Simmered in beer with onions that become sweet and caramelized, this bratwurst recipe is a familiar German meal with a Wisconsin twist for the best reason to cheer at tailgates or clink cheers for Oktoberfest.
Hello, my name is Heidi. A classic German name, right? I even fit the demographic, with blue eyes and blonde hair—thanks more to my colorist than my genes as I’ve gotten older. But I can still claim it, right? Please say yes. Please.
Growing up, dishes from my youth like Weinerschnitzel and rouladen and often displaced the classic American favorites like pot roast and roast chicken or Liverwurst and pickles instead of peanut butter and jelly. German food is in my DNA.
So when fall festivities like football tailgates and Oktoberfest roll around, I’m happy to belly up to classic the cornerstone of nearly every German-American picnic or Superbowl game day: classic German bratwurst sausages with onions with a Wisconsin spin.
Our friend Tim hails from Wisconsin, a state with a bevy of German descendants. Who like beer. And football. And sausage. Years ago, Tim cooked his famous bratwurst for a Superbowl party at our house. Stewed in beer with sliced onions and then loaded onto soft rolls with my favorite grainy mustard, this style of bratwurst sandwich quickly became my favorite.
Bratwurst vs Sausage
Germans love their sausages, and bratwurst is just one of the many in the list.
So what’s the difference between a regular sausage and bratwurst? Sausage can be made from dried sausage, smoked sausage, and fresh sausage with many countries having their own version. Bratwurst are fresh rather than smoked or dried.
What’s in a bratwurst? Bratwurst is a fresh sausage of pork and veal, flavored with seasonings like caraway, coriander, and or nutmeg. Different regions of Germany have different flavorings with other popular sausages like garlicky knackwurst being one of my dad’s favorites.
Sheboygan-style bratwursts are a popular version of sausage with plenty of onion that hails from Wisconsin, and is one of my favorite ways to make my brats.
Bratwurst Ingredients
I love brats. I love them steamed, grilled, and even boiled. Give me a slather of grainy mustard and a brat on a soft bun and I am good to go.
This bratwurst recipe is based on the Sheboygan-style bratwursts cooked with sliced onion in a beer broth.
The main ingredients you need for bratwurst and onions are:
Bratwurst sausages: First and foremost, choose a good quality bratwurst. If you can, get them freshly made from a butcher or German deli. My favorite in Salt Lake City is Siegfried’s Delicatessen.
Onion: I use good old yellow onions. Slice the onions thick so they don’t disappear as they cook down to sweeten and caramelize to candy goodness.
Caraway seed: Caraway is one of those spices that tastes distinctly German. Add 1 tablespoon of other spices and herbs if you want to experiment, like:
- garlic cloves
- fresh ground ginger
- mustard seed
- coriander seed
Beer or ale: I use a light pale ale or amber ale to flavor this recipe. These types of beer add a malt flavor tht sweetens as it cooks down and flavors both the brats and the onions.
Buns: One of my peeves about hot dogs, sausages and bratwurst is it HAS to be served on a great bun. And please, make it warm too. Choose a plain bun or one flecked with poppyseed or onion flakes if you like.
How to Cook Bratwurst
These bratwurst are steamed in beer and onions, absorbing all the delicious flavor the amber ale beer imparts—and another reason to try my beer steamed shrimp if you haven’t yet.
The sliced onion is first cooked down in a little bit of butter then braised in the beer with the brats. As they cook, the onion softens in the beer broth, becoming a little bit jammy and an especially good topping to for the dogs.
Or hit the traditional route and serve sauerkraut as an always classic bratwurst topping.
What to Substitute for Beer
If you don’t want to use beer in this recipe, simmer the bratwurst in a non-alcoholic beer, apple juice or apple cider, or try chicken or vegetable stock.
Give These Dogs a Crust
Depending on how you like yours, these bratwurst can be left as is, or given a crisper crust.
To crisp these dogs, toss on a hot grill for a smokey bratwurst crust. Or, finish them with a sear in the pan.
How to Serve Bratwurst
Bratwurst can be served as a sandwich on a bun and topped with mustard, onions, and or sauerkraut, or served as a main meal with German potato salad, sweet and sour cabbage and sauerkraut on the side.
Bratwurst calls for a good German mustard. I like a combination of both yellow German mustard and grainy mustard. This is one dog that is best when deli-style yellow mustard stays in the fridge.
Get ready to gorge, it’s time to don your lederhosen, load up your steins, and get your brats on. Prost!
More German Recipes
- Grandma’s Easy German Schnitzel
- German Potato Salad with or without bacon
- German Chocolate Cake
- Apple And Cherry Strudel
- German Chocolate Brownie Pie not traditional but SO good
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark it then leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Bratwurst In Beer With Onions
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 yellow onions , sliced
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 bratwurst sausages
- 1 12-ounce bottle amber ale or nut brown ale
- 6 buns
Instructions
-
In a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and caraway seeds and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions begin to soften. Season with kosher salt. Nestle the bratwurst in the onions, add the bottle of ale and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, turning the brats occasionally.
-
To finish the bratwurst on the stove, transfer the onions and beer broth to a bowl and set aside. Add the brats back to the skillet and increase the heat to medium high. Brown the sausages evenly on all sides, adding a little more butter or oil if needed. Add the onions and beer broth back to the skillet and keep warm.
-
To finish the bratwurst on the grill, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Cook the bratwurst sausages on the grill for 2-4 minutes per side or until browned on all sides. Add back to skillet with the onions and beer and keep warm.
