Beer Simmered Brats
with peppers / onions / German potato salad
A popular summer dinner in the Midwest, German-style bratwurst sausages ("brats") are simmered in beer or stock to add flavor and then finished on the grill to get a crisp sear. Top them with peppers and onions and serve with or without buns. German potato salad is a classic side dish for brats - serve it warm or chilled.
Ingredients
- Bell peppers, red - 1, sliced
- Onions - 1, sliced
- Sausage, German-style bratwurst (sub sausage of choice) - 4 links
- Beer, any type (sub stock of choice) - 2 cups
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Hoagie buns (opt; sub hot dog buns) - 4
- Mustard, spicy or honey-mustard (sub Dijon) - 4 Tbsp
- Potatoes, baby red (sub new potatoes) - 1 lb, scrubbed
- Celery - 1 stalk, diced
- Shallots - 1 clove, chopped
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, apple cider - 2 tsp
- Mustard, use large grain mustard if you have it (sub Dijon) - 1 tsp
- Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Bell peppers / Onions - (If prepping right before cooking, get potatoes boiling before continuing with prep.) Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Boil potatoes - Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the size of potatoes). Drain and rinse under cool water. (Can be done up to 4 days ahead)
- Celery / Shallots - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Make potato salad - Quarter boiled potatoes. Combine with celery, shallots, olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
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Make
- If you want to finish the sausage by searing on the grill, heat grill to 500F / 260C degrees (alternatively, you can sear on the stovetop).
- Combine beer (or stock) and butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Bring liquid to a simmer and add sausage, onions and peppers to hot liquid. (Don’t worry if the sausage isn’t completely covered in liquid.)
- Simmer, turning sausage every few minutes, until liquid is mostly reduced and onions and peppers are tender, ~15 minutes.
- Remove sausage from liquid and set aside. Let onions and peppers continue cooking until all the liquid is evaporated and vegetables begin to caramelize on the bottom of the pan.
- To sear sausage on grill: Clean grates and brush with cooking oil. Place sausage over hottest part of grill and sear on all sides, ~5 minutes total. Just before sausage is finished cooking, toast buns (if using) on grill.
- To sear sausage on stovetop: Heat a skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Add sausage and sear on all sides until golden brown, ~5 minutes total. Toast buns (if using) in batches in the hot pan or in a toaster oven.
- Divide sausage, peppers and onions across buns (or serve without buns if you prefer). Serve with mustard. Enjoy with potato salad on the side!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
54 reviews
Amazing with both veggie dogs and bison sausages, and cream cheese on the bun. We used the leftover broth to cook potatoes and was fantastic. Freezes well.
0 HelpfulMake sure not to use a beer that's too bitter. Something sweet like a porter or stout would probably have been better than the red ale I used. The brats were great, but you could really taste the bitterness in the onions and peppers. I really enjoyed the potato salad. My husband liked it too even though he typically doesn't like mayonnaise or mustard based salads.
0 HelpfulProbably not going to make this over the winter, but looking forward to making it again next summer
0 Helpful