Slow Cooker Brat and Beer Cheese Dip

This Slow Cooker Brat and Beer Cheese Dip is the perfect snack for a big football party with friends. Great to serve with pretzels or tortilla chips.

Crockpot Cheesy Dip with beer and brats
Marta Rivera

Being stationed in Germany for six years gave me a deep appreciation for two things: beer and bratwurst (sausages) of all kinds.

This Brat and Beer Cheese Dip was born out of my love for this German fare and for hosting Super Bowl parties. Honestly, I have no clue about how football is played—I just love any reason to have a party.

Keeping Brat and Beer Cheese Dip Warm

This dip comes together so quickly—just cook the sausages and the onions on the stovetop, then mix with the cheese in the slow cooker and let everything melt together. Set out some chips or pretzel bites for serving, and you're done!

How to Make Beer Cheese Dip in the Crockpot
Marta Rivera

This dip also keeps exceptionally well on the warm setting of the slow cooker. You can hold it for hours without compromising its velvety texture, which makes it perfect for what I like to call “party grazing.” If you happen to have leftovers, it also reheats in the microwave surprisingly well.

Picking the Best Brats

Look for beer brats, which are made with actual beer. They give some added flavor of beer without watering down the dip. If you can't find them, regular bratwurst would be a great substitute without compromising flavor.

I prefer to stay true to the theme of this dip by using only European cheeses. If you can't find them in your local food market, cheddar and Swiss are acceptable to use instead.

Slow Cooker Brats and Beer Cheese Dip for tortilla chips
Marta Rivera

A little-known fact about being stationed on military bases overseas: You don't always see the same commercials from American television programming.

Since cheesy Super Bowl ads are what many of us look forward to the most, we were really left wanting! Military communities abroad make a big deal out of the Big Game, but without the commercials, I always felt like there was something left to be desired.

Now that I'm back stateside, I'm thankful that I can enjoy my beer, brats, and Super Bowl commercials . . . especially since I still have no idea how the game is played.

Substitutions for Beer Brats

You can substitute any of these for the beer brats, but keep in mind that substitutions will change the flavor profile a bit:

  • Regular bratwurst
  • Chicken sausage
  • Turkey sausage
  • Italian sausage
  • Andouille sausage
  • Beef kielbasa
  • Turkey kielbasa

How long can brat and beer cheese dip be stored?

Store tightly covered brat and beer cheese dip in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat it slowly in a nonstick pot, stirring frequently until it's slightly bubbly. Or reheat it in the microwave on high until it's slightly bubbly, stopping every 30 seconds and stirring.

5 More Slow Cooker Party Recipes to Try

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Slow Cooker Brat and Beer Cheese Dip

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Servings 12 servings

Use raw beer brats, which are typically located in the refrigerated section of your grocery store (near the breakfast sausage).

Ingredients

  • 1 (16- to 20-ounce) package beer brats (about 5 links)

  • 1/4 cup white onion, minced

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 12 ounces German beer (pilsners or ambers work well in this recipe)

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, optional

  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 8 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded

  • 6 ounces Asiago cheese, shredded

  • 3 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded

  • 3 ounces goat cheese or chevre, crumbled

  • 2 tablespoons diced pimentos, drained

  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

To serve:

  • Tortilla chips

  • Pretzels or pretzel bites

  • Cooked brats cut into 1-inch pieces

Method

  1. Remove the sausage from its casing:

    Using a very sharp knife, make a slit in the casings by running the tip of the blade down the length of the sausage.

    Remove the casing from each of the bratwurst and discard.

    Beer Cheese Dip - remove sausages from casing
    Marta Rivera
    how to remove sausages from casing
    Marta Rivera
  2. Cook the sausages:

    In a cast-iron skillet, or other heavy nonstick skillet, brown the brats over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and developing some caramelized spots. Break up the sausages with a wooden spoon or a potato masher as you cook—aim for bite-sized pieces the size of raisins, which are perfect for scooping with chips.

    Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned sausage to your slow cooker. Leave the fat behind in the pan; you will use it for the next step.

    sautéing sausages in skillet
    Marta Rivera
    Beer Cheese Dip - cooking the sausage
    Marta Rivera
  3. Cook the onions and garlic:

    Add the minced onion and garlic to the hot pan and for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the vegetables look translucent and glossy.

    Beer Cheese Dip - cooking the onions and garlic
    Marta Rivera
  4. Add the beer:

    Lower the heat to medium-low, and carefully pour the beer into the pan. The beer will steam and fizz, so be careful. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits of food that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. This deglazing of the pan is important as it adds tons of flavor to the finished dip.

    Bring the liquid to a boil and let it bubble for about 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly reduced. (This also cooks off the alcohol.)

    Beer Cheese Dip - simmering the beer
    Marta Rivera
  5. Prepare and add the thickener:

    While the beer is cooking, whisk together the cornstarch, whole milk, Dijon mustard, salt, white pepper (if using), cayenne pepper, and the ground nutmeg in a mixing bowl to form a smooth mixture.

    Once the beer has reduced, carefully pour the cornstarch mixture into the skillet, whisking constantly. Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture back to a boil. It should thicken quickly.

    Once the mixture has the consistency of gravy and the whisk leaves a ribbon when pulled through the sauce, remove the pan from the stove and carefully pour the sauce into the slow cooker.

    Beer Cheese Dip - making the sauce with corntarch
    Marta Rivera
    Beer Cheese Dip - sauce going into crockpot
    Marta Rivera
  6. Add the cheese to the slow cooker:

    Stir the cheese, one type at a time, with the other ingredients in the slow cooker. Make sure to stir thoroughly before adding the next one.

    Stir in the drained, diced pimentos.

    Beer Cheese Dip - shredded Cheese in slow cooker
    Marta Rivera
  7. Cook the dip:

    Cover the slow cooker and cook the dip on high for 30 minutes to melt the cheese.

  8. Hold the dip on the "warm" setting and serve:

    Once the cheese has melted completely, switch to the warm setting and stir the dip. Add the chopped cilantro and stir once more. Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste by adding more salt and/or pepper. I've found that the flavors deepen as the dip sits and it may seem to get saltier, so I recommend erring on the side of under-seasoning at this point.

    This dip will keep (on warm) for up to 4 hours. Give the dip a stir every half hour or so to prevent a skin from forming on the top. If you feel like it's getting too thick, stir in a little milk to thin it out again.

    Brats and Beer Cheese Dip in crock pot
    Marta Rivera
  9. To serve:

    Spoon the dip onto individual plates or into bowls. Enjoy with tortilla chips or good ol’ Bavarian-style pretzels!

    Leftovers can be stored in a food storage container in the refrigerator for up to two days.

    To reheat: Heat on high for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir the dip and reheat at 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until warmed through.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
374 Calories
27g Fat
8g Carbs
21g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 374
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 13g 67%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 986mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 8g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 2mg 10%
Calcium 433mg 33%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 271mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.