Homemade Brat Burgers feature homemade brat patties made with ground pork and everyday spices. They're a dead ringer for the real thing!
Found my new go-to, summer favorite, ON REPEAT EVERY WEEK recipe – Homemade Brat Burgers with Gluten-Free Beer-Braised Caramelized Onions!
Homemade bratwurst patties made from pork and spices are topped with luscious, beer-braised caramelized onions (read below for my thoughts on GF beer,) to create the most craveable dish that has ever come from my grill. There, I said it.
This clean recipe is not only gluten and dairy-free, but seriously quick and easy.
After grilling these burgers up for the first time I thought they could use a hint of beer and onion flavor, which you traditionally boil brats in before grilling. Enter beer-braised caramelized onions. OH YES!
Were talking seared onions simmered in gluten-free beer until golden brown, sticky-sweet, and perfectly caramelized. I don’t normally acknowledge a world in which brats aren’t buried under a blanket of tangy mustard, but these burgers topped with beer-braised caramelized onions slay the traditional combo.
Aside from the taste, there’s something deeply satisfying about making something at home that’s traditionally thought of as something you can only buy at the store. The homemade bratwurst patties tastes just like my favorite store-bought brats but only contain pork and spices. No preservatives (besides salt,) no sugar, no additives – just real food.
Start by getting the beer-braised caramelized onions going. Add 1 jumbo sliced sweet onion to 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat then saute until the onions are golden brown, 10 minutes.
Next add 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce, salt, and a 12oz bottle of gluten-free beer.
NOTE: If you have Celiac Disease I DO NOT recommend drinking or using “gluten-removed” or “gluten-reduced” beers like Omission, Glutiny, etc. I used to drink gluten-removed beers back when I was first diagnosed with CD and 100% know it was one of the reasons I was staying sick vs getting well. They aren’t consistently low enough in gluten ppm for people with CD or a serious gluten intolerance to safely drink. Instead, use a beer that’s brewed with gluten-free grains like rice, sorghum, etc.
If you aren’t gluten-free, you can just use your favorite beer!
Turn the heat down to medium then simmer until the onions are tender and the beer is nearly absorbed, 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix up the brat burger patties. That’s just 1lb ground pork mixed with 3/4 teaspoon each ground sage, dry mustard, and salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, and 1/4 teaspoon each dried rosemary, paprika, white pepper, and nutmeg. SO EASY!!!!
Form the mixture into four patties – they’ll be a little soft, but that’s ok – then spray the tops with nonstick spray and grill for 4-5 minutes per side. FYI, the way to get great grill marks is to heat your grill over high heat then turn it down to medium just before adding the patties!
Place the patties onto buns then top with a mountain of beer-braised caramelized onions, and dig in!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 3/4 teaspoon ground sage
- 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed between your fingers
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 jumbo sweet onion
- 2 teaspoons gluten free worcestershire sauce
- 12 oz gluten free beer
- 4 gluten free buns
Directions
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions then saute until evenly caramelized, 10 minutes. Add beer, worcestershire sauce, and a little salt then bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium then simmer until onions are tender and beer has nearly been absorbed, 10-15 minutes. Taste then add salt if necessary and set aside.
- While the onions are simmering, preheat grill on high heat for at least 10 minutes (I like to let my grill get to 400-450 degrees.) Combine pork and spices - sage through nutmeg - then form mixture into 4 patties - patties will be soft, but that's ok. Turn grill down to medium heat then spray tops of patties with nonstick spray. Place patties sprayed-side down on the grill then cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Briefly grill buns to soften and toast then place brat burgers onto buns and top with beer-braised caramelized onions before serving.
Notes
- The fat content in ground pork can vary wildly, so don't be surprised if your burgers shrink up a bit.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Tastes like brats. Great!
Wohoo! I’m so glad you loved these, Erica! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
can eliminate beer
Made these for dinner. ( not the onions ) and they were fantastic! Im not normaly a brat person. I was really surprised at how much they tasted like a brat burger I would get the meat counter, but better. I did use 1/8 teaspoon of ground rosemary because I didnt have fresh. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
These were awesome! I didn’t have beer, so I subbed fresh cider – delicious!
These were absolutely delicious!! My husband and I loved these!
Made these tonight and they were so good! Tons of flavor. Thanks!
So glad to hear it, Sara, thanks so much for the great feedback!
Kristin, I made these tonight for supper, but used ground turkey instead of ground pork; chopped some portobello mushrooms and sweet Vidalia onions to add to the meat mixture with 1/8 c panko. Delicious indeed! Will do this again! Yummy and thanks! Hope you and all the family, and the new boy on the way are doing well!
Sounds yummy, Nancy! I love the addition of mushrooms and onions in the patty!
These look so amazing! We just had brats last night but now I am like we need to do this ASAP. Maybe I can hold out till Memorial Day grilling.
I made these for dinner tonight and they were fantastic!! Definitely adding to our summer grilling rotation. I’ll admit I was a little skeptical, being a Sconnie we hold brats (and brat burgers) to a pretty high standard and these definitely did not disappoint. My husband loved them too. Thanks!
Woot, got the WI stamp of approval – I love it. ;) Thanks for the feedback, Tracy!
Where to you get your hamburger buns? What brand are they or do you make them yourself? They look yummy!
Those are Canyon Bakehouse which you can find in most grocery stores and even Super Target now!
I have saved this recipe and hope to add it to the menu soon. I laughed at the picture of the chocolate chips sitting on the graham cracker. Have you seen Divvies chocolates? They make an allergy friendly chocolate bar that is great for s’mores. I know the chocolate is free of dairy, eggs, nuts and I think that it is gluten free.
Haha, no! I need to look for it – making s’mores with chocolate chips is difficult. ;)
These burgers would make my brat-crazed daughter and hubby go crazy! Love how you braised the onions in beer – this is perfect for upcoming Memorial Day :)