Brat burgers combine all the mouthwatering flavors of bratwurst with a hamburger patty for a taste that is truly the best of both worlds!
Wisconsin is famous for grilled bratwurst. Everyone knows that. Wisconsin is also the home of the hamburger. It was invented right up the road from me in Seymour. So it would only make sense to combine the two and craft this mouthwatering brat burger recipe!
Brat burgers are fantastic because you are literally making bratwurst, but skipping the tedious step of stuffing casings, which is required to make homemade sausages. Instead, this easy recipe combines ground pork with a few simple seasonings and then crafts it into a classic burger patty.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Ground pork
- Kosher salt
- Granulated sugar
- Grated nutmeg
- Ground black pepper
- Dried ground ginger
- Ground coriander
- Celery seed
- Ground marjoram
- Dried ground sage
- Pretzel buns - You can substitute your favorite hamburger bun.
- Sauerkraut - Homemade fermented sauerkraut can be substituted, but requires a little pre-planning. It has a tanginess and crunch that simply can't be replicated by store-bought kraut.
- Red onions - Quick pickled onions is a great upgrade. The bright tangy flavor adds a wonderful twist to a typical bratwurst.
- Ketchup - Beer Brat Sauce is an even better option. This is my quintessential condiment for brats, I HIGHLY recommend it!
- Brown mustard - Yellow mustard or Dijon Mustard can be substituted.
- Optional - If you wish to add cheese, Swiss cheese would be my recommendation.
How to make them
To make these bratwurst burgers, first, crumble your ground pork into a large bowl and combine the brat seasonings in a separate dish, then sprinkle the seasonings over the pork and mix together. You will get maximum flavor from your patties if you let the flavors meld in your refrigerator overnight, but this is optional.
To form the patties I use a digital kitchen scale to measure out ⅓ pound balls, and then flatten them with a hamburger press, or the bottom of a flat plate.
Tip: Use wax paper when flattening the patties to prevent sticking.
Place the bratwurst patties in a hot skillet set over medium heat on the stovetop (or these are perfect for grilling too). Cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, flipping once.
While the brat patties are cooking, toast the inside of each pretzel bun. Then assemble your burgers with your favorite brat toppings.
Brat Burgers
Equipment
Ingredients
Brat Patties
- 2 pounds ground pork
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoons ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoons dried ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
- ¼ teaspoon ground marjoram
- ¼ teaspoon dried ground sage
Brat Burgers
- 6 pretzel buns (can substitute other hamburger buns)
- sauerkraut
- red onions (sliced)
- ketchup (or Brat Sauce recommended below)
- brown mustard
Instructions
Brat Patties
- Combine ground pork with all brat patty seasonings.
- Optional but recommended: Let rest overnight if possible to allow flavors to meld.
- Form into ⅓ pound patties, or size of your choice.
- Tip: Use a digital scale for consistency and press the patties flat with a plate bottom and wax paper to prevent sticking.
- Cook burgers on medium heat to create an exterior crust on the burger while giving time for the interior to come to temperature.
- Cook until the brat burger patty reaches 160 degrees, flipping once during cooking. Approximately 7 minutes, depending on patty thickness.
Brat Burger
- Toast buns while patties are cooking.
- Place brat burger on bun and top with onions, sauerkraut, and condiments.
Notes
Nutritional Information
This recipe was originally published on FoxValleyFoodie.com on February 9, 2015.
R
Tasted Great!
Robbie Mcnett
Imade the brat burgers with 1 pd ground pork &1lb italian . Delivous
Chris Dahlkvist
Great recipe but let’s be honest, a meatball between two slices of bread is not a hamburger by any stretch.
Wisconsin May claim much but the invention of the hamburger is not one of them.
What next, duck, duck, goose?
nunya
Try coming up with a decent recipe like Miesfeld's of Sheboygan!!! Do a little research on how poisonous pork is to humans and give a us a good Kosher recipe! 🙂 New York has TONS of them 🙂 Hint: Leave out the ketchup and liquid mustard (use dried mustard) and you may come up with something that resembles authentic!