Smoked Brats With Beer and Onion

Looking down on a black cast-iron skillet on top of burlap with smoked brats inside and sprigs of fresh thyme around it.

For an easy and crowd-pleasing dish at your next backyard BBQ party, you can’t go wrong with these very best smoked brats with beer and onion! After simmering in a beer braise, these brats are then smoked until they’re perfectly juicy and flavorful. These brats only require a few minutes of prep time, and then the smoker takes care of the rest.

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine German

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 20

Servings people

Calories 400kcal

Author Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

12-inch cast-iron skillet
Smoker
Wood chips or wood pellets hickory recommended

Ingredients

1 yellow onion peeled and thinly sliced
2 bottles of German-style pilsner
6 uncooked bratwurst
6 buns
Favorite condiments such as mustard or sauerkraut

Instructions

Heat the smoker to 225 degrees F. Meanwhile, scatter the onion slices around a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and pour in the beer. Nestle the brats in the beer bath so that the beer comes up about halfway up the brats. Bring to a simmer — not a boil — over medium heat.
Once the beer simmers, move the skillet to the smoker and close the lid. Smoke the brats for 15 minutes, and then flip them and smoke for another 15 minutes.
Leave the beer bath in the smoker but remove the brats from the liquid and place them directly on the grill grates. Continue to smoke the brats until they reach an internal temperature of 160-165 degrees F, about another 30-45 minutes. Remove from the smoker. Allow the brats to rest for about five minutes. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for three to four days. You can also freeze them for up to three months. To thaw, leave them in the refrigerator overnight.
To best monitor the internal temperature, a leave-in meat thermometer works well. If you look closely at the circular side area, there should be a small opening in the center where the bratwurst casing doesn’t quite come together. I like to insert the thermometer there to avoid breaking the casing.
Let the brats sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. This removes the chill from the refrigerator and helps the brats cook more evenly.
If you'd like char marks, you can remove them from the smoker a little early and finish them on a hot grill or in cast-iron skillet with a little olive oil.
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition