These beer brat bites are juicy bratwurst sausages that are grilled to perfection, then sliced and tossed in a beer glaze. An easy appetizer that’s sure to be the hit of any holiday party!
Bratwurst and beer are a classic flavor combination; I’ve turned this popular dish into an easy snack that’s great for parties, football games, or as a hearty snack.
Holiday entertaining doesn’t have to be time consuming. As much as I love cooking and entertaining, I don’t love spending hours in the kitchen instead of socializing with family and friends. These beer brat bites are a take on the traditional bratwurst cooked in beer, and they make a hearty and unexpected snack for any holiday gathering. They’re so easy to make too!
This recipe is made easy with the help of the Johnsonville Sizzling Sausage Grill. I absolutely love my Sizzling Sausage Grill and I’ve purchased a few to give as holiday gifts too!
The Johnsonville Sizzling Sausage Grill is so easy to use, and it always turns out perfectly cooked, golden brown sausages in less than 15 minutes. It’s the perfect gift for the sausage lover in your life! It’s easy to transport and you can use it anywhere that there’s an electrical outlet.
When you use the Sizzling Sausage Grill, the cooking plates actually enclose the sausage so that they cook and brown evenly. All the flavors are retained and there’s no mess or or drippings that splatter outside the grill. I love that you can cook anywhere from one to five sausages at a time. I cook five sausages in my grill for these beer brat bites, that way they’ll serve a crowd!
You can purchase your own Sizzling Sausage Grill for under $80. To receive your grill in time for the holidays, be sure to place your order by December 11th and use the code sizzle at checkout to receive free shipping and handling!
How to make beer brat bites
To make this snack, you’ll need Johnsonville Bratwurst, your favorite beer, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and parsley. That’s it! While the sausages cook on the grill, you reduce the beer and brown sugar until thickened. The mustard gets whisked into the beer mixture and you’ve got the perfect sauce to complement your brats. A little parsley goes over the top, and you’re ready to eat!
I used a dark porter ale here, but you can use whichever variety of beer you like best. A lager or pale ale would also work nicely. I tend to just serve these sausage bites in the pan with toothpicks, and they never last very long!
Be sure to purchase your Sizzling Sausage Grill today – in fact, get one for yourself, and one for a gift! Don’t forget to use the code sizzle for free shipping and handling, and enjoy your perfectly cooked sausages all year round.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- Sausage and Pepper Pasta
- Sausage Cheese Balls
- Tortellini Soup with Sausage
- Sausage and Rice Casserole
- Pizza Stuffed Shells
Beer Brat Bites
Ingredients
- 1 package Johnsonville Bratwurst Sausages
- 1 12 ounce bottle beer
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Place the bratwurst sausages in the Sizzling Sausage Grill and cook until done.
- While the sausages are cooking, make the sauce. Place the beer and brown sugar in a pot over medium high heat; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is reduced and thickened. Whisk in the mustard until smooth.
- Whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and pour into the beer mixture. Bring the beer to a boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until sauce is thick.
- Slice the sausages into 1 inch pieces and add them to the pot with the sauce; toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Nutrition
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
This recipe for beer brat bites is sponsored by Johnsonville. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible!
Easy and Tasty. Yummy appetizer for a summer bbq
I’ve made this twice now. I’m making ahead for a work potluck so we will see how it heats back up. I’m nervous!
How did the make ahead/crockpot technique work for you? Thinking of doing the same for a work potluck!
Sounds delicious !
I’m not a beer drinker . So can you please suggest a beer brand to be used here .
A brown ale or amber ale would be great!
These were ohhhh soooo goood and very easy. I used sausage instead of bratwurst. The longest part of the prep was cooking the sausage. Can prepare ahead and re-heat. Leftovers for us the next day.
Would Italian Sausage work vs. Brat?
I think it could work but I haven’t tested it this way!
Anyone tried adding sauerkraut?
I thought of that too but haven’t tried it yet. Tonight I’m making this glaze for ham because I bet it will delicious on that, too!
This is a fabulous and easy recipe! We made them last weekend as an appetizer for an Oktoberfest dinner party – rave reviews. My hubby has requested a batch to take to the hunt camp this week – is sure to be a bit hit with the lads!
Really enjoyed these. The sauce has great flavor regardless, but could not get it to thicken even with the corn starch. Any suggestions?
I’d double the amount of corn starch next time, and whisk it with 2 tablespoons of water.
I doubled this recipe and had to use more than double the cornstarch. I also added a splash of vinegar to cut the sweetness. Other than that, a huge hit! Great recipe!! Thanks!!
Could I use a bit flour to thicken the sauce if necessary instead of cornstarch?
That should work although I haven’t tried it myself!
These disappeared fast! Didn’t have Dijon so used more regular mustard than called for. Next time will use Dijon for a bigger punch. 👍
Can you cook these in a crockpot instead?
You can, just be aware that the alcohol will not cook off in a crockpot.
I have never rated a recipe before but I had to this time. These were AMAZING! I only had light beer on hand so that’s what I used but I’m sure I’ll try craft beers in the future. Definitely making these again and again.
Can I use something instead of Dijon.
You could use a different type of mustard, or simply omit the mustard!
Thank you! Will be making these tonight they sound delicious!!
We made it with spicy brown mustard because we didnt have dijon at the time. Was still very delicious!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
These sound so easy but look like they would be harder to make than this! I feel like I could eat all of them in one sitting, ha!
Can I make the sauce a day ahead?
Yes you can, just store in the fridge and reheat before serving!
Thank you for your quick response.. Can’t wait to serve this for the Superbowl tonight..
So, if you don’t have one of those special grills what do you do??? Sounds good BUT don’t want to buy another appliance to make this!!!!
You can cook the bratwurst in a standard skillet or a regular grill!
I followed the recipe exactly as written and my sauce would never thicken. Any ideas why it would not thicken?
Thanks!
You can add a little cornstarch if the sauce doesn’t thicken, I just added that step to the recipe in case others have the same issue.
Would these serve well in a crock pot, to keep them warm?
Yes that would work!
What can I use to substitute the beer for and how much of it. ?
I would use beef broth instead, use 1 cup of beef broth and 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar.
Will a pilsner style beer work with this?
It will, the flavor of the sauce won’t be quite as robust as with a porter ale, but you should use your favorite beer because you’ll definitely taste it in the sauce!