Crock Pot Brats – Easy Step By Step Instructions For Delicious Sausages

These Crock Pot Brats are tender and flavorful, perfect for a normal weeknight or for your next tailgate party. You can make a few or make a bunch depending on the number of people you are serving.

Crockpot Brats Recipe

Brat season really should be year round, not just during the months when you can grill outside. However, if you ARE looking to grill brats, check out these Grilled Beer Brats in Beer Hot Tub from Farmwife Drinks.

You can cook brats all year long, using one of our favorite kitchen gadgets, the slow cooker. Check out our Slow Cooker Bratwurst Casserole which is a stew with potatoes and carrots.

It’s a simple concept. You pre-boil the bratwursts to remove the fat and toss them in the Crock Pot with a barbecue type sauce that includes your favorite beer, chili sauce, Worcestershire, ketchup, vinegar, salt, brown sugar and paprika.  Four to five hours later, you have perfectly tender brats for dinner.

Slow Cooker Brat Recipe

I made these for dinner, and Kevin was a big fan.  I took a couple leftovers to Mom and Dad, and they also gave them 2 thumbs up.

The beauty of this slow cooker bratwurst recipe is that you can customize it to your liking.  This recipe can make either one or two packages of brats, however many your family requires.

The variety of brats at the grocery store is endless.  There’s original, German-style, beer brats, cheddar brats, Bavarian brats, hot N Spicy, and more.  You can pick your favorite type of bratwurst for this recipe.  Next, you can use your favorite beer.  There’s no right or wrong with this recipe.  A favorite for the local brewery would be fantastic.

Ingredient List

• Brats
• Onions
• Beer
• Chili Sauce
• Worcestershire sauce
• Ketchup
• White Vinegar
• Salt
• Brown Sugar
• Paprika

How to Make Crock Pot Brats

Step by Step Instructions

1. Boil brats for 5 minutes to remove excess fat.
2. Drain, and place brats in a Crock Pot insert.
3. Top with onion slices.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix your favorite beer, chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, vinegar, salt, brown sugar and paprika.
5. Pour over the brat and onions.
6. Cover with lid, and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours in the crock pot. For a crispy outside, give a quick sear in a skillet or grill.
7. Serve on hot dog buns topped with the onions and all your favorite toppings.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Transfer to an airtight container, and store in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.

Full recipe for slow cooker brats is at the bottom of this page.

Looking for a side dish to serve with your brats?  Try our Buttermilk Mac and Cheese, Classic Macaroni Salad, Old-Fashioned Pea Salad, Crock Pot Baked Beans with Pineapple or Sweet and Sour Coleslaw.

Recipe FAQs

• Boiling the brats first will help eliminate some of the fat.
• Use whatever type of beer you have on hand for these crock pot beer brats. If you don’t want to use beer, use chicken broth, beef broth or vegetable broth.
• The sauce is flexible: use a little bit more of one ingredient or a little bit less of another. This is a good way to use up ingredients you have on hand.
• I love grilling these for a couple minutes right before serving to brown and crisp up the outside.

How to cook bratwurst in bulk?

Sometimes cooking raw brats takes longer than expected. Cook them in bulk in a slow cooker in a bath of beer and other ingredients. Then, right before you serve them, throw them on the grill to sear on the outside and rewarm the inside. This is a huge time-saver.

How do you keep brats warm at a party?

One way to keep brats warm at a party is to place them in a slow cooker on the “keep warm” setting, or on a low setting if your slow cooker doesn’t have a specific keep warm function. This will maintain their temperature without overcooking them.