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You only need 4 ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep for this Dump-and-Bake Bratwurst recipe with potatoes and sauerkraut! An easy, German-inspired healthy dinner recipe cooks in one dish for a satisfying meal any night of the week!
You can probably use a handful of simple, quick-prep dinner ideas that don’t require too many ingredients or too much hands-on time. This bratwurst casserole bakes in the oven for those nights when you don’t have the time or energy to fuss with anything more. Grab your German beer, because this one pan Oktoberfest feast is on the table in minutes!
How to make this easy bratwurst recipe:
You only need 4 ingredients to prepare this bratwurst recipe in the oven:
- Bratwurst links
- Small red or yellow potatoes
- A can of sauerkraut
- Beer
First, place the potatoes and brats in the bottom of a large oven-proof skillet, baking dish or Dutch oven.
Add the sauerkraut to the pan,
and then pour a German beer over top.
Cover with a lid (or wrap tightly with foil if you’re baking in a casserole dish). We’re braising the sausage and potatoes in the cooking liquid for a tender, juicy, and flavorful finished product!
Bake the dish (covered) for about 1 hour, or until the brats are cooked through and the potatoes are tender. That’s it! A simple German dinner with almost zero effort on your part!
What goes with bratwurst sausage?
This bratwurst and sauerkraut recipe is a classic combination, and the potatoes add a filling and satisfying starch to round out the meal. While you don’t need anything else on the table, here are a few easy sides that pair nicely with the brats:
- Slow Cooker Applesauce
- A simple green salad dressed in Buttermilk Dressing
- Slow Cooker Green Beans
- German Potato Salad
- Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage (I buy mine in glass jars at the grocery store)
- 10-Minute Creamy Cucumber Salad
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- For additional flavor, brown the sausage and potatoes in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden on the outside. Then add them to the dish and proceed with recipe as instructed. Baking time may be reduced to about 45 minutes.
- Try this bratwurst recipe in the Crock Pot! Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- For an alcohol-free option, substitute apple cider, chicken broth or beef broth for the beer.
- Cooking just for two? Use two sausages (freeze the extras in the package for a later date), and use half as many potatoes and sauerkraut. Bake in a smaller dish, but the rest of the instructions remain the same.
- I baked the brats shown here in an oven-safe cast iron braiser. You can use a similar oven-proof skillet with a lid, or you can simply use a casserole dish or Dutch oven.
- Use a German beer if you have one (such as the Hefe-Weizen shown), but feel free to substitute with a different beer if that’s easier!
More easy sausage recipes that you might enjoy:
- 3-Ingredient Grilled Beer Brats
- One Skillet Kielbasa Sausage and Pierogies
- Hawaiian Kielbasa Kabobs
- Italian Sausage Pasta Bake
- Sheet Pan Italian Sausage with Potatoes
Dump-and-Bake Bratwurst Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces baby red or yellow potatoes, diced into very small bite-sized pieces (I cut the larger potatoes into 8 pieces or the smallest potatoes into 4 pieces)
- 5 bratwurst links (3.8 ounces each), cut into 2-inch pieces
- 14 oz can sauerkraut, drained
- ½ cup beer (or substitute with chicken broth, beef broth, or apple cider)
- Optional for serving: chopped fresh parsley or thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking dish, oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place diced potatoes and Bratwurst in the bottom of the prepared dish. Add sauerkraut among the potatoes and sausage.
- Pour beer over top. Cover and bake for about 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and sausage is cooked through.
Notes
- For additional flavor, brown the sausage and potatoes in a skillet over medium-high heat until golden on the outside. Then add them to the dish and proceed with recipe as instructed. Baking time may be reduced to about 45 minutes.
- Try this bratwurst recipe in the Crock Pot! Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- For an alcohol-free option, substitute apple cider, chicken broth or beef broth for the beer.
- Cooking just for two? Use two sausages (freeze the extras in the package for a later date), and use half as many potatoes and sauerkraut. Bake in a smaller dish, but the rest of the instructions remain the same.
- I baked the brats in an oven-safe cast iron braiser. You can use a similar oven-proof skillet with a lid, or you can simply use a casserole dish or Dutch oven.
- Use a German beer if you have one (such as the Hefe-Weizen shown), but feel free to substitute with a different beer if that’s easier!
like your recipes although would have this one give amt. of ingredients first then procedures plus adding that it could be done on top of stove too as you sytaed further down thanks keep up the good work
Thanks, Jean! I hope you’ll give this one a try! 🙂
This was delicious! The perfect New Year’s Day meal!
Wonderful! Thanks, Tracey! Happy New Year. 🙂
Could I make this recipe using Kielbasa instead of the bratwurst? Thanks!
Hi, Cathy! Yes — that should work fine! 🙂
Thanks so much! I really enjoy your site and recipes! Great content.
You’re welcome, Cathy. Thanks for your kind note!
Used apple cider instead of beer. I love it. And just my kind of cooking style -the easier, the better. Thanks!
That sounds delicious, Stella! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Hi, does this freeze well? How long should it keep in the refrigerator?
Thank you,
Nicole
Hi, Nicole! Yes, you can definitely freeze this dish; however, I find that potatoes tend to have a slightly gummy, mushy texture when thawed. If you don’t care for that, I would avoid freezing the potatoes. The leftovers should be fine in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.