Juicy Crockpot brats with sauerkraut and beer combine all of the German flavors you love in a simple dinner that has only 10-minutes of prep time!
We are huge bratwurst fans since my husband's family is from Germany and multiple relatives still live there. We eat brats more than any other type of sausage, and although many prefer them in the summer or through Oktoberfest, they're an easy hearty meal year-round as well.
Why these are the best brats in the slow cooker!
- Pan-seared brats lock in the flavor of the sausage before slow cooking.
- Our recipe is simple and hearty, yet comes together in just 10 minutes.
- The addition of a little butter infuses the dish with warm buttery flavor (you can skip this of course)
- Using beer for the liquid allows the whole dish to stay moist and infuses a unique flavor.
- Perfect for low-carb and keto if you use a low carb beer, plus it's naturally dairy-free. The recipe is easy to make gluten-free by substituting a liquid other than beer.
Ingredient list
- Brats - we use a package of 5. Fresh pork bratwurst are often sold in packages of 4 but either will work. Feel free to add in flavored uncooked brats in the crock-pot instead of traditional.
- Butter- regular salted butter, I'm sure ghee or margarine would work too (optional to lighten the recipe)
- Sauerkraut - do not drain, we used a brand that didn't add extra sugar. Any favorite brand of yours will work.
- Onion - sliced
- Beer - use your favorite, but a mild-flavored beer works best. For a non-alcoholic version, use apple juice, broth, or water. You can use a light beer to make this a low carb recipe.
How to cook slow cooker brats
- To begin, get a large skillet and warm it over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the pan. Once it's heated, sear the brats for 3-minutes per side, until they are nice and brown.
- In your slow cooker, add the sauerkraut (with liquid), the onions, and the beer. Place the browned brats on top of the sauerkraut and dot with the remaining butter. Press the sausages down into the sauerkraut and liquid. They should be nestled down in, not fully submerged. This helps the brats to stay moist during cooking.
- Add the lid to the crock-pot and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the internal temperature is at least 160F. Brats do well up to 190F.
Jenni's tips
- This recipe will work with frozen brats. Skip the sear and add up to 1-hour to the cooking time.
- Instead of sauerkraut, you can substitute sliced cabbage, bell peppers, potatoes, or apples.
- If you are in a hurry, you can skip the sear step - however, your brats will not be browned when they finish cooking.
- You can easily double this recipe to freeze some for later! Simply add 1-hour to the cooking time, for a total of 5-hours in the crock-pot.
- If you have precooked brats, the recipe will take less time to cook.
Cooking brats in the crockpot without beer?
While bratwurst and beer together are like peanut butter and jelly, not everyone wants to slow cook their brats in alcohol. Great substitutes include non-alcoholic beer, apple juice, or chicken broth.
We ❤️ bratwurst!
- Instant Pot Beer Brats
- Baked Brats
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- How to Cook Bratwurst
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- Side Dishes for Brats
- best bratwurst recipes
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Easy Crockpot Brats and Sauerkraut
Yield:
5
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
4 hours
Total Time:
4 hours 10 minutes
Prep an easy comfort food dinner in just 10 minutes by combining bratwurst, sauerkraut, and beer in a crock pot. Dot with butter for a rich and delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 package brats (usually comes 5 to a pack)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 cups sauerkraut, do not drain
- ½ large onion, sliced
- 1 bottle of beer
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the pan. Sear the brats until brown for 3 minutes on each side.
- Add the sauerkraut and it's liquid to the slow cooker. Pour in the beer, and add the sliced onions. Place the brats on top and dot with the remaining butter.
- Press the sausages down into the sauerkraut and liquid to help keep them moiset
- Add the lid and cook on high for 4 hours, or until the internal temperature is 160F+.
Notes
- Swap the beer with apple juice, water, or broth if you want to make a no beer recipe.
- Instead of sauerkraut, you can substitute or add sliced cabbage, sliced bell peppers, or other vegetables.
- This same recipe will work for frozen brats, just skip searing them and push them down into the liquid. They could take up to an hour longer to cook on low.
- You can double the recipe but add more liquid, it could take an extra hour to cook.
Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 148Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 25mgSodium 683mgCarbohydrates 8gNet Carbohydrates 6gFiber 2gSugar 2gProtein 4g
Megan Givens says
plan on making this tonight for dinner! when subbing broth for beer how much broth should I use?!
Norma says
I am not a fan of cooking on high- can this be done on low a little longer?
Alethea says
This was really good! My husband is german and i'm always trying to cook good german food! I used apple juice instead of beer, and also served with your hot potoato salad! A true winner, I will be making again for sure!
Michelle says
Is it high for 4 hrs? Seems like a long time on high
Barbara says
This was a whole lotta yum 😉 and that's coming from someone who doesn't like brats or sauerkraut - I make it for my husband who enjoys it. We don't drink or use beer, so I used a combo of chicken and beef broth. I served it w/ sliced apples - perfect meal. will make again!
john odohonish says
how long to cook on low, so i can cook the brats while at work
ralph says
I LOVE your site! I'm a lifelong bachelor and have been just recently using the slow cooker with pretty darn yummy results, most of which recipes I've found on here. I also quit the booze 20 years ago (this past July) and am extremely paranoid about EVER using any, even for cooking. Is there something I could substitute for beer? Maybe a pinch of vinegar? Or just do without that ingredient entirely? Thanks for all your wonderful stuff.
ralph says
Sorry, didn't scroll down far enough to see the "substitute beer with...." part. My bad.
WholeLottaYum says
Ralph, congrats, that is seriously amazing! I'd just leave out the beer and use broth. A pinch of vinegar would be nice too. Jen
S. says
What brand brats do you recommend?
WholeLottaYum says
I prefer Johnsonville or the Costco brats! 🙂 Jen
debbie says
Great recipes! Love it that I found your site - how can I get your recipes sent to my emails? God's Blessings!
Valorie says
Is carb count including the beer?? If it is, What would be the nutritional value on the carbs if you did not use the beer?
WholeLottaYum says
I would just look at the carb count and nutrition on the back of the package and manually calculate the carbs if you didn't add beer.