How to Grill Brats (Wisconsin Style)
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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. Top the juicy, perfectly cooked brats with caramelized onions and beer cheese sauce or your personal favorite condiments.
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 grilled brats. After all, he’s from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin (home to Leinenkugels and Jack Dawson in Titanic). The man is proud of his Wisconsin roots—he is the most dedicated Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers fan I’ve ever met.
If you’re coking brats this summer (or in the middle of winter), you’ll want to follow my dad’s tried-and-true method for perfectly grilled brats. This easy recipe starts with a beer bath and ends on a hot grill for juicy, flavorful brats every time.
What are brats and What’s the best way to cook them?
Brats (short for bratwurst or bratwurst sausage) are a type of German sausage. They are most often made with pork and seasoned with marjoram, pepper, coriander, caraway, nutmeg and/or garlic and other spices. You can also find brats made with veal or beef or a mix of pork, veal, and beef.
Brats are traditionally a fresh sausage, meaning they are sold raw and are meant to be cooked before serving. You can occasionally find precooked or smoked bratwurst.
Brats are Wisconsin’s soul food and can be found sizzling on grills across the state at football tailgates, summer cookouts, or for a weeknight dinner alongside grilled corn on the cob or Blackstone potato wedges.
While there are a variety of ways to cook brats, including searing them in a cast-iron skillet, cooking them in the air fryer, or turning them into brat burgers, one of the best methods is to first boil them in beer and then grill them.
This is the best way to add the most flavor to the brats and cook them all of the way through without drying them out. You get juicy, perfect brats every single time with very little effort.
Do you have to boil Brats Before Grilling them?
You can absolutely grill raw/uncooked brats without boiling them first. However, we’ve found time after time that boiling them in beer first adds the most flavor and ensures you get juicy, perfectly cooked brats every time.
There are a few advantages to boiling brats before grilling them:
- You know they’re cooked through every time: Since most brats are made with ground pork, you need to cook them all of the way through before serving them. Boiling them first ensures that they’re fully cooked so that all you have to do on the grill is brown and caramelize them.
- It adds extra flavor: Boiling brats in beer enhances the flavor of the sausage by infusing the brat with the flavor of beer. The beer naturally complements the pork and spices in the brats for the perfect bite.
- The brats stay moist and juicy: Since you only need to briefly grill the brats after boiling, the casing will get crisp and caramelized while the inside stays juicy. No dry bratwurst here!
- Cooking brats low and slow before grilling keeps the casing from popping: If brats are grilled improperly or over too high of heat, the juices inside the brats heat too quickly which increases the chance of the casing splitting open or bursting.
Ingredient notes
For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts and optional caramelized onions and beer cheese sauce, scroll to the recipe card below.
- Raw brats: Look for fresh bratwurst sausages, not pre-cooked brats. You can find these at most grocery stores in the meat section, but you can also pick them up at your local butcher or farmers market.
- Beer: Any beer will work—truly, the brand doesn’t matter. I recommend using a light beer, such as a lager, wheat ale, or saison, so you don’t overpower the flavor of the fresh sausage.
- Onion: We always add half of a white or yellow onion to the beer bath for extra flavor.
Step 1: boil
So how do you make Mark’s Wisconsin-style beer-boiled brats?
Add the brats to a pot and cover them with the beer. You want to make sure the sausages are completely covered with the liquid. Toss in the sliced onion, then bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat.
Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Cook until the brats turn opaque, are cooked through, and hit an internal temperature of about 150-155℉ on a meat thermometer. This takes about 15-20 minutes.
Use a pair of tongs to transfer the brats to a plate or aluminum pan and you’re ready to grill.
Step 2: Grill
While the brats are boiling, preheat the grill to medium-high heat. My family loves the flavor that comes from cooking with a charcoal grill, but you can use a gas grill or propane grill, too.
Too cold to grill outside? If you aren’t as excited by the idea of grilling outside in the middle of winter as my dad is, you can even sear your brats over the stove using a grill pan.
Once the brats are done boiling, place them directly onto the grill grates. Sear them for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and charred to your liking.
Remember, since the brats are almost fully cooked already, all you need to do on the grill is crisp up the casings and give them a nice sear.
Serving Suggestions
My family believes that a grilled brat must be served on a brat bun. You want something a little heftier than a small, soft hot dog bun. 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 side of your grill over indirect heat. I just think a brat tastes better with a little crisp, lightly toasted bun!
As for the toppings, my favorite combination is caramelized onions and beer cheese sauce, similar to my beer cheese fondue. I include the recipe for both in the recipe card below, but feel free to skip them if you want!
