• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Mad Backyard

menu icon
go to homepage
  • BBQ
  • Lawn
  • Patio
  • About
  • Shop
  • Pool
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • BBQ
    • Lawn
    • Patio
    • About
    • Shop
    • Pool
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Pork

    Published: Mar 18, 2021 · Modified: May 26, 2024 by Mads Martigan · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    How to Cook Brats on a Pellet Grill

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Learn how to make perfectly cooked bratwurst on a pellet grill!

    Whether you are using a Traeger, Camp Chef, Pit Boss, or any other brand of pellet grill, we've got you covered.

    Get ready for the juiciest, most delicious brats you've ever cooked before, and they are super easy to make on a pellet grill.

    Let's Go!

    Bratwurst on Pellet Grill with caramelized onions on white plate with salad
    Jump to:
    • Oil your Brats
    • Beer Braised Brats
    • The Best Wood Pellets for Brats
    • More Smoke Flavor
    • Set Up the Pellet Grill
    • Cooking Temperature
    • "Reverse Searing" Brats
    • Cooking Time
    • Serving Suggestions
    • 📖 Recipe

    Oil your Brats

    All your brats need is a tiny coating of oil, either olive or canola, rubbed on them prior to putting them on the grill.

    brats in a foil pan being oiled with olive oil

    This lubricates the casing and not only keeps the skin from sticking to the grill, but also drying out and bursting when the brats inevitably expand under the heat of your propane grill.

    Then Do NOTHING Else

    No, seriously.

    Oil them up a little and THAT's it.

    Some recipes call for you to poke holes in the brat casing so they don't burst, however, this is not recommended as you lose a lot of flavor and juices this way.

    Whether you are cooking brats in a smoker, on a propane gas grill, or in a pellet grill like we are today, our goal is to slowly raise the temperature of the brats so that they don't split open during the cook.

    Beer Braised Brats

    Much conventional wisdom says that brats are so thick that if you just throw them on a hot grill you run the risk of the outside burning while the inside is still raw.

    To counteract this, many people opt to partially pre-cook the sausages before grilling.

    While there is nothing technically WRONG with partially pre-cooking your brats in a bath of beer and onions (please don't ever use just water), it really isn't necessary, and could actually make your brats taste...well...less like brats.

    Many, including myself, argue the flavor LOST from the spices and juices leaving the bratwurst outweighs the flavors GAINED from the beer and onions.

    Keep in mind, unlike brining a ham or your Thanksgiving turkey, where you are putting a BLAND piece of meat into a HEAVILY SEASONED brine to try and absorb flavor, here you are doing just the opposite.

    You are putting a HEAVILY SEASONED sausage into a relatively BLAND bath of beer and onions.

    As the brats and the beer get to know each other during the cook through osmosis, guess who loses more flavor?

    But have fun drinking that warm brat flavored onion beer!

    If you are really looking for some beer and onion flavor check out our recipe for beer braised onions that you can add to your pellet grilled brats AFTER they finish cooking!

    The Best Wood Pellets for Brats

    When choosing a good smoking wood for brats, we recommend a heavier scented wood like Mesquite or Hickory to stand up to the strong flavors of the bratwurst.

    a bag of z grills hickory wood pellets

    Save the milder fruitwoods for more delicate proteins like chicken and fish.

    Mesquite can be a little strong on its own, even for heavily seasoned bratwurst sausages, so mix it in with your hickory or a even fruitwood pellets rather than using it 100% on its own.

    For our pellet grilled bratwurst, we are big fans of Bear Mountain BBQ's Gourmet Blend.  Feel free to mix them in with some hickory or any other smoking wood pellet you want to try out.

    BEAR MOUNTAIN Premium BBQ WOODS FK90 Craft Blends All Natural Smoky Hardwood Gourmet Blend Smoker Pellets, 20 Pound Bag
    BEAR MOUNTAIN Premium BBQ Gourmet Blend, 20 Pound Bag
    • GOURMET BLEND: Gourmet Blend BBQ pellets add a sweet, smoky flavor to your favorite red meat, poultry, fish, pork, lamb, or vegetable dish
    • ALL NATURAL: Made from 100 percent all-natural hardwoods with no flavorings, fillers, or additives
    Check Price on Amazon

    More Smoke Flavor

    We have found that sometimes the smoke from the pellet grill is not quite enough to give our meat a smoky flavor. Adding either a pellet tube smoker or a firebox can really help bump up the smoke.

    A pellet tube smoker is filled with the same wood pellets you use in the pellet grill. We like to add a premium brand pellet to the pellet tube and use a less expensive pellet in the hopper for the heat.

