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These smoked beer brats spend an hour directly on the smoker before finishing in a beer bath with sliced onions, smoked butter, mustard powder and chili powder. The beer bath keeps the bratwurst juicy while the onions soften and pick up some of that smoky flavor. I hadn’t heard of a brat bath before making these, but it’s now my favorite part of the recipe. Serve the brats in toasted buns with the onions and plenty of Dijon mustard.
Why You’ll Love It
These smoked beer brats cook low and slow before finishing in a buttery beer and onion bath, then they’re served in toasted buns with Dijon mustard.
Smoked two ways: The brats spend an hour directly on the smoker before finishing in the beer bath, so you don’t lose the smoky flavor when they’re transferred to the pan.
The onions are worth keeping: They soften in the beer and smoked butter and make a really good topping for the finished brats.
Smoked butter: Some goes into the beer bath, and the rest is brushed onto the buns before they’re toasted on the smoker.
That beer bath: I hadn’t made brats this way before this recipe, and it’s the step that makes these different from simply smoking bratwurst and putting them in buns.
Also try this delicious smoked brisket sandwich with homemade pickled red onions, smoked potato salad or a tasty smoked beer can chicken.
Smoked Beer Brats Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Bratwurst: Start with uncooked bratwurst rather than precooked sausages. The brats cook slowly on the smoker and finish in the beer bath.
Beer: A 12-ounce lager or wheat beer forms the base of the brat bath. Choose something you also enjoy drinking rather than anything particularly strong or bitter.
White onion: Slice it before adding it to the beer bath, where it softens while the brats finish cooking.
Unsalted butter: I smoke the butter along with the brats. Some goes into the beer bath, and the rest is used to brush the buns before toasting.
Mustard powder: Adds mustard flavor directly to the smoked butter.
Chili powder: Adds a little warmth without making the brats particularly spicy.
To serve: Brat buns and Dijon mustard are all you need, although sauerkraut is another good topping.
How to Make Smoked Beer Brats
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Smoke the brats: Preheat the smoker to 225°F. Place the uncooked brats directly on the grill grates and smoke for 30 minutes.
Smoke the butter: Combine the butter, mustard powder and chili powder in a small saucepan and place it in the smoker. Flip the brats and smoke everything for another 30 minutes.
Make the beer bath: Lower the smoker to 180°F. Add the sliced onion and beer to a foil pan, then stir in ¼ Cup of the smoked butter.
Add the brats: Transfer the brats to the beer and onion mixture and return the pan to the smoker.
Finish smoking: Cook for about 2 hours, or until the bratwurst reaches 160°F internally.
Toast the buns: Brush the buns with the remaining smoked butter and toast them on the smoker for about 10 minutes.
Serve: Add the brats to the toasted buns and top with Dijon mustard and the beer-braised onions.
Substitutions and Variations
Change the beer: Lager and wheat beer both work well. A darker beer will give the brat bath a stronger beer flavor.
Skip the beer: Use beef or chicken broth if you don’t want to cook with beer. The flavor will be different, but the same cooking method works.
Add some heat: Add cayenne, extra chili powder or sliced jalapeños to the beer bath.
Change the toppings: Try sauerkraut, pickled jalapeños, crispy onions or your favorite mustard.
Serving Suggestions
Appetizer: Smoked potato salad with bacon is a great starter to complement your brats on Traeger. The smoky flavor of the bacon pairs well with the brats, setting the tone for the main course.
Side Dish: A refreshing watermelon feta cucumber salad or a shaved Brussels sprout slaw with lemon apple cider vinaigrette would make a perfect side dish. These salads add a fresh and tangy contrast to the rich, smoky brats.
Drinks: A sparkling strawberry lemonade or a sweet and tangy watermelon Paloma cocktail would be the perfect refreshing accompaniment to your meal.
Dessert: If you’re still hungry after enjoying the smoked brats in beer, why not try a German dessert? Kaiserschmarrn is popular in Austria, as well as Germany, and this vegan kaiserschmarrn recipe is so good.
How to Store
Store: Refrigerate leftover brats and onions in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Store the buns separately.
Freeze: Cooked bratwurst can be frozen, so I would remove the current claim that freezing isn’t recommended. Freeze the cooled brats in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Thaw frozen brats overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Warm the brats gently in the microwave, oven or a covered skillet until heated through.
Top Tips
Smoke the butter too: This is one step I wouldn’t skip. I use part of the smoked butter in the beer bath and save the rest for brushing onto the buns.
Use uncooked bratwurst: The recipe is timed for raw brats that cook first on the grates and then in the beer bath.
Don’t skip the first hour: Putting the brats directly on the grates first gives them smoke exposure before they’re submerged in the beer bath.
Use a thermometer: Cook the bratwurst to 160°F internally rather than relying only on the two-hour cooking time.
Save those onions: Don’t discard the onions from the beer bath. They’re one of my favorite parts to pile onto the finished brats with Dijon.
Smoked Beer Brats FAQs
Lager or wheat beer both work well because they’re flavorful without overpowering the bratwurst. I wouldn’t use anything extremely bitter or strongly flavored since the brats and onions spend about 2 hours in the beer bath.
The beer bath lets the bratwurst continue cooking gently with the onions, smoked butter and seasonings after they’ve spent an hour directly on the smoker. You still get the smoke from that first stage, while the onions soften and the brats stay surrounded by the seasoned beer mixture.
Smoked Beer Brats Recipe
Smoked Beer Brats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 9 bratwurst, uncooked
- 1 white onion, sliced
- 12 Ounces beer, lager or wheat beer
- ½ Cup butter, unsalted
- ½ Teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ Teaspoon chili powder
To Serve
- Dijon mustard
- brat buns
Instructions
- Preheat smoker to 225 degrees F with the lid closed for 15 minutes.
- Place brats directly onto the grill grates. Smoke for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add butter, mustard powder, and chili powder to a saucepan and place into the smoker.
- Turn brats over and smoke for 30 more minutes.
- Remove the brats from the smoker.
- Lower the temperature to 180 degrees F.
- Add the sliced onion and beer to a foil pan and stir in ¼ Cup of the smoked butter. Add the brats and return the pan to the smoker. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the bratwurst reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- Brush buns with smoked butter and toast for 10 minutes in the smoker.
- Add brats to the buns. Drizzle with Dijon and top with onions.
Notes
Use uncooked bratwurst: The recipe is timed for raw brats that cook first on the grates and then in the beer bath.
Don’t skip the first hour: Putting the brats directly on the grates first gives them smoke exposure before they’re submerged in the beer bath.
Use a thermometer: Cook the bratwurst to 160°F internally rather than relying only on the two-hour cooking time.
Save those onions: Don’t discard the onions from the beer bath. They’re one of my favorite parts to pile onto the finished brats with Dijon.
Nutrition
I hadn’t heard of a brat bath before making this recipe, but now I understand the appeal. The brats get that first hour directly on the smoker, then finish cooking with beer, onions and smoked butter. Don’t leave those onions behind when you serve them. I pile them onto the toasted buns with plenty of Dijon mustard.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Very good
A big hit
I’ve never heard of a brat bath before, but when I tried it, the flavors were amazing!
This is such an amazing recipe! So unique!! We enjoyed this yesterday and my family is sking for more so I’m making them again on weekend. 😋
i have never heard of a brat bath. Now i need to try it