Irish Brat Burger Recipe | Girl Carnivore

Braised red cabbage, stout simmered onions, thick bacon, and a Dijon sauce are just the bonus to the mouthwatering flavors of bratwurst and ground beef that make up the Irish Brat Burger.

Wrap your hands around this juicy brat burger coated cheese, slathered in sauce and topped with braised cabbage!

Nothing makes us happier than an awesome burger recipe. That’s why we love these Irish Brat Burgers. They’re a unique twist on a regular burger, with the smoky flavor from the bratwurst and bacon, the depth of dark stout beer, tangy caramelized onions, and cabbage. It’s like beer brats but in the form of a burger.

What Is An Irish Brat Burger?

These brat burgers combine ground beef and Irish garlic sausage into patty form, infusing the brat flavor into the burgers.

Just like our smoked burgers, we’re bringing caramelized onions to the table. But the real kicker is that they’re simmered in stout beer. Caramelized onions add complex, sweet flavors to the burgers that plain old onions just can’t replicate. The onions paired with the brat patties create the ultimate Irish combo perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, football season, or any other time of the year when you’re craving good old-fashioned Irish pub food.

Close up of a thick brat burger with braised red cabbage and chips

Irish Brat Patty Ingredients

Bratwurst sausages – look for Irish garlic sausages. If you can’t find them, check out our FAQ below.
Ground beef – use 80/20 beef.
Salt and pepper
Thick-cut smoked bacon – adds a smoky flavor to the burgers.
Shredded red cabbage
Chicken broth & Red wine vinegar – used for simmering the onions.
Onion – simmered in a beer bath.
Dark stout beer – For the dark stout, we recommend Guinness. One, it, of course, comes from Ireland, so it adds a bit of Irish to the burger’s condiments. There are plenty of good dark stouts out there, but Guinness is special. Did you know that contrary to popular belief, it is actually a fairly light beer? That’s right, Guinness is closer to a Coor’s Light than that heavy IPA you’ve been slogging back. Not only that, but good old Guinness has some protein in it! No wonder it was served to the Irish soldiers as a ration.
Honey Dijon mustard – if you’d rather have a tangier mustard, try whole grain mustard instead.
Mayo
Whole wheat buns
Greens

Side view of an irish brat burger with layers of bun, patty, cheese, braised cabbage and onions and a creamy sauce all topped with a bun and chips for nibbling

How to Make Delicious Burgers with Bratwurst

PREP & MIX THE MEAT

First things first, get your grill ready by cleaning and oiling the grates. Preheat it for indirect heat by turning up two of the four burners (or two out of three if you’re working with a three-burner grill).

Now, in a large bowl, take those brats out of their casing, mix them up with the beef, and don’t forget to season the mix with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Shape them into large patties, about under half an inch thick, make a little dimple in the center, and let them chill in the fridge for a good 20 minutes before hitting the grill.

BRAISE THE ONIONS AND CABBAGE

While those brat burger patties are chilling, let’s braise some onions and cabbage. In a small iron skillet, toss the onions with the stout and let them cook, stirring occasionally, for around 20 minutes. For the cabbage, use a larger skillet (it’s gonna wilt a bit), mix it with broth and red wine vinegar, cover it up, and let it do its thing for another 20 minutes. If there’s excess liquid, crank up the heat and uncover it to let it cook off. This part can happen on the grill, side burner, or right on the grate if that’s your jam.

GRILL THE BRATWURST PATTIES

Place patties on the cooler side of the grill and cook until an instant-read thermometer gives you the internal temperature of 160ºF, and flip them once, right in the middle of cooking time. Throw some cheese on top and let them chill on a covered platter.

While that’s happening, mix up some Honey Dijon Mustard and mayo in a bowl. If you’re feeling fancy, grind in some fresh black pepper.

ASSEMBLE THE BURGERS

Toast the buns, slather them with the Honey Dijon mayo mix, layer on some fresh greens, place that juicy grilled hamburger patty, add cheese, crispy bacon, and the star of the braising show – the cabbage and onions. Top it off, and get ready to devour your masterpiece.

