This is the best slow cooker beer brats recipe! It includes a roux to help thicken the sauce which is delicious over mashed potatoes.
If you like this recipe, check out my slow roasted Italian Chicken Sandwiches next!
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Slow cooking equals juicy bratwursts! And cooking the brats on high in the Crock-Pot will brown them. No need to turn on the stove. Plus you don’t have to partake in alcohol to enjoy these. The luscious sauce can be made with non-alcoholic beer too. A Belgian style white beer is an excellent choice. Any beer connoisseur wouldn’t know the difference after cooking – whether you choose to use a beer with or without alcohol. This is an easy recipe for game day or any other busy day. Keep reading for my recipe tips to making the absolute best slow cooker beer brats.
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Ingredients for Crockpot beer brats
- Bratwurst – Use your favorite brand of raw brats for this recipe. They are guaranteed to be juicy brats. For purposes of testing, I used Johnsonville brand.
- Beer – Use your favorite beer for this recipe. My personal recommendation is a Belgian style white. I love the taste of a good beer, but alcohol doesn’t agree with me so much as I’m getting older. So I personally love a good non-alcoholic beer. They are perfect for cooking too.
- Onion – Use one large sweet onion. You can add more if you want more onions.
- Butter and Flour – Microwaved together, they form a roux which helps to thicken the beer sauce as it cooks. I use this method with great success in many of my crockpot recipes.
- Dijon Mustard – The tangy taste goes so well with beer sauce.
- Seasonings – A combo of sugar, garlic powder, salt and a fresh bay leaf is the way to go. You could choose to use fresh cloves garlic instead. Or use brown sugar instead of granulated white. Or even toss in some caraway seeds. But I think the recipe as written is just right.
Instructions for crock pot beer brats
If you prefer seared brats, you can give them a quick sear before adding them to the slow cooker. I find that to be an unnecessary step. They get browned by cooking them on high power in the slow cooker.
Start by thinly slicing the onion and layering it into the bottom of the crock. Follow my microwave roux recipe. Then whisk in the mustard, seasonings and beer. Layer in the uncooked brats. Pour over the beer sauce. And cook on high power for at least 4 hours. Brats are safe to eat once their internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
This is a recipe that can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. One recipe fits in a 6-quart Crock-Pot. Two or three, you’ll need a larger cooking vessel. For the complete list of ingredients and instructions, keep scrolling to the bottom for my free, printable recipe card.
Serving suggestions
I personally love drenching some mashed potatoes with all the good beer sauce. But this is a wonderful recipe to serve in hot dog buns too. Maybe topped with some more mustard and sauerkraut. I think homemade chocolate chip cookies would be excellent for dessert. Here’s some easy sides to make my crockpot brats into a complete meal –
Storage directions
Store any leftover brats and beer sauce in an airtight container. They are just as good the next day! They will keep fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Or in the freezer for up to once month.
Kitchen tools
- The 6-quart Crock-Pot similar to what I use for testing all my slow cooker recipes
- My favorite, inexpensive and instant read meat thermometer
- Set of Pyrex measuring cups for making the beer sauce
- Magnetic set of measuring spoons for measuring the seasonings
Slow Cooker Beer Brats
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 5 bratwurst uncooked, I used Johnsonville
- 1 large sweet onion thinly sliced
- 12 oz beer I used a non-alcoholic Belgian white
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Layer the thinly sliced onion into the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
- Place the bratwurst on top of the onions in an even layer.
- In a 2 or 4 cup capacity (microwave safe) measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the flour. Microwave in four, 30-second increments, stirring with a fork each time. The flour will bubble up and the mixture will get a deeper yellow color.
- Add the Dijon mustard, sugar, garlic powder and salt to the butter mixture. Stir well to combine, until smooth.
- Slowly pour in the beer, be careful as it will bubble up. Stir to combine. Pour the beer sauce evenly over top the onions and brats. Nestle the bay leaf into the sauce as well.
- Cook on high power for 4-6 hours, or until the brats reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees F. And the brats have started to brown on the outside.
Nutrition
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