Instead of smoking whole bratwurst, make brat balls and smother them in addictive beer cheese for the perfect tailgate cheese dip.
Table of Contents
What is beer cheese?
Beer cheese is a popular cheese dip, especially at tailgate parties, that is made with melted cheese and beer. It’s similar to a fondue, which is made with wine, and is often served with pretzels, crackers or vegetables.
What are brat balls?
Brat balls are simply meatballs made with ground bratwurst meat.
So what’s bratwurst meat you may ask?
I make my homemade bratwursts with ground pork shoulder, beer, water and spices.
But it’s way easier to make this recipe with premade, uncooked bratwurst that you can find at the grocery store. You just need to remove the meat from the casings and roll up the meatballs.
Ingredients
- Bratwursts: You’ll find these in the meat section of your grocery store. They usually come five links per pack.
- Yellow or White Onion: Slice it super thin so the onion almost dissolves into the dip.
- Salted Butter
- All-purpose Flour
- Brisket Rub: This is my award-winning blend of salt, pepper, garlic and chiles.
- Ground Mustard
- Smoked Paprika
- Beer: You can use any kind of beer. For this recipe. I like using dark beers or amber ales. Pale ales are also good.
- Colby Jack Cheese: For the creamiest sauce, use freshly shredded cheese.
- Hot Dog Buns
Substitutions: Instead of colby jack cheese, you can also use cheddar, Swiss, muenster, gouda, gruyere or any other cheese that melts nicely.
If you don't have mustard powder, use a tablespoon Dijon mustard.
See the full recipe card below for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to cook the beer cheese and brat balls
This recipe starts at 400F degrees and finishes at 225F degrees. If you’re using a pellet grill or gravity series grill like the Masterbuilt 1050 or XT, you can make that adjustment easily.
If you’re using a ceramic cooker, do steps two and three on the stovetop and then smoke the cheese in a 225F degree smoker.
- STEP ONE: Remove the bratwurst meat from the casings and roll them into balls. You should get six balls from every bratwurst link.
- STEP TWO: Heat your grill to 400F degrees. Place a large cast iron skillet on the grill. Once it’s heated, add the meatballs and cook them for about 8-9 minutes or until they get a nice color on all sides.
PRO TIP: You can also do this step and the next one on a stovetop.
- STEP THREE: Add the sliced onion to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- STEP FOUR: Reduce the smoker temperature to 225F degrees. Add the butter, flour and seasonings. Gently stir to make a roux and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
- STEP FIVE: Pour the beer into the skillet. Stir to dissolve the flour. Then, add the cheese and gently stir to melt.
- STEP SIX: Close the lid and smoke the beer cheese dip for about 30 minutes over indirect heat.
- STEP SEVEN: While the cheese is smoking, slice hot dog buns into 1 inch pieces. Place those in a pan and heat them on the smoker next to the cheese for about 10 minutes.
How to serve beer cheese brat balls
Place the skillet on a trivet on the buffet table right next to the toasted hot dog pieces. Lay out some plates and place a serving spoon in the skillet.
People can either dunk the bread right into the cheese, or they can pile a meatball and cheese right on top. Or, they can open the hot dog bun up and place a meatball inside to make a sandwich.
Instead of hot dog buns, you can also serve this beer cheese dip recipe on game day with soft pretzels, baguette slices or tortilla chips.
As the dip cools, it will start to harden. So it’s best to enjoy it right away. If it does cool down, either place the skillet on the stovetop over low heat or pop it in a 350F degree oven for about 15 minutes.
Storage
Store leftover beer cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat it in the microwave, oven or on the stove. This cheese dip doesn’t freeze well.
GCG Pro Pitmaster Tips
- Use premade bratwurst to save time
- For creamier cheese dip, grate your own cheese
- Use Cowboy Charcoal hardwood briquets for great smoke flavor
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use virtually any beer for this cheese dip. I like dark beers and amber ales, but you can use light beers and pale ales too. It all depends on what beer flavor profile you’re going for.
Sharp cheddar cheese is really popular in beer cheese, but I prefer to use colby jack. Beer already has a tartness to it, so I like how mild the colby jack taste.
Play around with this recipe and try a blend of cheeses.
If you melt cheese too quickly, it can get gritty. For this recipe, be sure to reduce your grill temperature to 225F degrees for the smoking stage.
If your grill doesn’t adjust temperature very quickly, you can brown the meatballs on the stovetop and then finish the cheese sauce in a 225F degree smoker.
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Smoked Beer Cheese Brat Balls
Ingredients
- 1 pkg bratwurst links, 19 ozs
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp GCG Brisket Rub
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 16 ozs dark beer
- 16 ozs colby jack cheese, shredded
- 8 hot dog buns
Instructions
- Shape: Remove the brats from their casings and roll them into balls.
- Heat Smoker: Heat your smoker to 400F degrees*.
- Brown: Place the meatballs in a cast iron skillet and brown for 8-9 minutes.
- Cook Onions: Add the onions to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Make Roux: Add the butter to the skillet. Once it’s melted, stir in the flour, Brisket Rub, mustard powder and paprika. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes to form a roux.
- Add Beer: Reduce the smoker temperature to 225F degrees. Slowly pour the beer into the skillet. Stir to thicken. Stir in the cheese.
- Smoke: Cook the beer cheese dip for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare Bread: Slice the hot dog buns into 1 inch thick slices. Place the pieces in a half pan on the smoker next to the skillet. Let them toast for about 10 minutes.
- Serve: Remove the skillet from the smoker. Serve immediately with the toasted hot dog buns.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
