You guys, it’s finally cooling off here in San Diego, and I’m so excited to start transitioning to those cozy fall meals.
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Hearty and satisfying, this Beer Brat Chili recipe is so simple to prepare and packed with rich, chile flavor. Imagine a brat sitting in a bun, topped with chili, cheese and sauerkraut. This soup is a similar experience(just without the bun!). Start by cooking onion, garlic and bell pepper in olive oil until tender, then stir in ground pork. The pork adds some good flavor and texture to the soup as it simmers. Next, chile powder and cumin sizzle with the pork and aromatics beforechopped tomatoes, tomato paste, beer, oregano and white beans are added to the mix. Finally, beer-infused brats are grilled until golden, sliced and added to the chili during the last 30 minutes of cooking. The soup is finished with grated cheddar, chopped red onion and a bit of tangy sauerkraut. The kraut helps to balance the richness of the soup, so don’t skip it! I could seriously eat bowl after bowl of this chili. It’s so darn good. Continue reading for the recipe.
I partnered with Johnsonville on this recipe to help spread the word about their new Johnsonville Sizzling Sausage Grill. It’s a table-top grill that cooks brats (and other sausages) to golden perfection. Simply place brats in the sausage-shaped wells straight from the fridge. Close the lid, hit start, and in 15 minutes, you’ve got perfectly cooked brats! In this chili recipe, I am using Johnsonville Beer’n Bratwurst to add another layer of beer flavor to the soup. The brats are cooked first in the grill to get that golden flavor, then finished in the soup, so they can soak up all that chile goodness.
Hot Italian sausages are frequent add-ins to our pot of Sunday tomato sauce, so this grill will definitely get some good use. I love how it evenly cooks the sausage all around without the use of oil! If you want to get one of these grills for yourself, be sure to check out the link above and use the coupon code sizzle2to get $20 off.
Jorge and I are not big football fans; however we LOVE Game Day food. Chili, guac, layered dips, burgers, hot dogs, and so on! We’ve been known to throw Game Day parties in the past just to enjoy the food with friends 😉 This Beer Brat Chili would be a perfect addition to any Game Day party. I would recommend cooking it on the stove top in a cast iron pot, and then transferring it to a slow cooker to keep warm during the party. Set out big bowls of grated cheddar, chopped onions and sauerkraut, so guests can add to taste. The flavor of the chili is even better the next day, so you can totally prepare this in advance and just warm up right before everyone arrives.
Toppings: shredded cheddar, chopped red onion, sauerkraut
Instructions
Warm oil in a large cast iron pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are tender but not brown (5 - 6 minutes), stirring occasionally. Add the ground pork, and cook until browned all over. I like to get all the meat in the pan, stir to combine, and then let sit for a few minutes to really get some brown color. If you continuously move the meat around, no caramelization will occur. You won't get that much dark brown color here, but even just a little bit will help with flavor.
Stir in chili powder and cumin, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add tomatoes with juices, beans, tomato paste, beer, oregano,salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for an hour.
Meanwhile, cook brats using the Johnsonville Sausage Grill. This takes about 15 minutes. Let the brats rest for 5 minutes, then cut into 3/4-inch slices. Stir in the brats into the chili during the last 30 minutes of cooking. To finish the soup, season to taste with salt.
To serve, spoon chili into soup bowls and top with shredded cheese, chopped red onion and sauerkraut.
Notes
*When making chili, I love using a mixture of chile powders to add depth of flavor. If you don't have access to these types of chile powders (or they are super expensive), you could definitely use the spice labeled "Chili Powder." Just keep in mind that chili powders usually have other things mixed in like garlic and oregano, so the end result might taste a little different.
Tried this recipe?Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can check it out!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
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Brandon
I’m Brandon: food explorer, recipe curator, co*cktail shaker, dessert lover. Kitchen Konfidence is how I document my time spent in my favorite space, the kitchen. Did you make a recipe? Tag @brandiego on Instagram so I can see the how it went!
The idea is to get some nice caramelization on the meat prior to braising it in the beer. That caramelization gives the brats an extra pop of flavor. If the bratwurst is fresh and not precooked, don't worry, the meat will finish cooking in the beer.
Adding a bottle of beer to homemade chili can add some additional flavor and depth to the dish, but whether it makes the chili taste better or not depends on personal preferences. The addition of beer to chili can add some maltiness, bitterness, and sweetness to the flavor profile.
Soaking Your Brats in Beer = The Juiciest Brats Ever!
The first secret for making the most flavorful beer brats is soaking them in beer (and sliced onions) before they even hit the grill! This step infuses the brats with extra flavor while also adding moisture to help keep them from getting dried out on the grill.
Add extra flavor to your brats by cooking in your favorite beer. They'll take on some of the characteristics you love – citrus, hops, malt and more. Try different beers with different brat varieties.
Many foods have “beer” in the name, but beer brats are some of the most iconic. These are nothing more than sausages that have been boiled in beer before grilling or roasting. Sometimes, you can find beer brats that are already prepared and ready for the grill.
Cocoa powder, bacon, cinnamon, ground coffee and tomato paste will all add a rich sweet & salty flavors that are sure to surprise and delight. Warming spice blends, like Garam Masala, Ras el Hanout or Baharat are another simple and delicious way to add layered flavors to this simple one-pot meal.
The science: Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain. After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains.
Cumin, Chile Powders, and Paprika are the most common spices in chili followed by garlic, onion, coriander, Mexican oregano, and bay leaves. These ingredients can be combined to create a savory and well-balanced pot of top notch comfort food.
Other swear you must grill the brats first, and then boil. A large cadre maintains beer won't penetrate through the casings unless you first prick the surface with a fork. But, a more tender sect cries if you do poke holes in the casing, all the juices will flow out and the flavor will be lost.
Sindelar said parboiling speeds up the unfolding process and can result in a mushy meat texture, the development of rubbery casings and separate the casing from the sausage. So, there you have it. It's settled science.
And to me, beer is an essential ingredient. What I've found over the years is that different styles of beers can add different flavors and textures. What I do is just choose the beer I want, pour in a twelve ounce bottle once all the other ingredients are there and the chili is ready to simmer.
Though it may be an unusual choice, coffee adds an earthy richness to the existing flavors and plays well with spices like cumin and cayenne pepper. Plus, it's a flexible ingredient – while we typically reach for instant espresso powder, you can also add in brewed coffee, making this dish the perfect use for leftovers.
Good question. You can most certainly use beer in place of broth. However, with that being said, it is important to point out that beer is very flavorful and adds richness, so use sparingly and add as you go.
Many customers want to boil their brats in beer, but we do not recommend doing this, just boil them in water. The beer will change as it boils and the brats can take a bit of an acrid flavor while they're cooking.
Are beer brats alcoholic? Beer brats actually don't have any alcohol in them because the alcohol is burned off during the boiling process. Thus, beer brats are non-alcoholic and kid-friendly.
Assuming that they are uncooked, you can certainly simmer your brats in beer (don't let them boil, that will burst them). I'd try to get a hold of some Red Hook and use that. Simmer them gently until they are almost done, about 15 minutes.
While cooked bratwursts are usually delicious to use, you really need to start from scratch to impart the flavor from the beer. We boil for about 10 minutes with the beer and onions, then finish them for about 10 more minutes off on the grill for a gorgeous char exterior and caramelized flavor.
Introduction: My name is Allyn Kozey, I am a outstanding, colorful, adventurous, encouraging, zealous, tender, helpful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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