¼tsp Red Pepper Flakes crushed between fingers when adding
28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
15ozDiced Tomatoes
6ozBeer
30 oz Black Beans
16 oz Bratwurst beer flavored
Instructions
Grilling Brats
Set up the grill for indirect heat and add two bottles of beer to a cast iron skillet.
Bring the temperature of the grill to 350 degrees. When the beer is hot, add the brats and let them boil until cooked through (about 20 minutes)
Remove the brats and set up the grill for direct cooking. Place the brats directly on the grate and let them sear on each side for about three minutes.
Make the Chili
In a dutch oven, saute the onions and peppers over medium high heat. Add in hamburger (if you choose to use it) and saute until completely cooked. Add in garlic cloves and seasonings. Stir for one minute to combine.
Add in tomatoes and beans and stir. Add in the beer and stir. Add in sliced, cooked/grilled beer brats and stir to combine. Simmer for 30-90 minutes in a disposable pan (doubled up) on the grill. I recommend setting up the grill for indirect heat so as not to burn the chili.
Notes
Substitutions:
Add a jar of salsa. We started using this tip when we came across it in a recipe about 7+ years ago on Allrecipes.com. It adds an incredible amount of flavor and all you have to do it dump it in!
Add a can of green chiles.
Slice and seed jalapeños to boost the heat up a bit.
Add more garlic. Who doesn’t love more garlic?
Switch up the beer will change the taste of this chili quite a bit. We love an IPA but you could use a stout and you will get that richer/darker flavor.
Meal Prep Options: 1. Grill the beer brats the night before and add them to the chili when you are ready to make it. 2. Make everything on a day that you aren’t able to grill but add the brats later. 3. You can chop the veggies and divide them up in containers so you can toss everything in and go. This will make it easy to whip up the recipe just in time for game day.Freezer Friendly: This is a great recipe to freeze up, defrost and enjoy at a gathering or a busy weeknight. Portion it out and freeze in Rubbermaid containers. I don’t recommend freezing this in the cheaper, disposable containers that are flooding the market right now. You can freeze in these for maybe 1-2 weeks, but after that, the seal just isn’t strong enough and you get freezer burn which leads to you just throwing it out.Storage: Once the chili has cooled down, place in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Pan Choice: We love to use a disposable pan for this recipe but if you have a good sized dutch oven, that works great here as well.