Beer-Simmered Brats
If your lot has a Midwest bone — or just a soft spot for a snappy sausage — this is the move. Simmer, then brown. Get this right and the table takes care of itself.
Yield: 6 brats.
Ingredients
- Oil for the grill grates
- 2 (12-oz) cans/bottles beer (honest lager is fine — save the fancy stout for drinking)
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 6 uncooked bratwursts
- 6 sturdy buns or small sub rolls
- Brown mustard
- 1 lb refrigerated sauerkraut, drained
- Pickle relish (optional)
Method
- Preheat the grill (high to start, lid closed) so the grates are ready when the simmer’s done. Oil the grates so casings don’t glue down.
- In a large saucepan (side burner if you have one), combine beer, onions, and brats. Bring to a boil over medium-high, then drop to a low simmer until just cooked through — about 8 minutes.
- Move brats to the grill. Brown 8–10 minutes, turning often for even color without splitting the casings.
- Tuck into buns. Mustard, kraut, relish — let guests build their own.
Lot notes
- Keep raw and cooked paths separate.
- Done when they hit a safe sausage finish — typically 160°F for fresh pork sausage; trust your package + thermometer.
- Onions from the beer pot make a killer topping; keep them hot.
- Homegate: same pot on the stove, same brown on a grill pan or outdoor grill during the Sunday slate.
Call them what your crew calls them, serve them hot, and don’t gatekeep the relish.
I Love To Tailgate — feed the crew like you mean it.
More in Menu · Tailgate Finds · Rituals