Traeger Smoked Brats

These Traeger smoked brats are soaked in beer, slow-smoked, and smothered in smoked caramelized onions. This a perfect recipe for grill season!

No summer cookout is complete without the staple barbecue food: brats! When properly cooked, bratwurst will be both juicy and flavorful. Try smoker-grilling your brats with a Traeger for grillers looking to take their grilling game to the next level this season! Introducing an added smoky flavor while keeping that similar texture of sausage you know and love on the grill, Traeger smoked brats are sure to elevate your cookouts this summer!

Ingredients needed

• 2 sweet yellow onions
• 8 brats
• 2 Lager or Pilsner style beers
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 8 brat buns
• spicy mustard – optional

What type of onions should I use?

For caramelized onions, sweet yellow onions work best. For this particular recipe, we used Sunions®, and we can’t recommend them enough! Sunions® are sweet yellow onions that won’t make you cry when cutting them. They’re grown using an all-natural crossbreeding program, domestically grown in Nevada, Utah, and Washington, and shipped out across the US. They’re available for purchase at most major retailers, including Aldi, Publix, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. You can search for the closest retailer near you on their website. They have an incredibly sweet flavor, and absolutely NO TEARS WERE SHED when cutting them.

How to make Traeger smoked brats

1. Slice the two onions into rings.
2. Add the onions and brats to a 9×13 dish. Pour the two beers over the onions and brats. Cover and place into the refrigerator to marinate for 4-6 hours.
3. Preheat the smoker to 250 degrees F.
4. Place a cast iron skillet onto the Traeger grill and add one stick of butter. Let the skillet heat and melt the butter. Transfer the onions from the marinade to the heated cast iron skillet and let cook for 15 minutes before adding the brats to the grill.
5. Place the brats onto the grill. Cook both the brats and onions for 30 minutes at 250 degrees F. Increase temperature to 350 degrees F. Stir the onions to help the caramelization process.
6. Cook the brats and onions for another 15-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the brats reaches 165 degrees F.
7. Remove the brats from the grill when ready. Once the onions are soft and caramelized, carefully remove them from the grill. They may need to cook 10-15 minutes longer than the brats.
8. Serve with spicy mustard or your topping of choice.

The perfect sides for Traeger Smoked Brats

• Smoked Baked Beans
• Cheesy Smoked Potatoes

Recipe FAQs and Notes

What is a Traeger?

A Traeger grill is an outdoor cooking appliance that combines the convenience of gas grilling with the flavor and aroma of traditional wood-fired cooking. It uses patented technology to generate consistent, controllable heat from hardwood pellets for barbecuing and smoking meats quickly, evenly, and deliciously. The automated electric controls make it easy to select a temperature and get cooking in minutes, while the hardwood pellets provide a natural flavor and aroma that is reminiscent of true wood-fired recipes. With Traeger’s precision heat control, you can easily cook anything from juicy brisket to delicious desserts. Whether searing steaks or slow and deliciously.

How do you use a Traeger?

Using a Traeger grill is relatively easy. First, you should assemble your Traeger according to the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure that it has been set up properly and safely. Once assembled, you will need to season the grill before using it for cooking. This involves applying a thin coat of oil over the entire surface of the grill grates and turning the heat up to its maximum setting for 15 minutes.

Once you have seasoned your Traeger, you can begin cooking! The key is to choose the right temperature settings depending on what you are cooking. Traegers come with a dial that ranges from Smoke (180°F) to High (450°F). For thinner items such as vegetables or seafood, you will want to keep the temperature on a lower setting. If you are cooking thicker cuts of meat, like steaks, then you can adjust the dial to provide more heat.

When you’re ready to start grilling your food, be sure to preheat the Traeger for about 10 minutes. This will ensure that the grill is hot enough to cook your food properly. After preheating, place your desired items on the grill grates and close the lid. Allow the food to cook until it is done, making sure to turn it occasionally for even cooking. Once your food has finished cooking, let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

By following these simple steps, you can become a pro at using your Traeger and enjoy delicious meals cooked to perfection! Enjoy!

Do I have to marinate in beer?

If you’d prefer to not use beer, you can either skip the marinating process, or marinate in a non-alcoholic beer to still get that additional layer of flavor with the smoked brats.

Kitchen resources for this recipe

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Try these other Traeger recipes!

• Traeger Baked Potato
• Traeger Smoked Meatballs
• Traeger Mac & Cheese
• Traeger Beef Tacos

Traeger Smoked Brats Recipes