Girl Carnivore Expert Recipe Tips

Not a fan of whole wheat buns? Serve on a pretzel bun or regular hamburger bun.
Add any kind of cheese you like, such as Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, cheddar cheese, or any other cheese you like.
Want even more onion goodness? Top your burgers with crispy onions for a crunchy finish.
When grilling pork patties, we are careful to temp the burgers for safety. The standard recommends a temp of 160F, using an instant-read thermometer. Once those patties are done, wrap them in foil to rest while you toast the buns and assemble the burger conga line.

What to Serve With Irish Brat Burgers

What’s a burger without fries? Serve up your juicy burgers with a side of duck fat fries. If you’re looking for something on the lighter side, pair your burgers with smoked cabbage. Or, if you feel like being indulgent, try some Dutch oven mac and cheese.

Leftovers & Reheating

Store leftover burger patties in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat:

Place a large cast iron pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Place patties inside the skillet and heat for a couple of minutes until warm.
Assemble your burgers as directed.

More Irish Recipes

Brat patties topped with stout braised onions, red cabbage, honey mustard, and crispy bacon are one of our favorite easy dinner recipes when we’re craving juicy flavors. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing recipe the whole family will love, these Irish Brat Burgers are the way to go.

Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.

These juicy burgers lock in the garlicy flavor of brats with a creamy sauce over wilted cabbage and onions for a seriously good bite.

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Prep & Mix the Meat

Prep the grates of your grill by cleaning and oiling and preheat for indirect heat by turning up 2 of the 4 burners (2 of 3 if you have a 3 burner grill).
Remove the brats from their casing and mix with the beef in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Form into large patties, just under ½” thick, with a dimple in the center, and allow to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before grilling.

Braise the Onions and Cabbage

Braise the onions with the stout in a small iron skillet, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Braise the cabbage in a larger skillet (it will wilt substantially), with the broth and red wine vinegar, covered, about 20 minutes as well. Increase heat and remove lid to cook off any excess liquid if needed. This can be done on the grill, using the side burner, or over the grate if desired.

Grill the Burgers

Meanwhile, When ready to grill, place the patties on the cooler side of the grill and cook until an instant read thermometer reads 160, flipping once, halfway through cook time.
Top with cheese and allow to rest on a covered platter.
Combine the Honey Dijon Mustard and mayo in a bowl, add some freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Assemble the Burgers

Arrange the toasted buns out for assembly. Slather with the honey dijon mayo, layer with fresh greens, a juicy grilled patty, cheese, crispy bacon, braised cabbage and onions, and topped for devouring.

I found some delicious Irish garlic brats at my local market and used those for this mix. If you can’t find those, mix in some minced garlic and parsley.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Fusion

Recipe FAQs

IS THAT A BRAT OR A BANGER?

So, is it a brat or a banger? You might as well ask if it is a hot dog or a wiener. By any other name, they are all a sausage. But if we must get technical about it, brats are typically done with pork, and bangers might be made from beef or lamb… But they can be pork, too.

What should I do if I can’t find brats?

Can’t find Irish garlic sausages at the grocery store?
Don’t sweat it because there are some workarounds. If you used andouille sausage, then you would not be far off the mark. Good Louisiana cajun-style andouille typically has a decent amount of garlic in it. Just going to spice things up a bit, so be ready for that.
Can’t find Andouille? Then, the fallback position is just getting some ground pork and adding some minced garlic and finely chopped parsley to it. Since you are mixing it into the beef, no one will know the difference if you don’t start with Irish sausages.

RED CABBAGE VS WHITE CABBAGE?

If you only have white cabbage handy, then you can, of course, use it instead. In terms of flavor, the difference between red and white cabbage is pretty minimal. Red cabbage is just plain better looking, though, when you cook it down in the stout.
White cabbage will not offer that same pretty picturesque quality. It will look sort of brown and tired. They are still delicious, but how foods look can have a big impact on how we think they will taste. Make the extra effort for red cabbage.

What type of grill do I need for this recipe?

Any grill will work for this recipe, whether you’re using a gas grill or a charcoal grill. Or if you have a pellet smoker these make amazing smoked burgers too.