Brats on the Traeger
This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.
Making Brats on the Traeger is a delicious cookout lunch anytime! Cooking them a little more slowly than on the grill turns them a beautiful dark color and infuses your brats with a smoky amazing flavor!
What You Will ❤️ About Smoked Bratwurst
- Smoky Flavor – The Traeger is perfect for grilling and smoking. This recipe to smoke brats is a bit of a combo of both. We’re not going super low and slow but we’ll still get that smoky flavor infused into the brats!
- Easy Peasy – Throw the brats on the Traeger, turn once and done!
- Variety – there are so many flavors of brats that you can get if you venture out to your local meat market. There’s more than Cheddar & Beer brats – you can get philly cheesesteak brats, mushroom swiss and even pineapple teriyaki!
Traeger Smoked Bratwurst Ingredients
This recipe is good for raw meats that are in casings – like Bratwurst and Italian Sausage links – vs. already smoked sausages like kielbasa.
If you were wondering – the difference between sausage and brats are the seasonings used.
Common bratwurst seasonings include garlic, marjoram, sage, cumin, nutmeg, paprika, caraway, and coriander. I used Johnsonville Cheddar Brats for this recipe.
Sausage will often have fennel and thyme instead of marjoram and caraway.
When serving bratwurst – grab those stadium brat buns and load your brats up with toppings – I like sauerkraut & horseradish mustard – or ketchup, yellow mustard & relish.
Get Heather’s NEW cookbook – Air Fryer Cooking for One today!
How to Make Brats on the Traeger
This method for cooking brats on the Traeger infuses them with smoke but you can also turn the temp up on your Traeger to grill them at 375-400º if you’re looking to get them done more quickly. They’ll only take 12-15 minutes or so at that higher temp.
But here’s how to cook them a little more “low and slow”:
- Turn Traeger on to smoke setting with lid open and let smoke dissipate
- Set Traeger temperature to 300º
- Once Traeger is up to temp, lay bratwurst on hot grill grates and close lid for 30 minutes.
- Open grill and turn brats and cook 30 minutes more.
- Check with instant read thermometer. Internal temperature of the brats should be 160º. I recommend only check brats once through the end of the brat so you’re not piercing the casing and letting the juices out.
- Remove and serve with condiments like sauerkraut and mustard! Toast your hot dog buns before serving in the Air Fryer for just 1 minute!
This post contains affiliate links which I make a little money on purchases. Thanks in advance! I am an Amazon associate as well as a member of other affiliate programs.
Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
There are many flavors of pellets that work in your Traeger pellet grill. I keep it simple and always use the Traeger Signature Blend which is a blend of Maple and Cherry. That said if you’re looking for something specific for pork beef – the best are Apple, Cherry, Maple, Oak, Pecan & Hickory Pellets.
Yes – you can use a cast iron skillet or a deep disposable aluminum foil pan. Here’s a recipe for smoked beer brats with more details.
20 Must-Have Traeger Accessories
I absolutely love my Traeger Pellet Grill and you can pretty much use it right out of the box! But over the years I’ve definitely found that there are some Traeger smoker accessories that make everything a lot easier!
More Traeger Recipes
- Traeger Grilled Pork Chops
- Smoked Stuffed Burgers
- Traeger Smoked Chicken Thighs
- Traeger Chicken Kabobs
- Cheese Stuffed Bratwurst
What to serve with Brats
Brats on the Traeger
Ingredients
- 5 bratwurst
Instructions
- Turn Traeger on to smoke setting with lid open and let smoke dissipate
- Set Traeger temperature to 300º
- Once Traeger is up to temp, lay bratwurst on hot grill grates and close lid for 30 minutes.5 bratwurst
- Open grill and turn brats and cook 30 minutes more.
- Check with instant read thermometer. Internal temperature of the brats should be 160º. I recommend only check brats once through the end of the brat so you’re not piercing the casing and letting the juices out.
- Remove and serve with condiments like sauerkraut and mustard! Toast your hot dog buns before serving in the Air Fryer for just 1 minute!
