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Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions

Hello, and welcome to Sunday Supper! Happy Father’s Day to all the Fathers out there! Today I have a great recipe for Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions. This recipe is super simple, perfect if you need a last minute Father’s Day dish. The Brats soak up the beer flavor and hold onto it, making the sausages juicy and tender – a quick sear on the grill finishes them off. Let’s get to the recipe!

Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions ready for the grill

We will let the Brats sit in the beer-filled pan while we prep everything else and get the coals going. So start by pouring two 12-ounce cans of light pilsner-style beer in a grill-safe pan with 8-10 Brats. Cover with foil and set aside while we slice the mushrooms, peppers and onions.

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Prep the Veggies

I have three portobello mushroom caps that I will just slice into thick slices. For the peppers, I like to use the mini peppers and I just stem them and slice them in half. You can use large peppers, if you prefer, just slice them into thick slices. I have a sweet onion, which I am slicing into thick wedges.

Drizzle some grapeseed oil over the peppers and onions and season with Kosher Salt and fresh cracked black pepper. I am cooking the mushrooms separate from the onions and peppers because I don’t want the mushrooms to soak up the oil I am adding to the peppers and onions. Instead, I am adding a couple tablespoons of water to the pan with the mushrooms. The water will help the mushrooms release their liquid. Season the mushrooms with Kosher Salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Head Out to the Grill

Create a cool side and hotter side of the grill with the coals positioned on one side of the grill. We are poaching these Brats in a 400 degree grill for 30-40 minutes with the lid closed. The peppers, onions and mushrooms will go on the grill and cook along side the Brats.

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The covered Brats are on the grill with the expander sitting on top of the grill grate. Note, the white heat deflector plate over half of the grill, giving us the cooler side.

Alex and I have been experimenting with cooking over fire more this year, so we recently bought an expander for the Big Green Egg which allows us to create tiers inside the Egg. For the multiple tiers, the pieces come in half circles, so you can mix and match the tiers: perhaps one tier is a grill grate and the other is a griddle, for example. Today we are using a grill grate for the second tier. It also lets us create a cool side of the grill by placing heat deflector plate over half of the grill.

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The peppers and onions are added to a grill-safe pan and the second grill grate tier is on top for the mushrooms.

After 30-40 minutes, check the Brats for doneness; they should be firm to the touch, the color white and opaque. If they’re done, take the Brats off and leave them covered while we let the peppers and mushrooms go a little longer to get a little more color on them. We have moved the peppers and onions to a position directly over the coals.

Sear the Brats

Once the veggies are looking tender, the onions are more translucent and they all have a little bit of browning and caramelizing, reposition them to the cooler side of the grill and make space for searing the Brats directly over the coals. Keep the lid open and turn the Brats every minute or so until all sides have nice browning and grill marks. Pull everything off the grill and toast some buns, if you like ’em toasty!

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I like to use my sheet pans as trays to transport multiple items to and from the grill. So I have the Brats, buns and mushrooms on one tray and peppers and onions along side. Put out some sauerkraut, a few types of mustard and let folks build their Brats.

Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions!

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I like to pile everything on my Bratwurst. Pretzel buns are perfect for this because they are sturdy enough to hold the juicy Brats, plus the veggies. Sure, veggies are gonna fall off, but that’s ok! The beer flavor on these Brats is amazing and they are so moist and juicy – not dry at all. Lightly caramelized onions, blistered sweet peppers; the mushrooms are tender and picked up a ton of smoky flavor from the charcoal.

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Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions take a bit longer than just tossing the Brats on the grill, but it’s so worth the wait. We tried this recipe last summer and we’ve never looked back, we always poach our Brats in beer now – and I predict, that if you try this recipe, you will too! If you want a refreshing and easy, make-ahead dessert to go along with your Bratwurst, try Buttermilk-Vanilla Panna Cotta with Berries and Honey. Thank you all for stopping by today, make these Beer Poached Brats and be sure to reach out on Instagram or facebook to let me know how it goes for you!

