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These Bacon Wrapped Brats are stuffed with sharp cheddar, wrapped in crispy bacon, and basted with sweet BBQ sauce until caramelized on the grill. I fire these up for *game day* and the whole crew crowds the grill waiting for that first cheesy, bacon wrapped bite. If you love an easy brat, our air fryer cheddar brats are another quick favorite.
Tucked into a bun and piled with grilled sweet onions, they are the ultimate backyard cookout sausage.
Bacon Wrapped Brats Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes (with soaking)
- 🍽️ Serving: 5 brats
- ⚡ Calories: 776kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Smoky, cheesy, and sweet with crispy bacon and caramelized BBQ glaze
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our air fryer cheddar brats
Quick Answer
Slice each bratwurst lengthwise and stuff it with a strip of sharp cheddar, then wrap it tightly in two slices of bacon, securing the ends with soaked toothpicks. Grill the brats over medium low heat until the bacon crisps and the internal temperature hits 160 degrees, then baste with a BBQ sauce and beer mixture and grill until caramelized at 165 degrees. Serve in buns topped with grilled sweet onions.
Jump to:
- Bacon Wrapped Brats Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Bacon Wrapped Brats
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Bacon Wrapped Brats FAQs
- Other Recommended Cookout Recipes
- Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Brats
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cheese stuffed inside. A strip of sharp cheddar tucked into each brat melts as it grills for a gooey, cheesy center.
- Bacon does double duty. Wrapping the brats in bacon adds smoky flavor and helps hold the cheese inside while everything crisps up.
- BBQ and beer baste. A simple mix of sweet BBQ sauce and lager beer caramelizes into a sticky, savory glaze on the grill.
- Soaked toothpicks. Soaking the toothpicks keeps them from burning so the bacon stays secured the whole cook.
- Grilled onions on top. Sweet onions cook right alongside the brats and add the perfect savory, jammy finish in the bun.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- They are smoky, cheesy, and downright crave worthy, the ultimate cookout sausage.
- Crispy bacon, melty cheddar, and sticky BBQ glaze all in one handheld bite.
- They are perfect with a side of our homemade BBQ sauce for extra dipping.
Key Ingredients
A handful of cookout staples is all you need. Here are the key players.
- Bratwursts: Use your favorite fresh brats. They stay juicy inside the bacon wrap.
- Extra sharp cheddar: A block cut into strips melts into a gooey, cheesy center. Sharp cheddar holds up best to the grill.
- Bacon: Two slices per brat wrap it tightly, crisp up, and keep the cheese tucked inside.
- Sweet BBQ sauce and lager beer: Stirred together for a sticky, savory glaze with a little depth from the beer.
- Sweet onion: Sliced and grilled in olive oil until soft and golden for the perfect topping.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to switch up these bacon wrapped brats.
- Different cheese: Swap the cheddar for pepper jack, gouda, or Swiss for a new flavor.
- Spicy kick: Use spicy brats or add a few pickled jalapeno slices inside before wrapping.
- No grill: Bake them on a wire rack at 400 degrees, or air fry them like our Johnsonville cheddar brats.
- Skip the bun: Serve them sliced as an appetizer with our homemade BBQ sauce for dipping.
- Make it a spread: Pair them with cheese coneys for the ultimate cookout sausage bar.
How to Make Bacon Wrapped Brats
- Soak the toothpicks in water for an hour so they do not burn. Cut the cheddar into quarter inch wide strips.
- Slice each brat lengthwise about three quarters of the way through, leaving the bottom casing intact, then tuck a strip of cheese inside and pinch closed.
- Wrap two slices of bacon tightly around each brat and secure both ends with the soaked toothpicks.
- Stir together the BBQ sauce and lager beer in a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice the onion into rounds, separate the layers, and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Heat the grill to medium then drop to medium low. Grill the brats, rotating, until the bacon crisps and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 5 minutes.
- Baste the brats all over with the BBQ beer sauce and grill another 5 minutes, flipping so the sauce caramelizes without burning, until they hit 165 degrees.
- Grill the onions in a foil tray alongside the brats until soft and golden. Serve each brat in a bun topped with the grilled onions.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soak the toothpicks. An hour in water keeps them from charring and falling apart on the grill.
