Beer brat and caramelized onion pizza is perfect for a tailgating appetizer, or for a meal that is reminiscent of game day flavors and is made with beer brats and caramelized onions and ooey gooey mozzarella cheese, making it one delicious pizza.
Tailgating is BIG here in Wisconsin. As soon as baseball season starts, drive by the stadium on a game day and you’re guaranteed to either be stuck in traffic all excited on your way to the game, or see the sea of cars already parked and ready for tailgating.
Even though I went to college and grad school where tailgating was a ‘thing,’ I never really realized how big of a ‘thing’ it was until I moved to Wisconsin.
Put aside any images you may conjure up when you think ‘tailgating’, in WI, it’s next level, it’s ten times whatever you were imagining. I’m talking about people that pull up their car and unload gear – grills, tables, coolers, tents, etc. All in the parking lot! Some people even just go to the parking lot to tailgate and never make it into the game, I’m not even kidding, that’s a thing here!
Included in any real tailgate in WI are beer brats. Brats are simmered in beer, and then grilled. They’re deeeeelish! No other brats come close. Once you have a beer brat you will never want a regular brat again. When I first went to a baseball game with my husband a few years ago it changed the way I look at tailgating food. Never before had I thought it was anything besides grilled hot dogs and brats. Like I said, it was next level.
So as I was shopping at Pick ‘n Save for game day supplies I thought about beer brats and the caramelized onions that go with it and had the idea of making some appetizer food.
Something to bring and eat while the grill is getting set up, something that can be enjoyed both as a tailgate food, or if you don’t have time to make it to the game something that can be enjoyed at home and be reminiscent of game day flavors: beer brat and caramelized onion pizza.
Do you tailgate? What are some of your favorite tailgating recipes?
Ingredients
- 2 bratwursts uncooked
- 2 bottles 12oz each light beer
- 1/2 yellow onion finely sliced
- 2 Tbs butter
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1 thin pizza crust store bought or homemade
Instructions
- Pour beer in a deep rimmed frying pan or pot and add in the bratwursts, poke a few holes in the brats with the tip of a knife. Bring beer to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until the brats are grey (about 20 minutes.)
- While the brats are cooking, start caramelizing the onions. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a pan and add in sliced onions. Cook on medium heat and stir every few minutes, you don't want the onions to burn. They will start to become translucent in color and will turn a beautiful brown color. Mine took about 30 minutes of cooking to caramelize. Depending on the size of your onion it might take a little less time or a little longer.
- When the brats are done being cooked in the beer (this is when you would normally grill them) put them in a frying pan with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter and fry until each side is a little brown. When done cooking, allow brats to sit for a few minutes, then slice into pieces.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place pizza dough on a baking sheet, then place mozzarella pieces around the crust. Distribute caramelized onions and brat slices around the pizza crust.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starts to brown on the edges.
- Remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, then slice and bring to your tailgate or enjoy for dinner!
What I like to do is slice the pizza into itty bitty little pieces! It makes transferring the pizza to a storage container super easy!
All the toppings of this pizza could be made ahead of time and then could be brought to the tailgate and you could grill the pizza there! Or you can make it ahead of time (like I did in my recipe) and then bring it as an appetizer for people to snack on while everything else is being set up. Another option is making this for dinner. It’s such a yummy meal, and if you can’t make it to the game, it’s a great way to bring game day flavors to you!
John D. says
I’ve made your Pumpkin Butter Pumpkin Loaf about 10 times since discovering your recipe. If there’s three other things I love it’s pizza, beer and caramelized onion snausages. This is heaven – a recipe that combines all of them. Can’t wait to try it!
Sweetphi says
Wow John, thank you so much for that lovely comment! I’m so glad you like the pumpkin butter pumpkin loaf, it’s one of my favorites too…and then this pizza, this pizza is just amazing, I think you’ll love it!!
Rachelle says
Really good! The 2nd time we made it, we added a skim of Alabama Whitewash BBQ sauce to the crust (has just enough mustard to pop against the brats), and a few pickle slices. Yummy!
Sweetphi says
Thank you SO MUCH for coming back and telling me how it was. I’m definitely going to need to look up Alabama Whitewash BBQ because it sounds amazing, what a great addition (pickles too, I can see that totally adding to the flavor profiles!)
Rachelle says
I picked up the BBQ sauce at Hy-vee a few months ago – we love it with chicken tenders, and dipped the pizza in it the first time.
Sweetphi says
I googled the sauce and it looks absolutely fantastic, i’m totally going to have to try it!
Laura @ Laura's Culinary Adventures says
You know how to tailgate! Yum!
Sweetphi says
Tailgating in style is my motto 🙂
Jamie | Jamie's Recipes says
We always boil our brats in beer before going on the grill. The best! This pizza is insane and contains some of my favorite things.
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much Jamie! Good to know wisconsinites aren’t the only ones that boil their brats in beer before grilling 🙂
Lynn @ Order in the Kitchen says
This pizza looks positively heavenly. Pinning so I can make this ASAP! And that pic of you and Nick is just the cutest!!!
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for the pin, you know I appreciate that times 1000000000+ 🙂
Sweetphi says
p.s., you know Nick and I are dorks <3
The Stinky Pig says
The pizza looks good, however the thumbs are to die for..
Sweetphi says
LOL! I’ll have to pass along the message to the hand model, he did such a great job, definitely will need to hire him again for future photoshoots!
vanitylicenseplate says
Whoa look at these thumbs!
Sweetphi says
Haha, I know, right? The pizza is made to look THAT much better by that hand model, looks like someone will be re-hired because of the positive response lol!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks says
Girl you live in Wisconsin?!! We visited while we were living in Chicago and I just love love that place!! This pizza though – is making me starve, seriously!!
Sweetphi says
Yes girl, I live in WI 🙂 I do love it, it’s such a great state (and Milwaukee is so fun!) Thank you so much for your compliments about the pizza 🙂
Denise E. says
Yum and a half! I have also made my version of “brat pizza” with leftover brats (boiled in beer before grilling, and then put back into the beer for a “bath”) You may not remember this, but quite a few years ago one of the big pizza chains made an “Octoberfest” pizza with brats and sauerkraut. I make mine very similarly…I use a plain cheese frozen pizza and slather it with kraut, sliced brats and more cheese! It’s delicious and very filling.
Sweetphi says
Oh how interesting! I have never heard of an ‘Octoberfest’ pizza, but that definitely sounds interesting, I’m totally going to have to try that! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Suné Moolman says
I have never heard of cooking brats in beer – you might have just made my hubby’s day!
Your caramelized onions look gorgeous on this pizza. 😀
Such a good pic of you guys in the stadium!
Sweetphi says
Brats cooked in beer are amazing, you should definitely try it, I have a feeling your hubby will looooove them 🙂 And thank you for the compliment about the picture and pizza!