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.
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 and yes once again I use a lager, gives it so much more flavor.
Ninja Foodi Brats is 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 for best results. Johnsonville has several varieties to choose from, store brands work for classic links.
Jump to:
- How long do you cook brats in a slow cooker?
- Frozen Brats in Crockpot
- What’s the best way to cook brats if you don’t have a grill?
- Slow Cooker Brats Recipe
- Can I cook brats and sausages in the Crock pot?
- How do you get hot dog/sausages to be “snappy”
- Is it better to cook bratwurst in beer or water?
- What can you make with leftover 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 seriously! I do have information for you below though;
I have experimented with how to cook frozen bratwurst a few different ways to test it out for y’all. Frozen Brats in Air Fryer actually turn out quite well, faster than this and you don’t have to use a pan first. Well, I mean you can’t brown them at the beginning since they are rock hard. This way though the HOT air does all the work for you. Gets ’em tender inside and with a big SNAP on the casing.
How long do frozen brats take to thaw?
You really don’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
This would be to set the unopened package in a large bowl of cool water. Drain and refill every 30 minutes until they are tender thru and thru when touched. Thawing frozen bratwurst in a microwave is possible but not as ideal as they will begin to cook on the outside if left in too long. Wrap in paper towel individually and heat for 2 minutes, check tenderness, add 1 minute until softened.
What’s the best way to cook brats if you don’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, 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.
Slow Cooker Brats Recipe
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.
Absolutely. Here we show you how to cook brats in their raw form but you could mix and match with other sausages too. As long as they are of a similar size and thickness they should take about the same time to cook all the way through.
Whether you smoke, bake or slow cook your bratwurst, keeping them warm for a party is important. Set your slow cooker to the “keep warm” setting with the lid on and they will stay at the right temperature for a few hours this way so guests can serve themselves over time.
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 “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!! That is what people expect with this food. In this case it won’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.
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. If it’s still a no, go with beef broth.
What can you make with leftover brats?
I mean so many things. Most of the time we will just reheat and enjoy the next day but if I have quite a few 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 won’t be able to stop snacking on. 😉
Crockpot Brats
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
