Smoked Brat Recipe
This smoked brat recipe is the only way we cook bratwurst anymore! Instead of simmering brats in beer, we smoke them low and slow for incredible flavor and juicy results.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Smoker
- Charcoal (If using an offset or kettle grill)
- Cherry wood chunks/splits (If using an offset smoker)
- Cherry wood chips (If using a kettle grill)
- Cherry wood pellets (If using a pellet grill or smoking tube)
- Pellet smoking tube (If using a gas grill)
Ingredients
- 6 Bratwurst
- 6 Brat Buns
Instructions
- If cooking in an offset smoker: light a chimney of charcoal and let that sit for 20-30 minutes before dumping it into the firebox. Add chunks of your favorite smoking wood (we use cherry) to the coals. Place the brats on the grates of the cooking chamber. Your target is to keep the temperature between 250-275°F.
- If cooking in a charcoal kettle grill: set up an indirect fire using a charcoal basket or your favorite alternative method. Once the coals are sufficiently burning, sprinkle a couple handfuls of wood chips over the coals and arrange the brats on the grates opposite the fire. Your target is to keep the temperature between 250-275°F.
- If cooking in a pellet grill: set the temperature to 275°. Once the grill has reached temperature, place the brats on the grates, being sure they are sufficiently over the heat deflector and not hanging over the edge.
- If cooking in a gas grill: Light the far right burner to high. Fill a pellet smoking tube with wood pellets (we prefer cherry) and light them with a torch. Place the tube directly to the left of the lit burner, but not over it. Let the pellets burn for 8-10 minutes and then blow out the fire. Arrange the brats on the grates to the left of the smoking tube, NOT over a lit burner.
- After 30 minutes, flip and rotate the brats and set a timer for another 20-30 minutes.
- At this point, the brats should be fully cooked to food-safe temperatures of at least 165°, but now is when you can try to get a little extra color on the outside and crisp up the skins. Carefully move the brats directly over the fire/coals, rotating frequently. This should only take a couple of minutes.