    Knotty Wood Barbecue Almond Cabernet Cooking Pellets BBQ Smoker Red Wine Oak Blend 100% Pure Natural Almond Wood No Fillers Oils or Additives Two 20# Bags, 40 lbs Total
    Knotty Wood Barbecue Almond Cabernet Cooking Pellets BBQ Smoker Red Wine Oak Blend 100% Pure Natural Almond Wood No Fillers Oils or Additives Two 20# Bags, 40 lbs Total
    Check Price on Amazon

    For real wood and charcoal smoke flavor, we developed a method to create a small firebox that can be placed inside a pellet grill. This is one of our favorite ways to augment the smoke flavor on our food!

    Set Up the Pellet Grill

    Although most people default to grilling bratwurst, one of the best ways to cook brats, as we've shown previously, is actually to smoke it.

    Thankfully, with a pellet grill, applying smoke and cooking with lower indirect heat is easy to do!

    If you're new to your pellet grill or need a refresher on how to get it started, check out the article that matches your particular pellet grill: Z Grills, Traeger, Pit Boss, or Camp Chef.

    Add your chosen pellets to the hopper, then plug in the grill and get it started.

    Make sure it is set up for INDIRECT heating.

    You can also place a water pan UNDER the brats to add even more moisture to the cooking chamber and reduce your risk of the casings bursting.

    Let the pellet grill go through its start up process and once it has come up to temperature and stopped producing the thick white "start- up" smoke, put the oiled brats directly on the grill grates.

    Cooking Temperature

    The perfect temperature to cook your bratwurst is around 225-250°F.

    Anything above this heat has the potential to burn the casing on bratwurst and could cause them to burst.

    This usually happens when the outside casing crisps up and shrinks from the high direct heat before the inside has risen in temperature.

    As the inside of the brat then rises, the expanding meat and juices have nowhere to go so the casing ruptures.

    If your bratwurst burst, a lot of the delicious flavor will escape.

    On the other hand, if you cook them relatively low and slow, your casing can EXPAND along with the interior as it rises in temperature, keeping all those delicious flavors where they belong: inside the brat.

    "Reverse Searing" Brats

    You will still get a nice browning on the outside from the extra cooking time, even at "low and slow" temperatures.

    If you really want to, you can reverse sear the brats in a cast iron pan or right over direct heat on your pellet grill if it offers that option for the last minute or two before you serve them.

    At this point, the brats have fully expanded you run a much lower risk of them bursting.

    Lodge Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder, 12-inch
    Lodge Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder, 12-inch
    Check Price on Amazon

    Cooking Time

    Your brats should be cooked to 165°F internally on the pellet grill in order to be safe to consume.

    We are particular fans of this one from ThermoPro because of its durability and affordable price.

    ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer for Cooking with Ambidextrous Backlit, Waterproof Kitchen Food BBQ Grill Smoker Oil Fry Candy Instant Read
    ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer
    Check Price on Amazon

    At 225-250°F, thawed bratwursts will take about 1.5-2 hours to cook. This will allow them to reach the safe temperature slowly and cook throughout without bursting.

    If you are in more of a hurry, you CAN probably get away with raising the temperature to 275-300°F, as long as you are cooking indirectly and you've oiled the casing of your brats very well.

    This should cut your cooking time by about a third, however, make sure to always use a good instant read thermometer to know for sure.

    Serving Suggestions

    You can serve bratwurst in many different ways.

    The most common way to eat bratwurst is with grilled (or caramelized) onions and mustard on a bun, similar to how you would eat a hot dog.

    Check out our recipe for delicious beer braised grilled onions that go GREAT on top of brats.

    Some of our favorite picnic sides include Smoked Potato Salad, Smoked Deviled Eggs, and Smoked Cornbread.

    📖 Recipe

    smoked brats on buns on a white plate with a side salad

    Pellet Grilled Bratwurst with Beer Braised Onions

    Mads Martigan
    Brats perfectly cooked on a pellet grill such as a Traeger, Camp Chef, or Pit Boss.
    Slow roasted and then optionally topped with buttery beer braised onions.
    5 from 2 votes
    PRINT PIN SHARE SAVE Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 2 hours hrs
    Total Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
    Course Main Course, Sandwich
    Cuisine American, german, Smoked
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 284 kcal

    Equipment

    • Pellet Grill
    • Wood Pellets, preferably Mesquite or Hickory
    • Basting brush
    • Aluminum foil pan
    • Long Handled BBQ Tongs
    • Instant Read Thermometer
    • Wide Shallow Saute Pan
    • Cutting Board
    • Chopping Knife

    Ingredients
      

    Beer Braised Onions

    • 5 Large Yellow Onions
    • 1 Can Beer
    • 4 tablespoon Salted Butter

    Pellet Grilled Bratwurst

    • 12 Bratwurst
    • olive oil

    Instructions
     

    Braising the Onions

    • Slice 5 Large Onions.
    • Place the onions in the Saute Pan.
    • Pour beer into saute pan until it is about an inch high in the pan and turn to medium high heat.
    • Stir the onions around until they are mostly covered by the beer. Simmer uncovered until all the beer has evaporated and absorbed into the onions, about 20-30 minutes.
    • Add butter to the onions and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered, stirring frequently 45-60 minutes until onions have caramelized and are a rich golden brown color.
      beer braised onions for bratwurst
    • Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve over the bratwurst. Onions can be gently reheated over medium-low heat in the pan if they cool too much before the brats are ready to serve.

