dinner recipes

Slow Cooker Brats (Crockpot Beer Brats)

Rate This Recipe

You know what your next game day, fall party, or heck, even a long day at work needs? CROCKPOT BRATS (aka slow cooker brats)! This simple meal is the perfect way to take a summer meal into the fall and winter and with this easy recipe, it takes just 10 minutes to prep and a few hours in the slow cooker. It’s also a great way to prep ahead for a party. Serve the beer brats in buns with plenty of mustard and onions for a traditional Midwest meal or with potatoes and sauerkraut for a more traditional German meal. Short on time? Try air fryer brats.

If you love cozy, slow cooker meals (is there anything better on a cool fall day?!) be sure to try my crockpot shredded beef, crockpot beef stew, or crock pot buffalo chicken sliders next time.

Brats in buns on a tray with mustard

If Wisconsin had a themed meal, cooking beer brats in crock pot would be it. Because in the land of cheese and beer and brats AND easy slow cooker meals…beer brats in a slow cooker just make sense.

And while I may not live in Wisconsin anymore, it’s definitely a part of the culture I grew up in. My local meat market has no less than 22 varieties of brats. We take it very seriously and from the moment it’s warm enough to step outside to grill (and let’s be real – even when it’s not for some) the aroma of brats is essential to spring/summer/fall nights in the midwest.

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

What You’ll Love About Slow Cooker Brats

  • Easy recipe
  • Perfect for game day
  • Easy to make ahead
  • Just 10 minutes to prep in a few simple steps
  • Made with simple ingredients
  • Makes a big batch of food (for a crowd or leftovers)

Ingredients

  • Onion – Use a medium onion, I prefer white, but you could also use yellow.
  • Garlic – Use whole garlic cloves as you’re just going to smash them, not mince them. You could use garlic powder if you don’t have any garlic.
  • Brats – You’ll want raw, German-style bratwurst. Johnsonville brats are our favorite, and you can get them at just about any grocery store. You could also use your favorite variety from your local meat market.
  • Beer – Use your favorite beer, lagers or lighter beers like Miller Lite, Bud Light, or your favorite N/A lager-style beer work well.
  • Grainy mustard – Grainy mustard adds great flavor and texture, but you can also use dijon mustard.
  • Caraway seeds – These add great flavor to slow cooker brat recipes, don’t skip it.
Ingredients to make crockpot beer brats

How to Make Crockpot Brats

This is an overview on how to make beer brats, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

Prep aromatics. Slice onion slices into half moons and smash garlic. Place both into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Onons in slow cooker for slow cooker beer brats
Brown brats. Before we cook the bratwurst in crockpot, we’re going to brown them to help lock in flavor. Cook a few minutes per side in a frying pan over medium-high heat, just until browned. They don’t need to be cooked through. Place brats in slow cooker.
Brats in slow cooker
Make beer sauce. In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, mix together the beer, mustard, and caraway seeds. Pour into slow cooker over brats.
Beer and mustard sauce for slow cooker beer brats
Cook brats. Cook beer brats in a slow cooker for 2 hours on high, or 4 hours on low. Serve in a hoagie bun or hot dog bun and place any desired condiments on top of the brats.
Bratwurst cooked in crockpot on a plate with chips

FAQs

Can you cook brats in a slow cooker? 

Yes! You can absolutely cook brats in a slow cooker. And it’s ridiculously easy, too. Typically, brats are a warm-weather meal, but this slow cooker brats recipes takes it into fall and winter – it’s a hot tub for brats!

You do want to be careful to not overcook the sausage – just like any slow cooked meat, the texture of the brats can get mushy if it’s cooked too long.

How long do you cook brats in a crockpot? 

The cooking time for slow cooker brats depends on whether you’re cooking them on high or low heat. These crock pot brats cook in about 6 hours on low heat, but if you wanted them done faster, you could cook them for 4 hours on high. Be sure to make sure they are cooked through!

How to keep brats warm in slow cooker without beer?

If you’d prefer to make your brats without beer, simply swap the beer for a veggie chicken broth. None of the beer, but you’ll still get flavor.

What is the best beer for brats?

I prefer using a light lager beer without a ton of flavor – think Miller Lite, Bud Light, etc. Now that I don’t drink alcohol, I tend to use an N/A lager-style beer instead.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover crockpot beer brats in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

How to reheat

Reheat the brats in a hot skillet or in the microwave until heated through.

Can you freeze cooked brats?

Yes, you can freeze cooked brats in an airtight freezer container for 2-3 months. Let thaw before reheating.