-
Serve on warm buns with onions and coarse, grainy mustard. Add sauerkraut if desired.
More Sausage Recipe Ideas
- Slow Cooker Little Smokies
- Pigs In A Puff Pastry Blanket
- Chicken, Sausage And Shrimp Jambalaya
- Cheesy Sausage Pizza Bread
- Chicken, Crab And Andouille Sausage Gumbo Recipe
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Kathryn says
Gosh you’ve managed something I never thought was possible – to make German food look and sound appealing! Lovely round up.
Jason says
German food is great, you absolute simp
Martyna @ Wholesome Cook says
Our local pub just started to serve Oktoberfest specials this week and Bratwurst is one of them. But I think I’d rather make it at home your way and serve with that red cabbage salad. Perfect with a glass of Wheatbeer.
Sarah says
Those look delicious! I’ve lived in Wisconsin all my life and bratwurst makes me think of home. <3
nadia says
Hey,
beeing a german reader of your blog, I really appreaciate that you write about german food. Although it is kind of sad that Germany and german food is always associated with the october fest….the food theire isn’t that special – the october fest is about beer, so the food is just average.
I really live that you included Spätzle in your list, but one should eat them with gravy! Have you ever tried Kässpätzle/Cheesespaetzle??
Just one small error: you wrote about Weiner Schnitzel – it is actually Wiener Schnitzel, named after the austrian town Wien/Vienna, and by that, it’s not really german ;)
Stefanie @ Sarcastic Cooking says
I am half German, so of course I love a good brat! My great grandfather used to deliver German beers in Chicago on one of the last horse and buggies so I truly loved the story about Heidi.
Roni says
In Germany Octoberfest is celebrated in September along with other areas in the USA that were originally settled by German immigrants. Octoberfest is all about the beer but its great to introduce German food once a year. One very popular food in Germany is Curry Wurst. I have been trying to find a recipe that tastes like the real thing.
Adri {Food-N-Thought} says
Oh yes! I will take Bratwurst and beer any day!
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
Though named Barbara I’m a good part German though it was my great-grandparents who came over from the ‘old country.’ Dishes like this are such a part of our family history and bring back so many wonderful memories. Gorgeous.
Veronica of Muy Bueno says
Hi there Heidi…you know I’m Lovvvvvving this post….I do love German bratwurst, schnitzel, potato salad, and of course their beer and your pictures look amazing…I just might have to head out to a local Oktoberfest this weekend and grab me some good ‘ole wurst on a brotchen (bread)…oh and a tall ice cold German beer. Tschoos
marla says
I thought that was you I bumped into on the top of the bar the other night. Geesh.
Send over some brats and we can be friends again ;)
Love the comforting cool weather food.
Joe says
Heidi,
Really enjoy reading your blog. German food/cooking have lot’s of similarities to Hungarian cooking.
I was looking for how to make Beer Bratwurst from scratch. Keep up the great job!
Lorie says
Hi where is the german pancake recipe? I can’t find it. Thanks!
heidi says
It’s in an image on the page.
Melissa says
Is there anything I can use to substitute for the beer?
connie l kenealy says
your link for the german potato pancakes is wrong as when i click on it to get the recipe i get german potato salad not pancakes.
EPFO Login says
i love beer. and this time i eat these with beer
Digital Marketing Course Rohtak says
thanks for share this with us. i love it
Acid Eye says
That qualifies as conning Compose your own particular with your own particular considerations, don’t just sham some individual elses
勝美 says
Sounds delish. Glad you didn’t say hot dog buns.
Sometimes I go to Usinger’s for bockwurst or knockwurst or even weisswurst to change things up a little.
For football tailgating in a stadium parking lot in colder weather, I make small schaum tortes and substitute Door County cherries for out-of-season strawberries. Easier than serving a cake.
I tried official Oktoberfest grey stoneware bierkrug; they break as easily as a glass bottle. So I get cans of Kirin or Sapporo.
We finished Oktoberfest last weekend. Polkas, dancing, food. Such fun! It was a little chilly so I wore a jacket over my dirndl.
Gemütlichkeit!
Ashley Sorenson says
Thanks so much for your insight!! I love all of your ideas!
James Goacher says
YES!
You did ask. :-D
I think I am Norman. I have a certain Gaulish good looks. Honest.
romy says
hey there, german (bavarian) butcherette here. sorry, but there’s definitely no such thing as beer braised bratwurst nowhere here germany. especially no ale in germany, that’s an english thing. sorry, but your recipe is no more than twisted up germerican stuff which has absolutely nothing to do with classic german cuisine. sausages are either grilled and served with mustard/brown gravy and rolls/sauerkraut/mashed potatoes/kale or they might also be braised in a white whine and onion jus (here in franconia, my region of bavaria) with dark bread. please check your resources.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
Thanks for the information Romy
Jenn says
These were delicious, thank you! Had bought brats for something else and we were getting too lazy to cook. A quick google brought up your recipe and I quickly threw it together. So delicious, easy, and quick! Thought I had German mustard but no idea where it went so used dijon. It was perfect.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush says
So glad this was a hit for you!
CORINA DROZDOWSKI says
This was the first time that I made brauts where they came out perfect! I usually grill them first, but they get dry. This was such a game-changer! Thank you! The onions were great the second time around with a tri-tip steak too!
Heidi says
Thank you Corina! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Jason says
Great Recipe!
Tim says
Prost!!