    Grilling the Brats on the Pellet Grill

    • Fill the hopper with pellets, start the pellet grill, let it run through its start up process, then set the temperature to 225°F.
    • Lightly coat the skin of the brats in olive oil to keep them from drying out and splitting while cooking.
      brats in a foil pan being oiled with olive oil
    • Once the pellet grill is up to temperature, put your bratwursts on the grill grates away from any direct heat. You can even place them on the upper rack above an aluminum foil pan of water. Close the lid.
    • Once the brats have reached 165° F internally using an instant read thermometer, you can remove them from the pellet grill, likely after about 1.5-2 hours.
    • If you wish to have a crispier exterior, you can throw the brats on a hot grill for 1-2 minutes per side just before they reach 165°F to finish them without overcooking.
    • Serve on a bun with the braised onions, or sauerkraut, mustard, or any other favorite condiment!
      Bratwurst on Pellet Grill with caramelized onions on white plate with salad

    Nutrition

    Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 10gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 591mgPotassium: 306mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 121IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 0.5mg
    Keyword beer braised onions, Brats, Bratwurst, Camp Chef, grilled brats, Grilled Onions, pellet grill, pellet grill brats, pellet grill bratwurst, Pit Boss, smoked bratwurst, traeger
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Pork Recipes

    • pork belly burnt ends in an aluminum foil pan
      Pit Boss Pork Belly Burnt Ends
    • pork belly burnt ends
      Pork Belly Burnt Ends in an Electric Smoker
    • double smoked bone-in half ham on a cutting board
      Double Smoked Ham in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker
    • Double smoked ham with a cherry glaze on a cutting board to show the slices of ham
      Pit Boss Smoked Ham with Cherry Fig Glaze

    About Mads Martigan

    Mads is the founder of Madbackyard.com and has been a BBQ and Grilling enthusiast for the past 15 years. He loves to write about and make videos on smoking and barbecuing all kinds of great food.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bill Ryan says

      June 02, 2021 at 7:23 am

      5 stars
      Those onions make the difference man. Got to have them on brats. I liked the water pan idea too.

    2. Keith Halster says

      June 08, 2021 at 5:46 pm

      5 stars
      Love smoking brats now, wont do them ay other way. I like to cook the onions right on the smoker too.

    3. Adam says

      March 17, 2024 at 11:48 am

      I haven't even bought my Pit Boss smoker yet but can't get enough of the procedures and recipes that I see.
      Can you hook me up with some basic beginner recipes and procedures?
      I can't wait to get started!!!!

    4. Mads Martigan says

      March 24, 2024 at 11:13 am

      Check out our website and our Youtube Channel
      !

    5 from 2 votes

    Leave a Reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Robert "Mads" Martigan, the founder of Mad Backyard

    Hi, I'm Mads, the founder of Mad Backyard and an avid outdoorsman, barbecue/smoker buff, and pellet grilling enthusiast who loves to share my passion for outdoor living and outdoor cooking with the world.

    More about me →

    Trending Recipes

    • pork shoulder on the grates of a pit boss pellet grill with a probe thermometer inserted in the meat
      Pulled Pork on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill
    • slices of smoked beef brisket on a cutting board
      Smoked Beef Brisket on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill
    • baby back ribs on the grates of a pit boss pellet grill
      Baby Back Ribs on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill
    • boston butt on the shelf of a masterbuilt electric smoker with a water pan beneath
      Smoked Boston Butt in a Masterbuilt Electric Smoker

    AFFILIATE DISCLAIMER

    Thanks for visiting Madbackyard.com!  As outdoor living enthusiasts, we love to mention and link to various products we have used or researched.  Assume those links are affiliate links which means we may earn a small commission if you click and buy.  As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Seasonal Recipes

    • slices of smoked corned beef brisket on a wooden cutting board
      Smoked Corned Beef Brisket
    • smoked cabbage cut open on a cutting board
      Smoked Cabbage
    • Double smoked ham with a cherry glaze on a cutting board to show the slices of ham
      Pit Boss Smoked Ham with Cherry Fig Glaze
    • sliced leg of lamb roast on a white plate
      Smoked Leg of Lamb on a Pit Boss Pellet Grill

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    For great baking recipes, visit our partner site You're Gonna Bake It After All.

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms and Conditions

    More

    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Shop our Store

    Contact

    • Contact Us

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020-2025 Mad Backyard

    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.