How To Feed A Loon

  • About Us
  • Recipe Index
    • Appetizers
    • Asian
    • Breads and Doughs
    • Cajun / Creole / Louisiana
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Comfort Food
    • Delectable Desserts
    • Entrees / Mains
    • Instant Pot
    • Italian
    • Pizza
    • Rubs, Spices and Sauces
    • Soups & Salads
    • Sides
    • Seafood
    • Southern
    • Mexican / Tex-Mex / Cal-Mex
    • Thanksgiving
    • Vegetarian
  • Videos
    • Recipe Videos
    • Web Stories
  • Work With Us
  • Contact
  • **Premium Access**
  • Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Summer Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Premium
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Summer Favorites
  • Recipes
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Premium
×
Home » Recipe Index » Comfort Food

Ale-Braised Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

Published: Oct 17, 2018 · Modified: Mar 2, 2025 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

15197 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Bluesky
Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Ale-Braised Bratwurst and Sauerkraut is hands-down a H2FaL favorite dish.

And when fall is upon us, there is nothing better than this pure comfort German dish.  Every layer of flavor adds to the depth of deliciousness here.

Mmmmmmm…so comforting!

Ale-braised bratwurst and sauerkraut in a blue Dutch oven

HOW TO MAKE ALE-BRAISED BRATWURST AND SAUERKRAUT

This amazing dish is so packed with flavor and is not difficult to make at all.

Watch us show you how easy it is to make this incredible ale-braised bratwurst and sauerkraut!

 

We love picking up some good German brats from our butcher and either starting them off on the grill or in our Dutch oven.

You just want to brown them a little to lock in the flavor, and then those juicy brats will finish cooking in the sauce.

Brat-alicious! And if you think this looks amazing, you’ll probably flip for our: Beer-Braised Kielbasa with Peppers, Pennsylvania Dutch Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, or for something really different for fall, how about our Pumpkin Gnocchi and Shrimp!

Grilled bratwurst for ale-braised bratwurst and sauerkraut

GERMAN ALE MATCHES PERFECTLY WITH THE BRATS & KRAUT

Of course, what would ale-braised bratwurst be without ale? Not very good!

Pick yourself up a good German ale. You’ll need one bottle for the dish, and the rest for YOU!

Beeeeeeeeeer!!

beer pouring into a Dutch oven for ale-braised bratwurst and sauerkraut

And of course, homemade sauerkraut would be awesome in this dish, but you can certainly find quality pre-made sauerkraut at well-stocked supermarkets and gourmet food markets.

The sauerkraut adds just enough flavor and texture to put the dish over the top.

Even if you think you don’t like sauerkraut, after you try it in this ale-braised bratwurst with sauerkraut recipe, you may just change your mind.

Sauerkraut being lowered into a pot of ale-braised bratwurst

This classic comfort food dish is wonderful anytime of the year, but our favorite time is in the fall, just as the temperatures are dropping outside.

And, just in time for Oktoberfest! Another German favorite is our German Schnitzel with Mushroom Gravy.

 Let there be not doubt, this incredible dish is wunderbar!!  

ale-braised bratwurst and sauerkraut in a Dutch oven

ale-braised bratwurst with sauerkraut

Ale-Braised Bratwurst and Sauerkraut

This Ale-Braised Bratwurst and Sauerkraut gets a nice kick-start on the grill (or in the skillet), which gets the brats nice and browned before they the go into the pot to be braised with all the other amazing German aromatics. This is German comfort food at its best!
4.92 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entree
Cuisine: German
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 345kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

Video

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 lb fresh bratwurst uncooked
  • 1 medium yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 12 fl oz. German ale
  • ½ cup apple cider
  • 3 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
  • 1 ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups good qaulity sauerkraut drained
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat your grill to medium-high heat , or a large heavy skillet.
  • Add the brats, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes (doesn't need to be cooked completely through...they will finish cooking while braising). Set aside.
  • In a Dutch oven (or large sturdy pot), over medium eat, warm the olive oil.
  • Add the onion and saute until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the flour and cook, stirring for another minute.
  • Whisk in the ale and cider until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
  • Add the thyme and stock, whisking to blend, and bring to a simmer.
  • Return the sausages to the pot and cover.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Uncover, add the sauerkraut, and simmer until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes longer.
  • Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide the sausages and sauce among serving bowls and serve at once.

