Let’s make simple, flavorful beer brats, great for Oktoberfest or a crisp fall evening! You can use any bratwurst you love most (tips and info on German bratwurst below!), just make sure both the brats and the sauerkraut you use are high quality — it makes a big difference in the overall flavor!
These oven baked brats are cooked on a bed of sauerkraut, thinly sliced onions, and sweet apple. To this, you’ll add freshly ground caraway seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seed. The best part? Beer, of course! All those veggies become deeply flavored from the beer, so choose something you’d enjoy drinking.
Here’s why we love this recipe so much:
- Flavor! The mix of sauerkraut, onions, and apples is the perfect blend of sour, salty, and sweet.
- Texture! The sliced onions and apple cook down slowly in the beer, making them extremely tender. The veggies also serves as a bed for the brats, allowing them to be only partially submerged, so that they cook through, while remaining crisp on the outside.
- One pot meal! Above all, there’s nothing we love more than a one pot meal. Add everything to a large dutch oven or deep sided skillet, then let the oven do the work.
Serve baked brats with whole grain Dijon mustard, an absolute must, in a bun or alongside roasted potatoes. Easy and so delicious!
But First, What Is Bratwurst?
Bratwurst is a specific type of German fresh link sausage that is made with pork, veal, or a combination of the two. It is often seasoned with caraway, fennel, ginger, and nutmeg, warm fragrant spices that are complimented by two other common ingredients: mustard and sauerkraut!
If you’re interested in learning more about the various types of German sausage, check out this article!
Ingredients For Beer Brats
- German bratwurst: the most important part! Use a classic bratwurst versus something flavored with outside ingredients (e.g., jalapeño and cheddar). The beauty is in the combination of bratwurst and the sauerkraut mixture.
- Sauerkraut: many markets now carry local brands, in addition to national brands — we recommend trying something local if you can find it!
- Onions: these will cook down until tender!
- Apples: to add sweetness!
- Beer: adds a rich, hoppy flavor to the oven baked brats, and a perfect way to use your favorite Oktoberfest brews!
- Caraway seeds: traditional flavor in German brats
- Fennel seeds: also traditional in brats
- Mustard seed: because mustard is the perfect accompaniment to beer brats
- Whole grain Dijon mustard: the only mandatory condiment!
You’ll also want to make sure you have a colander, a large dutch oven or deep sided pan for cooking, and either a mortar and pestle, a small coffee grinder, or some other way to finely grind whole spices.
How To Make Oven Baked Brats
Cooking brats in the oven could not be simpler! In fact, everything comes together in one pot! Here’s how to make it:
- Rinse the sauerkraut. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Rinse, drain, then squeeze out the excess moisture from the sauerkraut over a colander. Set aside.
- Grind the spiced. Place 1 tsp each of caraway seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seed in a mortar, is using. Use the pestle to grind the spices into a fine powder. Alternatively, place spices in a small coffee grinder, then pulse until very fine.
- Assemble the ingredients. Add sauerkraut, sliced onion, and apple to a large dutch oven. Season with ground spices, then add bratwurst on top.
- Add the liquid. Pour one 16 oz can of beer and 1 cup of water to the pot.
- Cook brats in oven. Place the beer brats in oven, then cook for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the brats over, then cook an additional 20 minutes, or until the brats are crispy on the outside and have reached an internal temperature of 160 F.
- Serve immediately with whole grain Dijon mustard, either in brioche buns or alongside your favorite roasted potatoes.
We recommend the Thermapen MK4 to check for doneness on all meats!
Tips For The Best Baked Brats
- Rinse and drain the sauerkraut! You absolutely want to make sure to rinse, drain, and squeeze excess liquid from the sauerkraut before adding to the pan. This will help to lessen its sour flavor, resulting in a more balanced dish.
- Flip the brats halfway during cook time! Turning the brats will ensure that each side has a chance to caramelize and get golden brown. It’ll also help to crisp up the casings. We just love the snap of biting into a crispy bratwurst.
