How to cook Crockpot brats with beer or broth and onions is a delicious pork meal made in one pot. Raw bratwurst in slow cooker works great. You can mix and match like our Crockpot sausage and vegetables we love.

brats in slow cooker
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus youโ€™ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Cooking bratwurst in a slow cooker 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 with 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.

bratwurst, butter, chopped garlic, onion, and a beer bottle rest on a cutting boardโ€”perfect for crafting delicious Crockpot Brats.

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 donโ€™t have to use a pan first. This way though the HOT air does all the work for you. Gets โ€™em tender inside and with a big SNAP on the casing.

How long do frozen brats take to thaw?

You really donโ€™t have to bother doing this when cooking low for slow cooker bratwurst but you might want to so here are a few suggestions. Easiest is to set your package in the refrigerator overnight. This takes the longest, about 12 hours but is the easiest.

How to thaw frozen brats quickly

Set unopened package in a large bowl of cool water. Drain and refill every 30 minutes until they are tender. Thawing frozen bratwurst in a microwave is possible but not as ideal. Wrap in paper towel individually and heat for 2 minutes, check tenderness, add 1 minute until softened.

browning bratwurst

Whatโ€™s the best way to cook brats if you donโ€™t have a grill?

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, youโ€™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 wellโ€ฆjust a thought.

Slow Cooker Brats Recipe

Are brats raw?
Can you cook frozen raw meat together in a slow cooker?
What is the best way to keep brats warm for a party?
brats and sausages in the Crock pot

Can I cook brats and sausages in the Crock pot?

Yep, go ahead and mix and match if you like friends. If you wanted to add a smoky flavor you could cut a kielbasa into pieces and throw that in too. Those are precooked and just need to be warmed but could easily be heated for the full 7 hours these need to cook.

How do you get hot dog/sausages to be โ€œsnappyโ€

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!! That is what people expect with this food. In this case it wonโ€™t be crisp even if you brown at the very beginning. You could enhance that though. 1-2 minutes in a preheated air fryer at 400 would work or sear in a pan on the stove.

Ready to get started? Slice your onions and jump to recipe card below for step by step instructions friends.

Crockpot Brats

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 wonโ€™t add any flavor right? If you are worried about the alcohol, donโ€™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 Pork 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 wonโ€™t be able to stop snacking on. ๐Ÿ˜‰

how to cook bratwurst in crockpot
Crockpot brats simmer gently in a pot of rich broth, mingling with sliced onions to create a savory aroma thats hard to resist.
No ratings yet

Crockpot Brats

By The Typical Mom
How to cook Crockpot brats with beer or broth and onions is a delicious pork meal made in one pot. Raw bratwurst in slow cooker works great.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 7 hours
Servings:
Save this recipe!
Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker
  • 1 pan

Ingredients 

  • 1 package brats, 5
  • 1 can beer, 12 oz.
  • 2 onions, sliced
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp butter, cubed
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Sear brats on all sides over medium heat in a skillet on the stovetop. Remove from pan and place into the slow cooker.
  • 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

Serving: 1oz, Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 79mg, Sodium: 802mg, Potassium: 394mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 146IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree
Cuisine: german
Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

About The Typical Mom

Justine is the creative mind behind The Typical Mom and The Typical Family on YouTube. She began blogging about easy recipes, budget friendly activities for kids, and fun family travel destinations in September 2012.

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.