Cook perfect bratwurst in your pressure cooker with this easy recipe! Instant Pot brats are tender and juicy, and when they are cooked in beer and onions, they make the best hot dogs!
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If you're looking for a simple dish for beer fest or October fest, these Instant Pot beer brats are exactly what you need. A really simple dish that you can make with only a few minutes of effort, using only 3 ingredients.
Brats are great served in a bun as a snack, and pair perfectly with beer. They are also amazing as a simple entree served with your favorite side dishes.
Why you'll love it
- So easy to make
- Only require 3 ingredients
- Taste amazing
- Perfect hot dogs
- Great for October fest, or any other occasion
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Ingredients
Bratwursts: Bratwurst sausages, also known as brats, are really tasty, and easy to cook. You can also replicate this recipe with virtually any sausage.
Onion: Onions pair perfectly with sausages. You can use white, yellow or red onion.
Beer: The beer adds a great flavor to brats, and is a very traditional way to cook them. The alcohol will evaporate during the cooking process. You can use non-alcoholic beer or chicken stock if you prefer.
Instructions
You can find full instructions + ingredient measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page
One: Add the sausages, sliced onions and a splash of beer to an Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting, and cook until the sausages have browned on the bottom. Flip, and repeat on the other side.
Two: Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen up any stuck pieces of sausage or onion. Seal the lid, and cook on the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting, for 5 minutes on high pressure. Quick release the pressure, and serve.
Top tips
- Make sure that any stuck pieces of onion or sausage are loosened up from the bottom of the pot before you start pressure cooking to avoid seeing the Instant Pot Burn Message.
- As the alcohol evaporates during cooking, there's no point in using beer with a high alcohol percentage.
- Browning the sausages before you pressure cook them is optional, but make them look a lot more appetizing, and adds to the flavor.
Serving suggestions
These pressure cooked bratwursts in beer are perfect to serve in a bun like a hot dog, or as an entree paired with side dishes. Serve them for lunch or dinner, or as a delicious late night snack.
I love to top my Instant Pot brats with any of these toppings:
Serve your brats with these side dishes:
Variations
Without alcohol: Substitute the beer with chicken stock, or use non-alcoholic beer instead. This is great if you don't like to cook with alcohol, or want to make sure that there is no alcohol in the recipe.
Using other sausages: You can use any other sausages instead of brats in this recipe. Try using pork sausages, chicken sausages or smoked sausages.
With sauerkraut: Add ½ cup sauerkraut to the Instant Pot after the sausages are pressure cooked. The sauerkraut will warm up quickly in the warm beer, and tastes great with the brats.
With potatoes: Add diced potatoes to the pressure cooker, and cook the sausages and potatoes for 12 minutes instead of 5 minutes. This is a great one pot recipe idea, perfect for quick meals.
Equipment
To make this recipe, you will need an Instant Pot, or any other pressure cooker. This recipe has been tested in a 6 qt Instant Pot, but a pressure cooker of any size should work fine.
You will also need a cutting board and a sharp knife to slice your onion.
Storage
Leftover Instant Pot brats can be stored in a sealed container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat the sausages in a skillet or microwave, and serve them warm.
You can also slice or dice the leftover sausages, and use them in other recipes like Sausage and Rice Casserole or Sausage and Cabbage Skillet.
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Frequently asked questions
Boiled sausages can often taste bland. To improve the flavor, you can season them, boil them in a flavorful liquid instead of water, and brown the sausages beforehand.
Absolutely. You can also cook brats in water, chicken stock or beef broth.
Brats, or bratwurst, is practically synonymous with "sausage" in German. They are simply German style sausages.
You might also like these recipes
- Air Fryer Brats (Bratwurst)
- Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
- Sausage Pasta Bake
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork Shoulder
- Slow Cooker Sausage Casserole
- Instant Pot Pork Roast
- Instant Pot Pork Chops and Rice
If you make any of these recipes, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy! Follow Hint of Healthy on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest for more healthy recipes.
Recipe
Instant Pot Brats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Bratwurst sausages
- 1 cup beer
- 1 onion
Instructions
- Add the sausages, sliced onions and a splash of beer to an Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting, and cook until the sausages have browned on the bottom. Flip, and repeat on the other side.
- Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to loosen up any stuck pieces of sausage or onion. Turn off the Instant Pot, and seal it with a lid. Turn it back on. Select the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL setting, and set it to 5 minutes on high pressure.
- The Instant Pot takes about 5-10 minutes to pressurize, and will then start counting down. When the timer is up, perform a quick release of the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Serve the pressure cooked brats in buns as hot dogs, or as an entree paired with any side dishes that you like.
Video
Notes
- Store leftover brats in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet or microwave, and serve them warm.
- Use chicken stock or non-alcoholic beer for a non-alcoholic version.
- The alcohol will evaporate from the beer while the sausages cook.
- This recipe has only been tested with a 6 qt Instant Pot.
- You can replicate the recipe with any sausages of your choice.
Nutrition
Food safety tips
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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