Every cookout has one friend who swears nothing is too spicy. These spicy mustard brats are how you find out whether they mean it, because the mustard kraut piled on top has enough kick that not everyone at the grill goes back for seconds, and the ones who do will send you running for more charcoal.
The trick is brown sugar. It goes into the kraut with the onion, green pepper, and spicy mustard and takes the edge off the burn, and the whole mix rides beside the brats in a foil pouch so it comes off the grill hot, right alongside the meat, ready to pile onto a toasted bun.
🔪 Ingredients for Spicy Mustard Brats
- Bratwurst: fresh, uncooked links, the kind that need the full time on the grill.
- Sauerkraut: drained well before it goes into the skillet.
- Spicy mustard: this is where the heat comes from, and the extra goes on the table.
- Brown sugar: takes the edge off the mustard and the sour of the kraut.
- Onion and green pepper
- Butter
- Rolls: toasted, and sturdy enough to hold a pile of kraut.
Equipment
- Heavy-duty foil: two sheets for the kraut pouch.
- Drip pan: set under the brats on the grill.
- Thermapen: to check the thickest brat before it comes off.
📝 How to Make Spicy Mustard Brats
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and green pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, spicy mustard and sauerkraut, then take the pan off the heat.
- Stack two sheets of heavy-duty foil, spoon the kraut into the middle and fold it into a pouch. Seal the edges tight but leave room inside for steam to collect.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high. Prick the brats.
- Set the brats over the drip pan with the kraut pouch alongside. Grill about 20 minutes, flipping the brats once halfway through, until they read 165°F in the thickest part.
- Toast the buns, tuck in the brats, pile on the kraut and put extra spicy mustard on the table for anyone who wants more heat.
Only the kraut goes into foil here, and the brats grill in the open. If you want brats that braise low and slow in the packet with the kraut and a pour of whiskey, make our Foil Packet Whiskey Brats, and when the grill is covered in snow, Skillet Beer Brats with Onions do it all on the stove. More fire-cooked ideas live in our grilling recipes and pork recipes.
🔄 Substitutions
- Hot Italian sausage: brings fennel and red pepper flakes of its own, so the heat stacks on top of the mustard. Pull back on the mustard if your crowd is mixed.
- Smoked kielbasa or precooked brats: they are already cooked, so they only need to heat through and pick up some char, which cuts the grill time roughly in half. Take them off once they are steaming hot all the way through.
- Chicken or turkey brats: leaner, so they dry out faster if you walk away. Same 165°F, and pull them the moment they hit it.
- Dijon or spicy brown mustard: sharper and less fiery than a jalapeño mustard. Add a minced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne to the skillet if you want the burn back.
- Shredded green cabbage instead of sauerkraut: cook it in the skillet with the onion until it goes soft, then add a splash of cider vinegar. You lose the funk of fermented kraut but keep the tang.
- Honey or maple syrup instead of brown sugar: same job, softening the heat. Maple tastes woodier against the smoke, honey reads brighter.
💡 Meat Nerd Tips
- Drain the kraut hard. Squeeze out the brine before it hits the skillet so the pouch steams the kraut instead of boiling it.
- Leave headroom in the pouch. Seal the edges, but give the steam somewhere to go so the foil doesn’t split on the grill.
- Keep the drip pan under the brats. The fat that runs out lands in the pan instead of on the fire.
- Pull them at 165°F. Brats are ground meat, so check the thickest link with a Thermapen before they come off.
🍽️ What to Serve with Spicy Mustard Brats
- Smoked potato salad: cold, creamy and smoky, and it soaks up whatever mustard drips off the bun.
- Grilled corn on the cob: it shares the grill with the brats, and the sweet charred kernels cool your mouth down between bites.
- Dill pickle spears: cold and sour, and the crunch is the reset you want after a mouthful of hot kraut.
- An ice cold lager: the cleanest way to put out the mustard.
🧊 Leftovers and Storage
- Fridge: cooked brats and kraut keep 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, per USDA FSIS.
- Freezer: cooked brats keep 2 to 3 months.
- Kraut: store it separate from the buns so the bread doesn’t go soggy.
Spicy Mustard Brats with Sauerkraut
Ingredients
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 green pepper seeded and diced
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 tbs brown sugar
- 2 tsp spicy mustard
- 1 cup sauerkraut drained
- 6 bratwursts
- rolls
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and peppers and sautee until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and spicy mustard. Stir in the sauerkraut. Remove from heat.
- Make a foil pouch using two sheets of heavy duty foil and fold together the edges. Place the sauerkraut mix in the middle and pinch the edges closed, leaving room for steam.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high. Prick holes in the brats.
- Arrange the brats over a drip pan on the hot grill. Add the sauerkraut packet and grill, until brats reach 165°F internal, about 20 minutes, flipping once, a little over half way through cook time.
- Serve on toasted buns with kraut and extra spicy mustard for those brave enough to try more heat.
Save this Recipe
Would You Like to Send This Recipe to Yourself?
Bookmark this recipe now!
Quick Summary
Spicy mustard brats grilled over a drip pan with a spicy mustard sauerkraut that heats in a foil pouch right beside them. Brown sugar keeps the heat in check. Pull the brats at 165°F and pile the kraut on toasted buns.
❓ FAQs
Not for this recipe. Fresh brats go straight onto the grill over a drip pan for about 20 minutes, flipped once, and come off at 165°F.
The heat comes from the spicy mustard stirred into the kraut, and brown sugar takes the edge off it. Anyone who wants more puts extra mustard on at the table.
The pouch heats the kraut on the grill right next to the brats, so you aren’t juggling a skillet and a grill at once. Both come off together and go straight onto the bun.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to our newsletter and become part of the world’s best meat community! From grilling tips to smoky secrets, we send you the best recipes, guides, and expert advice to master every cut.
i love to grill steak! I could eat steak every day. I love the summer since I basically can. ha!
Grilling teriyaki chicken wings or smoking a couple of racks of ribs!
Man, these look like the new hit of my next party! Can’t wait to fire up the grill for these!
Oh mah gahhhh these look awesome!! I super loved the jalapeno mustard. So good!
i love grilled sausages or seafood!
I love to grill anything on the grill!! My favorite thing is a nice, big steak but I love grilling corn, brats, chicken and burgers as well.
I like to grill shrimp and all kinds of vegetables
These look absolutely fantastic! YUM!
those Brats look amazing! love them spicy!
Lookin good my friend. Wow, those are some jam-packed brats!