Grilled Beer Brats and Sauerkraut

Close up of grilled brats in sauerkraut.

4.75 from 4 votes

Grilled Beer Brats and Sauerkraut

Easy bratwurst and sauerkraut cooked in one pan on the grill with beer, butter, onions and sauerkraut. Perfect for summer grilling and fall Oktoberfest celebrations!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: German

Servings: servings

Calories: 581kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
12 ounces beer (pale ale, lager or summer seasonal beer)
1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
2 sweet banana peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped or green bell pepper
2 pounds sauerkraut, drained
12 brats
12 bakery buns, hoagie-style or pretzel style, optional
Dusseldorf mustard or other mustard

Instructions

Prepare grill, either gas or charcoal. If charcoal, set up coals to one side.
Melt 1 stick of butter in a disposable aluminum pan (at least 2 quart capacity, preferably 10-by-13-by-3 inch). Add beer, onions, peppers and sauerkraut; mix well. Place the pan on the cool side of grill.
Place the brats on grill and sear on all sides, being careful not to pierce the casings. When they're seared and have good grill marks, transfer to sauerkraut mixture in aluminum pan; nestling each brat down into mixture and covering with the sauerkraut.
Cover the pan tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, close lid, and cook for 40 - 45 minutes. Remove from grill and serve: either plated or on buns, with mustard and sauerkraut piled on. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe works with fewer brats also, anywhere from 8-12 brats.
We usually omit the green pepper but this time we used some sweet banana peppers and really liked it. Green pepper is optional, use it if you like or try with seasonal banana peppers.
Sweet banana pepper rings in a jar works great in this recipe, use about half a cup.
We like sweet Bavarian-style sauerkraut in this recipe and used two 16-ounce cans.
My husband melts the butter on the stove and mixes the sauerkraut mixture off the grill. If you're doing on a gas grill, place the aluminum pan over the off flame, we use a M-O-M setting.
This recipe is adapted, with a few slight changes, from Kendrick's Meats and Catering.

Nutrition