how to grill brats

Do you know the key to juicy, delicious brats? Start them in a beer bath before finishing them on the grill! My dad, a Wisconsin native and brat expert and aficionado, teaches us how to grill brats.

Looking for more grilling inspiration? Check out these grilled baby back ribs, grilled brie, grilled bbq pizza, loaded grilled nachos, grilled peach sundaes, grilled vegan guacamole and fancy Hawaiian grilled pizza!

My family grills all year round; grilling is not a cooking method limited to summer months or fall football tailgates.

In fact, my dad will fire up the grill mid-January, and shovel a direct door to grill path in the snow if necessary.

While Mark is no culinary master, he does have a couple standard recipes in his wheelhouse and one of his areas of culinary expertise is how to grill brats. After all, he’s from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (home to Leinenkugels and Jack Dawson in Titanic) and is proud of his Wisconsin roots (he is the most dedicated Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers fan I’ve ever met).. 

Brats (short for bratwurst or bratwurst sausage, which are a type of German sausage made with pork) are Wisconsin’s soul food; you’ll find them sizzling on grills across the state at football tailgates, summer cookouts or on for a random weeknight dinner (serve them with some grilled corn on the cob and you have the perfect summer dinner!)

So today, Dad and I wanted to share our tried and true beer brat recipe, an easy recipe which starts with a beer bath and ends on a hot grill. 

What is the best way to cook brats on the grill?

While there are a variety of different ways to cook brats (searing them in a cast-iron skillet, boiling them, cooking them in the air fryer, or making them into brat burgers) in our opinion, out of all the different methods, the best way to cook brats is on the grill! 

And what is the best way to cook brats on the grill? Boil them in beer first!

To make this beer brats recipe, you’ll start the brats on the stove in a beer bath and then finish them on the grill (a charcoal grill is our personal preference for maximum flavor, but a gas grill or propane grill will get the job done too).

Do you have to boil Brats Before Grilling them?

You don’t HAVE to boil the brats first (you can also grill raw brats or uncooked brats), but parboiling brats before grilling them is one of the best methods because it will give you delicious, juicy, perfect brats every time. 

There are a few advantages to boiling brats before grilling them:

• It’s a time saver: boiling brats first will make sure they are fully cooked before browning them on the grill
• It gives the brats extra flavor: Boiling brats in beer enhances the flavor of the sausage by infusing the brat with the flavor of beer
• It can keep the delicious juices inside the sausage once they hit the grill (the casing will get crisp while the inside stays juicy) 
• Cooking brats low and slow before grilling keeps the brats from popping. If brats are grilled improperly or over too high heat, the juices inside the brats heat too quickly which increases the chance of the casing of the brats splitting open or bursting.

How Long to Boil Brats in Beer

So how do you make Mark’s beer boiled brats?

You just need three ingredients for this recipe: beer, onions and brats. We suggest fresh brats (which are not frozen or pre cooked, but rather raw bratwurst sausage) which you can find from your local butcher, farmers market or in a package at the grocery store. 

First step: start the brats on the stove in a beer bath: place the brats in a deep pot or Dutch oven and pour one whole beer into the pot, making sure the brats are covered with the liquid.

Any beer will work for the bath (brand doesn’t matter), but you do want to stay on the lighter side, like a lager, wheat ale, or saison so it doesn’t overpower the flavor of the fresh sausage (of course, Dad would say the best beer is Leinenkugel, which is brewed in his hometown). You can also opt for something more hoppy, like a pale ale or IPA, or darker, like a porter or stout. A stronger flavored beer will pack a little more punch…you want the beer flavor to enhance the flavor of the brats, not to mask or compete with the flavor of the brats. (We have also tried making these with a non-alcoholic beer, which worked too!)

Don’t have beer? No problem! You can also use vegetable stock or even water. The key to juicy brats is simmering them in any type of liquid first–beer is just going to give your brats extra flavor.

You’ll also need about one half of a white or yellow onion to add flavor to the brats’ beer bath; so thinly slice it and add it to your pot.

Once the brats are nestled in their beer bath (or your liquid of choice), bring them to a slow boil over medium-high heat , then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer until their internal temperature reaches about 150 degrees fahrenheit on a meat thermometer (this will take about 15 to 20 minutes and the brats will turn an opaque color.) 

How long To Grill Brats After Boiling?

Transfer the brats from their beer bath to a plate or aluminum pan and then pop those puppies on the grill to get a nice sear.

You’ll finish cooking the brats on the grill over direct medium heat or medium-low heat, searing them for a couple minutes on each side (turning them with a pair of tongs) until golden brown or charred to your desire (total grill time is about five minutes). 

What toppings are best for beer brats?

The next key ingredient to a perfectly grilled brat is a brat bun. You want something a little heftier than a small, soft hot dog bun, so when you’re at the store look for specially made brat buns or brioche buns. Both of these will hold together better so you can eat your brat and all your toppings without it falling apart.

I love a toasted bun too–while the brats are grilling, brush the brat buns with a little bit of olive oil and stick them on the grill over indirect heat. I just think a brat tastes better with a little crisp, lightly toasted bun!

Now let’s get to my favorite part about beer brats: the toppings! 

One of Dad’s favorite condiments for brats is brown mustard; he says it’s a must.  

When it comes to mustard, Dad’s advice is, “Make sure it’s brown mustard, not yellow mustard, these ain’t hot dogs.” 

He also approves of the use of ketchup, if you want it (ketchup on brats is a great debate, but they allow it in Sheboygan, the brat capital of Wisconsin, so Dad approves).

You can also use horseradish too, but make sure it’s just a little bit (don’t want to overpower the brat). 

You can top with raw, grilled, or caramelized onions (Dad prefers raw onions, but you can also take the onions that are boiled with the beer brats as is, or wrap them up in aluminum foil and stick them on the grill). I prefer beer soaked onions.

Sauerkraut is another brat topping debate, but according to Dad, “do not use kraut, ruins a good brat.”

Brown mustard and onions is the way Mark likes them.

If you want to take your beer brats to the next level and go all out Wisconsin, whip up a smoky, spicy beer cheese sauce and slather that on top of your sausage.

I would love to bathe in this beer cheese sauce; the flavor is bold so it’s perfect on its own as a dip (it’s very similar to beer cheese fondue), but also compliments a grilled brat’s flavor.

Crack open a cold beer, pile some potato salad on your plate, and you’ve got yourself a good, old fashioned, Wisconsin family barbecue.