Slow cooker brats in buns with mustard and onions

What to Serve with Crockpot Beer Brats

All these slow cooker beer brats need is a few serving sides – buns, condiments, and sides! Here are some ideas to get you started:

How to Feed Brats to the Whole Family

I get it, feeding kids can be tough! But following the Division of Responsibility and knowing your job and your child’s job makes it SO much more enjoyable. You’ll be able to feed your kids any meal, which will help ensure that they are eating a variety of nutritious foods – with plenty of play food sprinkled in.

I would recommend serving a small piece of brat in a pinch bowl (taster bowl) if it’s a new or learning-to-like it food. Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t do buns.

Want More?

Follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

Crockpot bratwurst in buns with toppings

More Easy Slow Cooker Recipes

If you like this crockpot beer brat recipe, you might also like some of these other easy crockpot recipes:

Print

Want to save this recipe?

Just enter your email and get it sent to you inbox ! Plus you will get new recipes from us every week!

clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Slow cooker brats in buns with mustard and onions

Slow Cooker Beer Brats (Crockpot Brats)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Emily Dingmann of myeverydaytable.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 2 hours
  • Total Time: 2 hours 10 mins
  • Yield: 10 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Midwest

Description

You won’t believe how easy these crockpot brats are. Slow cooker beer brats are made with just 6 ingredients and are flavorful and juicy!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 onion, sliced into half moons
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 10 brats
  • 1 cup beer of choice
  • 2 Tbsp. grainy mustard
  • 1 tsp. caraway seeds

Instructions

  1. Prep ingredients: 
    Slice onions. 
    Smash garlic. 
    Layer onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker.

    Onons in slow cooker for slow cooker beer brats

  2. Heat oil in large skillet. Brown brats for about 1-2 minutes per side, just until browned. (They don’t need to be cooked through!) Nestle brats on top of the onions and garlic.

  3. Combine beer, mustard and caraway seeds in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and pour over brats and veggies.

    Beer and mustard sauce for slow cooker beer brats

  4. Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for about 4 hours, or until brats are cooked through.

Brats in slow cooker


Notes

  • Use a light pilsner or lager or your favorite NA beer.
  • Dijon mustard can also be used in place of grainy mustard. 

Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.

This post may contain affiliate links. They do not add any charge to you, but I will make a very small commission from them. I only link to products I use and recommend. Thank you for your support!

Reader Interactions

Did you like this recipe? Please leave a review and let me know what you thought! I appreciate it so much.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Comments

  1. Sarah

    i LOVE brats! this sounds awesome. my grandpa is from elkhart lake, WI and as you can imagine, summertime at my grandparents’ cottage=brat time. this sounds wonderful.

    • Emily

      So glad to hear, Carol! Thank you! It’s still 90 degrees in LA where I live, but the next chance it dips down, I’m making it!

  2. Roshelle Kelley

    This recipe is a favorite! Easy and tasty. Made it for my guy, who grew up on mostly Mexican food and had never had brats and sauerkraut. Was unsure if he’d dig the German flavor but he went CRAZY for it! Now I make it for him on the regular. My mom used to make this dish…this recipe nailed the flavor from childhood I was trying to replicate…and improved it a little, I think. Thanks for sharing!






  3. Roshelle

    This recipe is a favorite! Easy and tasty. Made it for my guy, who grew up on mostly Mexican food and had never had brats and sauerkraut. Was unsure if he’d dig the German flavor but he went CRAZY for it! Now I make it for him on the regular. My mom used to make this dish…this recipe nailed the flavor from childhood I was trying to replicate…and improved it a little, I think. Thanks for sharing!






    • Emily

      Hi Amy, you don’t need to brown them before cooking, but you certainly can! It will add great flavor. This dark one was touching the slow cooker directly so it got a little browned. You could also quickly sear on the grill or a pan if you wanted some grill marks.

    • Emily

      Hi Andy! Yes, the original recipe called for them to be cooked together. Layer the kraut and onions down first, nestle the brats over top, and top with potatoes. Drizzle with sauce and cook, making sure that the brats are cooked through and potatoes are tender.

  4. Kimberly Hastings

    This is a really great recipe! But my Husband and I LOVED the original version of it (the one with the sauerkraut and potatoes and rest of the ingredients in your updated recipe cooked all together) Could you please repost the original version? Pretty Please 🙂

  5. Bob D

    Some foods just are not intended for the clow cooker process. Bratwurst is one of them. I followed the recipe and ended up with mush. Terrible idea.






    • Emily

      Sorry to hear that Bob, I’m not sure why that would happen as I’ve made it without any issues many times. Maybe it’s a difference in slow cookers as I’m sure they vary in temperature, etc.

  6. Paige

    These are outrageously good! I made them for an Oktoberfest party last month and then just did a half batch last night for my family. I don’t think I have ever had a brat before like this. It melts in your mouth.






Trackbacks

recipes