Nutrition

Calories: 345kcal
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

More Comfort Food

  • A person holding a best-ever cheeseburger consisting of a juicy beef burger topped with melting cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and pickles all sandwiched between a toasted homemade hamburger bun.
    Best-Ever Cheeseburger
  • A white dinner plate filled with a serving of cube steak with mushroom gravy resting on a bed of mashed potatoes with braised green beans off to the side.
    Cube Steak with Mushroom Gravy
  • A white bowl filled with shrimp lo mein with cashews garnished with chopped scallions on top and two brown chopsticks resting side by side on the edge of the bowl.
    Shrimp Lo Mein with Cashews
  • A pork burger topped with creamy coleslaw on a homemade pretzel bun with Carolina mustard sauce oozing from the underneath the patty with kettle chips scattered around the burger.
    Pork Burgers with Pretzel Buns

Comments

  1. Carol Woods says

    September 29, 2024 at 10:14 am

    5 stars
    Love the recipes, but especially love you two!!!!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      October 01, 2024 at 11:08 am

      Carol! You have no idea how much that means to us! Thank you so so much! xoxo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  2. Marla Johnson says

    August 08, 2024 at 7:45 pm

    This was amazing. I put it over mashed potatoes. It’s like a German version of German bangers and mash.
    Yummy!!

    Reply
    • Kris Longwell says

      August 11, 2024 at 12:52 pm

      Hi Marla! Woo hoo!!! We are so so happy you made the ale-braised bratwurst and enjoyed! You are so right…it is a lot like a German version of bangers and mash! YUM!! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
« Older Comments
4.92 from 12 votes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




Welcome!

Kris & Wesley (The Loon) live for fun, food, and fabulousness. "How to Feed a Loon" is a celebration of just that. Come join us on this joyous culinary ride.

More about us

Summer Favorites

  • Grilled BBQ Chicken with visible grill marks resting on a metal sheet pan with a small white bowl of homemade BBQ sauce with a spoon in it nearby.
    Best-Ever Grilled BBQ Chicken
  • A close-up view of crispy coconut shrimp on a white plate next to a colorful bowl of Thai sweet chili sauce.
    Crispy Coconut Shrimp
  • An overhead view of two white bowls that are both filled with a serving of a turkey burrito bowl and they are surrounded by smaller bowls of salsa, pico de gallos, cheese, and corn salsa.
    Turkey Burrito Bowl
  • An overhead view of a large fajita skillet that is filled with a serving of veggie fajitas and surround by festive bowl of cheese, limes, sour cream, and a stack of charred flour tortillas.
    Best-Ever Veggie Fajitas
  • An overhead view of sliced best-ever pork tenderloin topped with a cranberry reduction on a large white platter with sprigs of parsley and a large serving fork next to the sliced meat.
    Best-Ever Pork Tenderloin
  • A close-up view of sautéed white beans and spinach on a white dinner plate resting next to sliced pork tenderloin.
    Sautéed White Beans and Spinach

Popular Recipes

  • best-ever chicken salad recipe
    Best-Ever Chicken Salad
  • A white soup filled with roasted tomato basil soup next to sliced grilled cheese sandwiches.
    Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
  • Mahi Mahi tacos on a wooden table in a taco holder
    Amazing Mahi Mahi Tacos
  • A lemon wedge being squeezed onto a platter of chicken francese
    Chicken Francese
  • Southern Shrimp and Cheesy Grits recipe
    Southern Shrimp and Cheesy Grits
  • Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder on a platter with a side of gravy
    Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder

Footer

↑ back to top

Explore

  • Recipe Index
  • About Us
  • Subscribe

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

Copyright © 2025 How to Feed a Loon • This website contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on a product link, we may receive a commission in return. How To Feed a Loon is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

15197 shares

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.