Beer Brats are basically one of the major food groups in the summer in the Midwest, and our Traeger Smoked Beer Brats are taking a Wisconsin and Minnesota classic and giving it a smokey, pellet grill twist.
Traeger Beer Brats Recipe
What’s better than regular beer brat? A home smoked one, that’s what. We took a traditional beer brat recipe and turned it upside down a bit. This is a really easy, straight-forward recipe, it is fast enough to work for either a quick lunch or weeknight dinner, but it is tasty enough to bring out on any cookout or bbq that you might be hitting up in the not-too-distant future.
What’s the best kind of brat to use?
I like using a fresh, uncooked, locally made bratwurst when I make beer brats. The fresher the better. Whatever you have at your local grocery store will also work, however. Just make sure not to use a pre-cooked or pre-smoked sausage.
What kind of onion is best for beer brats?
Give me sweet Walla Walla onions or give me death.
Okay – a Vidalia would work pretty darn well too, but I’m pretty partial to the Washington variety. If it is summer and there are fresh sweet onions around, there’s no question that they are best for your brats. Any yellow onion will work in a pinch though! Even a white onion too. But stay away from the red onions here.
Smoked Beer Brats shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post for specific amounts.
- bratwurst
- beer
- sweet onion
- buns
- spicy brown mustard
How to make Traeger Beer Brats
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re getting into here. You’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page when you are cooking.
Marinate
Place your brats into a large freezer baggie and pour in a bottle of beer. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Preheat
Preheat your smoker to 180°. Slice up your onions into strips.
Smoke
Put the onions into a prepped grill-safe dish and put them on the grill. Drain the brats and put them right on the grill. Smoke both for an hour.
Grill
Turn the grill temperature up to 350°. Put the brats into the dish with the onions and pour in the other beer. Let cook for 30-60 minutes. You want the brats simmering for about 20-25 minutes total, so how long it will take at this stage depends on how long your beer takes to come up to a simmer.
Optional: Take the brats out of the beer and place right on the grill grates again for 5-10 minutes to give them a little char.
Enjoy
Top with onions & mustard, and enjoy!
Smoked Beer Brats FAQ
Store these in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat these in the microwave or right back on the grill.
More great summer BBQ recipes!
More recipes to enjoy!
Get our FREE Pellet Grill Appetizers Recipe E-Book
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Total Time
2 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 6 uncooked bratwurst
- 2 bottles beer
- 1 large sweet onion
- 6 buns
- 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
Instructions
- Place the brats into a large baggie and add one bottle of beer. Seal and let marinate for 4-6 hours. Drain and discard marinade.
- Preheat your smoker to 180°.
- Slice the onions into long strips. Place into the bottom of a prepped grill-safe baking dish.
- Put the brats directly on the grill grates, and place the pan of onions in the grill as well. Let smoke for 1 hour at 180°.
- Turn up the grill temperature to 350°. Put the other beer in with the onions in the baking dish and place the brats on top. Cook on the grill for approximately 30-60 minutes. You want them to be simmering in the onions and beer mixture for about 20-25 minutes total, so how long it’ll take depends on how long it takes for your beer to come up to a simmer in the grill.
- Serve on toasted buns with mustard.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 477Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 1006mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 17g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
More Stories
The Chicken Tastes Like It Was BORN in the Sauce
How To Word Your Invitation When Asking Guests To Pay Their Way
How to Make Healthy Starter Recipes