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Slow Cooker Brats

If you’re looking for a no-fuss, flavor-packed way to cook bratwurst, this slow cooker brats recipe is it! After a quick sear to get some nice browning, the brats are simmered with onions in a beer and mustard sauce, which leaves them flavorful and juicy.

Whether you’re prepping for game day, a fall party, or just an easy dinner, this meal is perfect to enjoy the flavor of brats without needing to cook them outside on the grill.

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.

Brats in buns on a tray with mustard

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

What You’ll Love About Crockpot 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

Emily’s Tip

I’m always trying to make recipes a bit quicker, easier, and simpler – but the browning step in this recipe is highly recommended. This simple step enhances the texture and locks in the juices so the brats end up tender and flavorful.

How to Make Slow Cooker Brats

This is an overview, the detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card.

  1. 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
Beer and mustard sauce for slow cooker beer brats
  1. Brown brats. Before we cook the bratwurst in the 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.
  2. Make beer sauce. In a small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup, mix the beer, mustard, and caraway seeds together. Pour into slow cooker over brats.
Brats in slow cooker
Crockpot bratwurst in buns with toppings
  1. 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 top with your favorite condiments.

Tips for the Best Crockpot Brats

Here we’ll go over some of the common issues that come up when cooking brats in the slow cooker and how to fix them!

  • Rubbery or tough texture – Cook on low heat instead of high heat. And avoid overcooking as this will dry them out.
  • Lack of browning – This recipe does call for a quick sear of the brats before cooking them in the slow cooker. It is an extra step which is semi-annoying, but it is quick and results in a much better brat.
  • Strong beer flavor – Use a mild and light beer like a lager instead of more flavorful varieties like an IPA or stout.
  • Soggy buns – Drain brats briefly before adding them into the bun.
Slow cooker brats in buns with mustard and onions

Storage

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.

Bratwurst cooked in crockpot on a plate with chips

How to Serve 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:

  • Bun of your choice – Use hoagie buns, brat buns, or hot dog buns.
  • Favorite condiments – Put out a variety of mustard, ketchup, relish, minced onion, etc.
  • Sides – Serve with sides like napa cabbage slaw, sauerkraut, tortellini pasta salad, baked beans, potato chips, raw veggies and dip, and/or fruit.
  • Game day platter – Slice brats and serve with pretzel bites, mustard, and beer cheese.

Want More?

Read more about my nutrition philosophy here and follow Emily on Instagram or TikTok for family dinner recipe videos and tips for feeding kids.

Print
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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:ย 
    Slice onions.ย 
    Smash garlic.ย 
    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 donโ€™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.ย 

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!

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29 Comments

  1. mmm this sounds like the perfect hearty fall meal! I’m always looking for new slow cooker recipes.

    The Newseum was one of my favorites in DC too! Such a great place.

  2. I LOVE brats! I know I’d fit right in in Wisconsin since I love brats and cheese ๐Ÿ˜‰ I just bought some kielbasa yesterday so I will definitely give those a try in the slow cooker!

  3. Right up my alley. I love sauerkraut! I just bought some to make veggie reubens, and my husband is going to try fermenting his own sauerkraut this fall.

    1. Oooh, I’ve always wanted to do that! It sounds pretty straightforward, I just don’t know where I would keep it!

  4. 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.

  5. Emily this recipe is fantastic! Brought me right back to my German roots! We all loved it. Thank you for sharing.

    1. 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!

  6. 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!

    1. Oh that’s amazing Roshelle! Thank you! I’m glad he liked it – who can resist brats?! ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. 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!

  8. Did you browned them on the stove top before you put them in the crockpot to get the black in lines

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  9. 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 ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. 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.

    1. 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.

  11. 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.

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