Some other popular brat toppings include:
- Mustard: To quote my dad, “Make sure it’s brown mustard, not yellow mustard; these ain’t hot dogs.”
- Ketchup: Ketchup on brats is a great debate, but they allow it in Sheboygan, the brat capital of Wisconsin, so Dad approves.
- Horseradish: Make sure to only use a little bit so you don’t overpower the brat.
- Sauerkraut: Another source of debate, but a popular choice. (Although, according to Dad, “kraut ruins a good brat.”)
- Onions: While caramelized onions are one of my favorites, you can also go with raw onions or grilled onions instead.
Crack open a cold beer, pile some easy potato salad and crockpot baked beans on your plate, and you’ve got yourself a good, old fashioned, Wisconsin family cookout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our preference is a light beer, like a lager, wheat ale, or saison. These will add a more subtle beer flavor without overpowering the flavor of the brats.
You can also try a more strongly flavored beer, such as a hoppy pale ale or IPA or a darker beer like a porter or stout. Just remember that a stronger beer will pack more of a flavor punch that could mask or compete with the flavor of the sausage.
We have used non-alcoholic beer and it worked well, too!
Yes! You can 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.
If you are able to use non-alcoholic beer, that is another great option.
Wisconsin-Style Grilled Brats
Equipment
Ingredients
For the caramelized onions
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 large red onion Peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
For the beer cheese sauce
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup IPA beer
- 3/4 cup half-and-half
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
For the brats
- 8 fresh (uncooked) bratwurst
- 12 ounces light beer
- ½ white or yellow onion peeled and sliced
For serving (optional)
- 8 bratwurst buns toasted
- coarse brown mustard
- sauerkraut
Instructions
Make the caramelized onions:
- Melt the butter in a large nonstick pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir to coat with the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Add a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, have significantly reduced in volume, and are a medium brown color.2 tablespoons salted butter, 1 large red onion, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- This entire process can take anywhere from 30-45 minutes. Watch the onions to make sure they are slowly caramelizing; reduce the heat as needed to keep them from burning. Transfer the caramelized onions to a bowl and set aside.
Make the beer cheese sauce:
- While the onions are caramelizing, start the beer cheese. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the flour and butter have formed and thick paste.3 tablespoons salted butter, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the salt spices and stir to combine, then slowly add the beer, stirring until the mixture is smooth and well combined. Add the half-and-half and continue whisking until smooth and the sauce is bubbly.1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 cup IPA beer, 3/4 cup half-and-half
- Reduce the heat and add the cheese, about 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is melted. Start with 3 1/2 cups of the cheese, adding more as desired to thicken the sauce if needed.3 1/2 to 4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Keep the sauce over very low heat to keep it warm while you cook the brats. Stir well before serving.
Make the brats:
- Place brats in deep pot or dutch oven. Pour beer into the pot, makings sure the brats are covered. Add sliced onion to the pot. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until brats are cooked and the internal temperature is about 150℉ to 155℉, about 15 to 20 minutes.8 fresh (uncooked) bratwurst, 12 ounces light beer, ½ white or yellow onion
- While the brats are boiling, preheat grill to medium-high heat. Once the brats are boiled, use tongs to carefully transfer the brats onto the grill grates. Sear the brats on all sides, about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden brown or charred to your preference.
- Serve brats as desired on a toasted bun and top with the caramelized onions, beer cheese sauce, and/or the condiments of your choice.8 bratwurst buns, coarse brown mustard , sauerkraut
Notes
Ingredients
- If you cannot find half-and-half, you can use 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1/4 cup heavy cream instead.
- I recommend shredding your own cheese for the beer cheese sauce, as it will melt better and produce a smoother sauce than using pre-shredded cheese.
Cooking
- The safe internal temperature for bratwurst is 165℉. Since we are finishing the brats on the grill after boiling, I like to pull them from the beer bath around 150℉ to 155℉. They will continue to cook a bit more on the grill, bringing the internal temperature up to 165℉.
Nutrition
about chrissie
I’m Chrissie — a full-time public defender, food lover, North Carolina explorer, toddler wrangler, and lifelong cheese enthusiast. I love the beach, craft beer, Mexican food, and trashy reality TV. Catch me chasing my kids, laughing too loudly, sipping margaritas on a nearby patio, and telling my husband “just one more quick picture.” Learn more ➤
You can take the boy out of Wisconsin, but you can’t take the Wisconsin Beer Brat out of the boy. Way to go Mark. You’ve got it perfected. Proud of my Chippewa friend.
He’s the king of brats!
As any good German would already know,boiling destroys the taste and the quality of the brat. It reduces much of its spices and flavors.