Beer Brats in the Oven

You only need three ingredients to make these plump and juicy beer brats in the oven. These flavorful sausages are braised in a good beer bath and topped with tender, sweet onions. It’s a fantastic fall recipe to celebrate Oktoberfest or to enjoy on any chilly, cozy night at home.

The Best Beer Brats in the Oven

Brats (the nickname for bratwurst links) are a famous German sausage made from pork and veal, and seasoned with warm spices. They’re great when made on a hot grill in the summer, and even better cooked in the oven year-round.

When you cook brats in the oven, braised in beer and covered in onions, they come out perfectly moist and plump on the inside and crispy and golden brown on the outside. The oven method truly cooks juicy brats to perfection.

Braising brats in beer helps to maintain moisture and impart flavor, all while preventing the sausage cases from popping open during cooking. It’s my favorite way to make the best brats, and I think it’s going to be your new favorite way, too!

So this beer brat recipe is perfect whether you’re celebrating Oktoberfest — along with German pork chops, Kielbasa and butternut squash skillet, Instant Pot cabbage, and pickled red cabbage — or just need an easy dinner. Or you can serve it at a tailgate during football season. It’s the perfect meal year-round!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

There’s so many good reasons to love this easy meal of flavorful sausages. We love this recipe because:

• It only takes a half hour to make these fresh beer brats. Great for a busy night when you don’t have time for a meal that takes a lot of effort.
• You only need 3 main ingredients to make oven baked brats. Just keep them on hand and you’ll have a quick and easy dinner whenever you need it!
• Make as many bratwurst sausage as you need when you use the oven method. I make 5-6 links with this brats recipe, but feel free to double or triple this recipe when you oven bake bratwurst. There will be plenty of space in the oven and it’s a great method to cook tons of beer bratwurst at once.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to grab from the grocery store to make these bratwurst in the oven:

• bratwurst: Grab you favorite brand of raw bratwurst, any will do! This simple process is the easy way to cook this juicy sausage with loads of incredible flavor. Just be careful not to buy pre-cooked brats — we want to control the flavor with the perfect beer!
• beer: Any type of beer that you like will work great. I love to use a German lager, but use a lighter beer, your favorite beer or whatever beer you already have! I promise it’ll be wonderful!
• onions: I prefer to use large yellow onions or white onions. Red onions have a really bold flavor, but feel free to use them if you prefer.

I love to serve these beer-soaked brats on toasted brat buns with some sauerkraut and a good German mustard! With a cold beer, of course.

Best Beer for Brats

The best beer for cooking beer brats is any kind of beer you already love to drink, but lagers are a top choice for their light, crisp flavor that complements the sausages without overpowering them. The mild bitterness and subtle malty sweetness of a lager help enhance the taste of the brats.

Some popular brands to try are Old Milwaukee and Miller High Life, but you can also support a local brewery too!

If you’re feeling adventurous, try using a pilsner for a similar light beer flavor or go with a darker beer like an amber ale or stout for a richer, deeper taste.

Variations

Optionally, you can customize your brats with more ingredients! Here are some suggested additions:

• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 cup drained sauerkraut
• 2 peeled and diced apples
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

How to Make Brats in Oven

Make this bratwurst recipe in just a few simple steps. Here’s what you’ll need to do to make oven-baked brats:

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 400°F (204°C). Then lay the uncooked brats in a large cast iron skillet in a single layer. If you don’t have a skillet, you can also use an oven safe baking dish or dutch oven. Cover with sliced onions, add any of the optional ingredients you may decide to use.
2. Then pour the beer over the links. To braise meat, you only need to submerge it in in liquid partially. So since you’re braising the brats, you don’t need to cover them completely. Boiling brats is not recommended anyway!
3. Next, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, and if needed, use a spatula to push the cooked onions to the sides of each sausage.
4. Turn on the broiler, place the pan back into the oven, and gently broil the brats for just a few minutes on both sides of the brats, just until they’re crispy and brown.
5. Once the brats are done, let them rest for about 5 minutes while you toast your rolls and assemble each brat with whatever toppings you like. I like to add the cooked onions, some sauerkraut and grainy, spicy mustard. Then serve and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Follow these few tips to make sure that you have the most success cooking these beer-boiled brats in the oven:

• The cooking time may vary a bit depending on the size of the sausage links. Just keep an eye on them and always remember to cook them to a safe internal temperature, 160°F (63°C). You can use a meat thermometer to test the temp!
• Don’t skimp on the onions. Even if you’re not a fan of eating onions with your brats, they will add loads of flavor while being cooked in the oven.
• Toasted buns are best for braised brats. Trust me, it really does make a difference and you’ll thank me later for it. Oh, and don’t use hot dog buns! They’re the perfect size for hot dogs but are too small for bratwurst sausages.

What to Serve with Beer Brats

Brats are classically served with sauerkraut, dijon or grainy mustard and some toasted rolls. If you’d rather skip the bread and lower the total carbs, serve with mashed cauliflower.

These delicious bratwurst links can be served with a variety of sides though. I love to pair them with roasted parsnip fries, roasted air fryer baby potatoes, or air fryer potato wedges. Potato salad is always a great classic to serve with brats too.

Broccoli ranch slaw or purple cabbage and carrot slaw are a twist on a classic side that also pairs well with bratwurst. Whether it’s a classic side, some french fries, or anything else you want, you can eat bratwurst any way and with tons of delicious side dishes!

How to Store Leftover Bratwurst

In the fridge: Place leftover beer brats into an airtight container or plastic zip top bag and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

In the freezer: You can also freeze these sausage links! Transfer cooled sausage to a freezer bag and squeeze out all of the excess air. Then freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.

To reheat: For best results, reheat on the stove top or in the oven.

FAQ

More Oven Recipes

• Oven Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs
• Honey Soy Marinated Pork Belly
• Baked Salsa Chicken and Rice
• Keto Philly Cheesesteak Zucchini Boats

Making this recipe? I’d love to hear about your experience making it!
Please leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @cookathomemom.