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 a 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, straightforward 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.
A Vidalia would work pretty 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.
1
Marinate
Place your brats into a large freezer baggie and pour in a bottle of beer. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
2
Preheat
Preheat your smoker to 180°. Slice up your onions into strips.
3
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.
4
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 them right on the grill grates again for 5-10 minutes to give them a little char.
5
Enjoy
Top with onions & mustard, and enjoy!
This would be perfect with our Smoked Potato Salad!
Smoked Beer Brats FAQ
How do you store leftovers?
Store these in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?
Reheat these in the microwave or right back on the grill.
My Traeger Beef Birria Tacos should be next on your list!
More great summer BBQ recipes!
- Smoked Stuffed Cheeseburgers (Juicy Lucy)
- Sweet Chili Chicken Leg Quarters
- Traeger Grilled Pork Chops
- Smoked Pulled Pork
- Traeger BBQ Beef Sandwich
More recipes to enjoy!
- Grilled Teriyaki Salmon
- Hanger Steak
- Fried Wontons
- Bolognese Sauce
- Poor Man’s Burnt Ends
- Tonkotsu Ramen
- Country-Style Pork Ribs
- London Broil
- Recipes using Smoked Chicken
- Grape Jelly Meatballs
- Smoked Prime Rib
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
Get our FREE Pellet Grill Appetizers Recipe E-Book
Traeger Smoked Beer Brats
These easy smoked beer brats are cooked on the pellet grill alongside with plenty of sweet Walla Walla onions and then braised in beer!
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:
6Serving Size:
1Amount 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.
Arianna
Saturday 8th of June 2024
What do you mean when you say a “prepped grill safe pan” for the onions? Are we adding butter? Olive oil? Nothing but the onions?
Nicole Johnson
Sunday 9th of June 2024
You can prep your pan however you like. I usually use a spray of cooking spray, but a smear or butter or oil would also work. It also depends on how prone to sticking your pan is. Sometimes, if I don't want any excess oil, I'll use non-stick foil instead.
Jeannie
Saturday 16th of September 2023
These sound great. What flavor wood pellets did you use?
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 16th of September 2023
Whatever is in the hopper. ;) We usually run the Gourmet Blend, or some kind of fruit wood like cherry or apple, but I'd also make these with hickory or maple or even mesquite too.