Classic Campfire Food: Beer-Simmered Brats with Charred Onions and Mustard
Soften sliced onions in a cast-iron skillet over medium coals, add a can of lager and raw brats, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until they hit 160°F. Move the brats to the grate for 4 to 5 minutes to char, boil the onion-beer liquid down to a glaze, and pile it all into toasted buns with mustard. Plan on about 55 minutes once your coals are ready.
If you want one dish that tastes like a campfire, make this one. The brats simmer in beer and onions so they cook through and stay juicy. Then a few minutes on the grate give them the smoky, blistered skin you want from a fire.
It's an easy cook, and one skillet does most of the work. Nobody's sausage ends up charred outside and raw in the middle. The onions turn sticky and sweet, and everyone gets a loaded bun. It feeds a small crew with very little gear.
Classic Campfire Food: Beer-Simmered Brats with Charred Onions and Mustard
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- Medium coals with a hot zone and a cooler zone
- Pack weight
- 5 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler required
- One burner
- Low water
- A few dishes
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
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Gear you'll need
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet
- Fire-safe grill grate
- Two pairs of long tongs (one for raw, one for cooked)
- Instant-read thermometer
- Heat-proof gloves
- Cutting board and camp knife
- Spoon or spatula
Steps
-
Build a two-zone fire
Burn wood down to glowing coals and rake them so one side is deep and hot and the other is thin. Set a grill grate over the fire. You should be able to hold your hand 5 inches above the cooler side for about 6 seconds.
-
Soften the onions
Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on the grate over the hot side. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and the brown sugar. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden at the edges.
-
Simmer brats in beer
Pour in the beer and vinegar and scrape up any browned bits. Nestle in the raw brats and bring to a steady simmer. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until a thermometer in the thickest part reads 160°F.
-
Char over the flame
Wipe the grate near the hot zone with oiled paper towel held in tongs. Move the brats from the skillet to the grate for 4 to 5 minutes, turning, until browned and blistered. Use clean tongs for this, not the ones that handled raw brats.
-
Reduce the onions
While the brats char, let the onions and beer bubble hard for 5 to 6 minutes until thick and glossy. Season with salt and pepper. The liquid held raw sausage juices, so make sure it boils fully.
-
Toast the buns
Set the buns cut-side down on the cooler part of the grate for 1 to 2 minutes. Pull them as soon as they are golden.
-
Load and serve
Spread mustard in each bun, add a brat, then spoon on onions and sauerkraut if using. Eat hot.
Trail Notes
Slice the onions at home and pack them in a zip bag in the cooler. It saves 5 minutes and a lot of tears at camp.
Keep the brats at 40°F or below, in a sealed bag on the bottom of the cooler, away from buns and anything eaten raw. Use fresh brats within 2 days, or freeze them at home and let them double as ice. Wash your hands and any board or knife after touching raw sausage.
No beer? Use apple cider or chicken broth. Use precooked sausages if you like. They only need 5 minutes in the skillet to heat to 165°F before charring.
Cook in an existing fire ring and burn wood down fully. Strain solids from leftover skillet liquid into your trash bag. Scatter the liquid broadly at least 200 feet from water and camp. Pack out all food scraps and let ashes cool completely before leaving.
Round out your camp day
Picked to work with the same kit as this recipe.
BreakfastCast-Iron Chili Mac Breakfast Skillet with Chorizo, Pinto Beans and Baked Eggs
LunchCast-Iron Crispy Gnocchi with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
Snack or treatCast-Iron Chili Mac Corn Chip Pie with Cheddar and Pickled JalapeñosMore one-burner camping meals →Planning a trip? Get the free 3-day meal plan →
Campers ask
What is the easiest food to cook over a campfire?
Sausages are one of the easiest, especially if you simmer them in a skillet first so they cook through before you char them. Foil packets and skillet breakfasts are close behind. All of them work best over coals, not tall flames.
How do you cook brats over a campfire without burning them?
Simmer them in beer or broth in a skillet first, then finish on the grate for just 4 to 5 minutes. Cook over coals, not flames, and keep a cooler zone to move them to if they flare up.
How do you know when brats are done?
Raw brats are done at 160°F in the thickest part, so use an instant-read thermometer. Color and firmness can mislead you, because the outside browns long before the center is safe.
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