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1800s-present - German immigrants, Wisconsin sausage makers, and Midwestern backyard grill cooks
Brats are bratwurst in their American backyard form: pork sausages grilled or beer-simmered, tucked into buns, and served at picnics, tailgates, baseball games, and summer cookouts. Wisconsin made the brat especially visible through German American sausage culture and stadium food.
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Difficulty
Easy
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
25 minutes
Total time
35 minutes
Servings
6 brats
Region
Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest
Era introduced
1800s-present
Introduced by
German immigrants, Wisconsin sausage makers, and Midwestern backyard grill cooks
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Brats connect German sausage traditions with American outdoor cooking. In Wisconsin, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Madison, and many smaller towns helped turn bratwurst into a civic and sporting-event food. Some cooks grill brats directly over moderate heat; others simmer them in beer and onions before or after grilling. This archive version gives a flexible backyard method while keeping the booster-club crowd version separate.
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