How to cook Crockpot brats with beer and onions is a delicious pork meal made in one pot. Slow cooking raw bratwurst creates a rich flavor, still with that snap you love.
Cooking slow cooker bratwurst tastes so good. Using a light lager is our favorite but if you love Guinness that will add deeper flavors too. With sliced yellow onion you can enjoy these in a hoagie bun with mustard or served as bangers and mash. (affiliate links present)
How long do you cook brats in a slow cooker?
Ok so I basically followed the same basic ingredient list as our Instant Pot Brats recipe in beer recipe, except this one will take longer. You get the same results as far as the texture though. In this go around you are looking at about 7 hours to be perfect.
Ninja Foodi Brats are faster with a crispier texture on the outside as you air crisp after pressure cooking. No matter what method you choose you want to keep them in a single layer. Johnsonville has several varieties to choose from, store brands work too.
Frozen Brats in Crockpot
There is NO difference in the cook time or instructions in How to Cook Bratwurst whether you take them right out of the freezer or they were bought fresh from the butcher at the grocery store.
I have experimented with how to cook frozen bratwurst a few different ways. Frozen Brats in Air Fryer actually turn out quite well, faster than this and you don’t have to use a pan first. This way though the HOT air does all the work for you. Gets ’em tender inside and with a big SNAP on the casing.
Ready to get started? Now you can add other veggies in there like our Crockpot sausage and vegetables. If you like what you see though, slice your onions and jump to recipe card below for step by step instructions friends.
Crockpot Brats Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 1 package brats, 5
- 1 can beer, 12 oz.
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp butter, cubed
Instructions
- Sear brats on all sides over medium heat in a skillet on the stovetop. Remove from pan and place into the slow cooker with beer.
- Sprinkle onion slices in the slow cooker and top with garlic and cubed butter. Cover and heat on high for 4 hours or low for 7-8 hours. Remove from slow cooker and serve with onions on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What’s the best way to cook brats if you don’t have a grill?
Below we will show you a favorite method, seared and then cooked in beer low and slow until they burst with juices. The flavor in the liquid, garlic and onions accentuates the already wonderful pork flavors in each link.
If you cannot cook Smoked Brats on Traeger I get it, when it is the winter time I am not about to cook outside in the snow!! You can get a similar outcome other ways, you’d just want to add a dash of liquid smoke to your beer brats if you felt you were missing out on that flavor aspect.
We show you How to Cook Bratwurst in the Oven here too, with sliced bell peppers. If you want them crispier so they snap when you bite into one I would go with these directions. And on the sheet pan you have room for veggies as well…just a thought.
FAQ
Yes they are. You can tell the difference between brats vs. kielbasa because of their color. You can see thru the casing with bratwurst and it white. As they cook the browner they will become. Because of this you will need to make sure that the insides reach a safe 160 degrees F before consuming.
Keeping bratwurst warm for a party is possible if you set your slow cooker to the “keep warm” setting with the lid on. They will stay at the right temperature for a few hours this way so guests can serve over time.
How do you get brats to be “snappy”
Do you know what I mean by this? It is when the casing is a bit crisp so when you bite into it you literally hear a snap!! In this case you’ll want to sear before putting into the Crock pot for that result. 1-2 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 400 would work too.
Is it better to cook bratwurst in beer or water?
I mean we shared here our opinions on that one. How Long to Boil Brats is much better in beer or broth because water just is booooooring and won’t add any flavor right? If you are worried about the alcohol, don’t. With the heat and amount of time it is heated in this case most of that will be burned off.
What can you make with leftovers?
I will cut into chunks and make Sausage Spaghetti. Dice it up and throw it into some homemade fried rice creation or air fry those bites for crispy bits of pig you won’t be able to stop snacking on. 😉
