugar, and onions until they reach the target internal temp.

Smoking the uncooked brats will allow them to absorb more smoke flavor. They are finished in the beer and brown sugar brine to add moisture and sweetness.

❓ Recipe FAQ

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