Key Equipment

Beer Poached Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions

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Dinner, Main Course American/German
By Kelly Djalali Serves: 4-8
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: About 45 Minutes Total Time: About 1 Hour

Poaching Brats in beer keeps them juicy and tender through the cook and the beer flavor is unmistakable. Caramelized peppers and onions top our Brats.

Ingredients

  • 8-10 Bratwurst Sausages
  • 2 cans Light Pilsner-style Beer
  • Mini Bell Peppers, stemmed and halved
  • 1-2 tbsp. Grapeseed or Vegetable Oil
  • Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper, to taste
  • 1 Sweet Onion, sliced into wedges
  • 3 Portobello Mushroom Caps, sliced thickly
  • Pretzel Sausage Buns
  • Mustard
  • Sauerkraut

Instructions

1

Place Bratwurst sausages in a grill-safe baking pan and pour in 2 cans of beer, cover with foil and set aside.

2

Meanwhile prep veggies and prepare the grill by creating a hot side and a cool, indirect heat side.

3

Toss the peppers and onions with oil and season with Kosher salt and black pepper, transfer mixture to a grill-safe baking pan.

4

Place the mushrooms in a grill-safe baking pan and add 2 tablespoons of water to the mushrooms, season with Kosher salt and black pepper.

5

Place all three pans on a 400 degree grill and close the lid. Cook for 30-45 minutes, checking the Bratwurst for doneness at the 30 minute mark. Brats are done when they are firm to the touch and are white and opaque in color.

6

Remove Brats from the grill and leave covered with foil.

7

Position veggies over the hot side of the grill and continue to cook the mushrooms, onions and peppers until they are tender and have a little color and caramelization.

8

Move veggies to the cool side of the grill and transfer Brats from the pan of beer to the hot side of the grill, over the coals.

9

Sear the Brats, turning every minute or so, until all sides are slightly browned and have grill marks.

10

Remove everything from the grill and toast buns on grill if desired.

11

Serve buffet-style with sauerkraut and a selection of mustards.

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  • Paula
    May 30, 2021 at 3:22 pm

    This sounds good I’ll have to try this. Living in Wisconsin brats are a summer staple. We grill them then put them in a pot containing beer and onions. They do stay juicy this way.

    • Kelly Djalali
      May 30, 2021 at 4:49 pm

      Hi Paula, give this poaching method with the reverse sear (searing after they’re poached in beer) a try, I think you will really like how they come out. Let me know how it goes for you! Thanks so much for dropping me a line today! Have a wonderful Memorial Day, xo Kelly

  • Deborah H
    June 19, 2022 at 10:44 am

    This looks delicious, going to give it a try this week. Love the idea of poaching first then grilling.

    • Kelly Djalali
      June 19, 2022 at 11:17 am

      Hi Deborah, I think you will love this method; it makes for deliciously juicy sausages! Let me know how it goes for you, xo Kelly

  • Mari
    June 19, 2022 at 3:28 pm

    My husband would have loved these a great deal. In his younger days, he was stationed in Germany, and he and he and his friends frequently ate every sausage they encountered, and they visited the local pub every Friday evening. They went to Oktoberfest every year. They also traveled throughout Europe on the weekends, and he always wanted to go back, but he never made it. It was one of the happiest times of his life, and then he volunteered to go to Pakistan! That wasn’t as much fun, but he got some wonderful souvenirs which his mother displayed for years. Eventually we got some of them, but they eventually went to family members who associated them with Grandma. So I will make these later in the week and remember my husband’s stories with love and a laugh. His smiles were the best part of his stories.

    • Kelly Djalali
      June 20, 2022 at 9:23 am

      Hi Mari, What wonderful memories! I think you will enjoy these brats – especially with the lovely memories of your husband and his stories of travel and adventure! xo Kelly