- Use a beer you like! Make sure to use something you’d enjoy drinking when cooking brats in beer. The flavor will intensify and deepen throughout cooking.
- Don’t add too many apples! If you add equal parts onion and apple, the whole dish comes out too sweet.
- Always serve with mustard!! Perhaps most importantly, you want to make sure you have Dijon mustard on hand for serving 100% of the time. We recommend whole grain Dijon alongside bratwurst, but whatever mustard you have is fine.
- Use high quality brats and sauerkraut! Trust us, using high quality makes a difference. Look for local products whenever possible.
FAQs About Bratwurst
- What type of brats are best for beer broiled brats? Look for classic German bratwurst at your local market or store. While flavored brats will work (we’ve seen everything from mango habanero and Italian brats, to sun dried tomato or chipotle brats), they detract from the classic flavor profile of the recipe.
- Can I grill bratwurst instead? Absolutely! If you want to make the beer brats on the grill, start to finish, just make sure you can easily regulate the temperature of your grill. Alternatively, you can simply finish the brats on the grill. To do this, remove brats from the dutch oven or pan, then preheat a grill to medium-high heat, about 400F. Lightly coat the grill grates with grill spray or a little oil (the best way to do this is to use paper towels with oil on them and rub them along the grates with tongs), then add the brats and cook until charred on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side. Remember, the brats are already cooked through, so it’s just a quick crisp on the grill!
- Do I have to rinse, drain, and squeeze the sauerkraut? Only if you don’t want the beer brats to be too sour!
- What type of onion should I use? We use yellow or sweet onions, but even red onions would be fine!
Cooking brats in beer is a great way to impart additional flavor and moisture into the sausages. We hope you make this beer broiled brats recipe at home sometime soon! If you do, please make sure to leave a review and rating below!
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More recipes to try:
- Rosemary Roasted Chicken with Grapes
- Caramelized Shallot Pasta
- Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan Cream Sauce
- Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
- Rigatoni Bolognese
Juicy, Beer-Braised Brats For Oktoberfest!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bratwurst can use up to 8 sausages for this recipe
- 2 cups sauerkraut
- 2 sweet onions thinly sliced
- 1 large apple peeled, cored, and sliced into half moons
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 16 oz beer
- 1 cup water
- whole grain Dijon mustard for serving
- brioche buns optional, for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the sauerkraut. Preheat an oven to 425 F. Rinse, drain, then squeeze out the excess moisture from the sauerkraut over a colander. Set aside.
- Grind the spiced. Place 1 tsp each of caraway seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seed in a mortar, is using. Use the pestle to grind the spices into a fine powder. Alternatively, place spices in a small coffee grinder, then pulse until very fine.
- Assemble the ingredients. Add sauerkraut, sliced onion, and apple to a large dutch oven. Season with ground spices, then add bratwurst on top.
- Add the liquid. Pour one 16 oz can of beer and 1 cup of water to the pot.
- Cook brats in oven. Place a lid on top, then transfer to preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Carefully flip the brats over, then cook an additional 20 minutes, or until the brats are crispy on the outside and have reached an internal temperature of 160 F.
- Serve immediately with whole grain Dijon mustard, either in brioche buns or alongside your favorite roasted potatoes.
Notes
- Nutrition facts do not include brioche buns
- Use a beer you like! The flavor will intensify and deepen throughout cooking.
- Don’t add too many apples! If you add equal parts onion and apple, the whole dish comes out too sweet.
- Always serve with Dijon mustard!
- Use high quality brats and sauerkraut! Trust us, using high quality makes a difference. Look for local products whenever possible.
Top, on the Dutch oven while cooking?
Sorry, yes – covered! Will update instructions to be clear, thank you! xo, Ari
“Place a lid on top…” whoops.
Can you cut the bratwurst before putting them in the oven?
I wouldn’t recommend this, as the skin on the bratwurst keeps the moisture inside, and slicing the sausage before cooking will lead to a different cook time (and texture). If you do give it a try with slices, be sure to check back sooner to make sure they’re not overcooking! Best, Ari