If you’ve been wondering how to cook brats in an instant pot, look no further! You’ve come across the juiciest, flavorful and moist instant pot beer brats recipe. What’s even better is these make the ideal low carb bratwurst recipes or keto bratwurst recipes too!
Finding recipes for busy weeknights can sometimes be a struggle, especially when you’re following a low carb diet or keto diet AND want to use your beloved Instant Pot! Even if you aren’t looking for keto bratwurst recipes, this will become a new family go-to recipe regardless.
Bratwurst in beer (and butter!) has quickly become one of our absolute favorite dinners and keto bratwurst recipes we enjoy regularly. While these have always turned out well in a crock-pot, cooking them in an Instant Pot instead takes these gems to a whole different level.
Adding a side of sugar-free sauerkraut or cooked cabbage makes this the perfect low carb bratwurst meal! Or I guess you can skip the kraut if you’re on a beer and sausage diet 😉
We seriously couldn’t believe how juicy and tender the bratwurst turned out with this recipe, we’ll never go back to brats cooked in a slow cooker or oven again.
The kids also love this recipe too! When cooking bratwurst in a crock-pot all day, the sausages seem to get a little too infused with beer flavor for their liking. The IP solved this problem since it quickly infuses the bratwurst with both the beer AND the butter. That being said, if you LOVE beer, by all means, soak brats in beer overnight.
Pressure Cooker Beer Brats
On to the ingredient list for your new favorite electric pressure cooker bratwurst recipe! 😉
Here’s what you need:
- 2 T butter
- 7 Costco size Johnsonville brats (these taste the best IMO). You, of course, can buy smaller packages from your grocery store
- 1 light beer- Michelob Ultra (any favorite beer of yours works, but this only has 2.6 Carbs for those looking for keto bratwurst recipes!)
NOTE: You can also cook brats without beer by either substituting a chicken broth, beef broth or alcohol-free beer.
Instructions:
Turn your Instant Pot to sauté and melt the butter
Saute brats 2-3 mins each side until lightly browned.
You’ll want to make sure they are laying down in a single line across the bottom, it’s fine to cook them in 2 batches if you can’t fit them all flat in the pot. Using long-handled rubber tip tongs are my favorite tool for flipping splattering foods.
Remove the brats and place your IP rack on the bottom of the pot. Place the brats on the rack and carefully pour the bottle of beer over the bratwurst.
There’s some debate online whether piercing your bratwurst with a fork before you cook them in a pressure cooker will keep them from exploding, and I can attest after forgetting to do this twice, the bratwurst did NOT explode. That being said, if it makes you feel a little better, it’s totally fine to prick each sausage with a fork 🙂
Cook on Manual high for 8 minutes (depending on your Instant Pot model, this setting might be called Manual or Pressure Cook.
Slow Release 10 minutes or until the pressure valve releases.
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Sausage Cooking Time
Regarding the instant pot brats cooking time, I’ve made this recipe many times and in my pressure cooker, the perfectly done cooking time is 8 minutes. Other recipes I’ve found online for beer brats in a pressure cooker say less time than this and others say even longer. If you have other types of similar size uncooked sausage, I’d also recommend this for your instant pot sausage cooking time for other uncooked sausages too!
I highly suggest you use 8 minutes as your starting time since you don’t want to undercook your bratwurst OR overcook them! And then you can simply adjust your instant pot brats cooking time going forward with your own pressure cooker. But in my opinion, 8 minutes seems to be the perfect instant pot sausage cooking time for the juiciest, moist and flavorful Johnsonville brats recipes.
Instant Pot Tutorial
If you’re a brand new instant pot user, here’s a great YouTube Instant Pot Tutorial that covers the basics.
Please post your comments below! If you have other keto bratwurst recipes that you love, please also share them with us 🙂
I hope you enjoy these amazing low carb and keto beer brats!
Easy Low Carb IP Beer & Brats
Ingredients
- 2 T butter
- 7 Johnsonville Brats (the costco pack)
- 1 light beer- Michelob Ultra
Instructions
- Turn on your instant pot and set to Saute
- Brown the bratwurst lightly in the butter on both sides, about 2-3 minutes each. You might need to brown these in two batches, depending on how many brats you're cooking and the size of your pressure cooker
- Remove all of the brats from the instant pot
- Place a rack on the bottom, set all of your bratwurst on top of the rack
- Carefully pour the light beer over the bratwurst
- Set your instant pot to Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your model) and cook for 8 minutes
- Once done, do a Natural Release until the steam is released
- Enjoy!
Notes
Long handled rubber tip tongs work very well to turn the brats and remove them
Enjoy!
I love that you are not afraid to cook with a low carb beer like this!
I still enjoy an occasional Mich Ultra, and I’m driven nuts by the nasty looks I get when someone who knows I’m keto sees me with a low carb beer in my hand.
I’m making these brats, and I’m washing them down with a cold low carb beer. 😉 And despite the looks, I know I’ll stay in ketosis and even if I knock myself out today I’ll be back in Ketosis in no more than a few days. Life is good, keto on!
Keep up the good work.
Haha! I usually just grab whatever beer is in the fridge that’s on the milder side, but with my hubby on a keto diet, had to keep it low carb 🙂 Thank you and enjoy! Jen
I tried this with the beef broth and put sauerkraut over the brauts before using the pressure cooker.. my husband loved them. We’re having it again tonight!
It’s definitely one of our family favorites! Beef broth is an awesome substitute in place of the beer.
This looks so good! I’ve never cooked them in beer before.
It’s fabulous and adds a nice flavor! Beef or chicken broth work well also, but imo, beer provides the richest flavor with brats.
Thanks for sharing! Thanks for the tip about poking it so they don’t explode!
I will add, I accidentally didn’t poke when I made them last week and they did not explode. Whew!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. What do you usually make for a side dish?
We love roasted veggies, sauerkraut would be great also! 🙂
Just put this on and added some sliced cabbage to the pot. Thanks for the recipe!
Sounds amazing! Enjoy!
Does it work to do more brats than 7 at a time? Like a dozen? If so, would u increase the time?
Yes! Adding more brats would work, but you’d need to saute them in batches first since that many can’t lay flat at one time.
Great easy recipe. I pretty much follow what you do, then saute onions, I just use whatever beer to deglaze, put brats in a steamer basket with sautéed onions on top.
I love this idea, Randy! Making the beer brats with sautéed onions sounds amazing!