- Wrap the bacon tightly. A snug, even wrap holds the cheese in and gives you crispy bacon all the way around.
- Grill over medium low. Lower, steady heat lets the bacon render and the brats cook through without burning.
- Use a thermometer. Pull the brats at 165 degrees so they are fully cooked but still juicy.
- Add the BBQ sauce late. Basting near the end keeps the sugary sauce from scorching before the brats are done.
- Expect a little cheese leak. Some cheese escaping is normal and totally okay, it just means the inside is melty.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pile each bacon wrapped brat into a toasted bun and heap on those grilled sweet onions. Set out extra BBQ sauce, spicy mustard, and pickles so everyone can build their own. These are made for game day, tailgates, and lazy backyard cookouts.
Round out the cookout spread with our smash burgers, a tray of cheese coneys, and a platter of ham and Swiss sliders so there is a little something for everyone.
For sides and snacks, add a basket of our crispy deep fried pickles and plenty of chips, and do not forget a batch of homemade BBQ sauce for dipping.
Bacon Wrapped Brats FAQs
Extra sharp cheddar is the classic choice because it has bold flavor and holds up to the grill. Pepper jack, gouda, and Swiss also melt beautifully if you want to switch it up.
Yes. Bake them on a wire rack over a sheet pan at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes, then broil briefly to crisp the bacon and caramelize the BBQ sauce.
Wrap the bacon tightly and evenly so it seals the slit, and grill over medium low heat. A little cheese leaking is normal and expected, but a snug bacon wrap keeps most of it inside.
You can stuff and wrap the brats up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge, then grill when ready. Make the BBQ beer baste ahead too for an easy cookout.
Grilled onions and toasted buns are a must. Round it out with chips, coleslaw, baked beans, fried pickles, or a cold drink for the full cookout experience.
Store cooled brats in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree oven or air fryer to keep the bacon crisp.
Craving more easy sausage recipes? Try our air fryer cheddar brats next.
Love brats? Try our skillet bratwurst sandwich wrapped in crispy bacon with beer-braised onions.
Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Brats
Ingredients
- 10 to othpicks
- Glass of water
- 8 ounce block of extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 5 bratwursts
- 10 slices bacon
- ⅓ cup sweet bbq sauce
- 2 tablespoons lager beer
- 1 large sweet onion
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 hot dog buns
Instructions
- Place the toothpicks into a small glass and cover them with water, let them soak for an hour, this will help them not burn while grilling.
- Cut the cheddar cheese into ¼-inch wide strips, you will not use the whole block of cheese, set aside.
- Slice the brats down the length of them and cut in about ¾ of the way, leaving the bottom casing intact. Stuff one piece of the cheese along the length of the brat. Pinch the brat over the piece of cheese as best as you can.
- Tightly wrap two pieces of bacon around the length of the brat and secure it at both ends with a toothpick. You want to make sure that the brat is evenly wrapped in the bacon, this will help the cheese stay inside.
- In a small bowl stir together the bbq sauce and the beer, set aside.
- Remove the onion skin and root. Slice the onion about 1/4th of an inch thick into rounds. Separate the onion layers into a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare your grill over medium heat. Once hot, turn it down to medium low.
- Place the brats directly onto the grates, cut side up and grill for about 5 minutes, start rotating the brats until the bacon cooks on the outside and an internal temperature reaches 160°F. Some of the cheese might leak out, but that is okay and expected.
- Baste the brats all over with the bbq sauce and continue to cook for about another 5 minutes until caramelized. You will need to flip the brats around during this time so the bbq sauce doesn’t burn.
- Once they are browned nicely and reach an internal temperature of 165°F, they are done, about 20 minutes total time on the grill.
- While the brats are grilling, you will be cooking the onions at the same time, I like to make a little foil tray to put the onions in and I will stir them around every couple of minutes to prevent burning, they are ready when they are soft and lightly browned, they will be done around the same time as the brats.
- When ready to serve, place a brat into a hot dog bun, top with some of the onions, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use your favorite beer for the sauce.
- Make sure you do not use thick cut bacon for these.
- Other cheeses can be used, see above on suggestions.
- The onions can also be made in a skillet.
- Kielbasa and italian sausage can be used for this recipe as well.
- These can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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