Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer Beer Brats with Cheddar Sauce

Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer Beer Brats with Cheddar Sauce

by www.KaylasFoodObsession.com

There are two times of year that I really seem to crave beer brats: grill season and at parties for "the big game". I love having the flavorful and moist meat on the inside, and the snap of a good sausage casing on the outside. 

One thing about this time of year (at least where I live), is that grilling isn't an option. In the past, I have slow cooked the sausage, vegetable, beer and stock mixture on the stove-top, chilled the meat, and then finished on the grill. The twist this time, is to speed up the process of infusing the flavor into the bratwurst sausages and cooking them through with my Instant Pot to create flavorful beer brats, and then get that crispy snap of the sausage casing with the air fryer. Of course if you have the weather to grill, these beer brats can be finished off on the grill as well. 

Tips for preparing part of this ahead of time:

You can cook the beer brats ahead of time (they can be cooked straight from the refrigerator), giving you more time to enjoy yourself at your next get together. When it's time to serve, toss them in the air fryer for 5-6 minutes (try to flip halfway). You can even stagger cooking batches to ensure you always have hot brats available. If you are wanting to get the cheese sauce ready ahead of time, stop the cooking process right before you add the cheese. When you are ready to serve, heat the sauce up and melt in the cheddar cheese.

 Pressure Cooker and Air Fryer Beer Brats with Cheddar Sauce

by Kayla's Food Obsession

(www.kaylasfoodobsession.com)

Ingredients:

1 can beer
2 cups chicken stock (homemade, low sodium preferred)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced or quartered
1 small onion, quartered
3.5 pounds bratwurst sausages
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
Buns or hoagie rolls of choice

Special Equiptment:
Electric Multi-Cooker (such as Instant Pot or GoWise)
Air Fryer (alternate option is to finish on grill)

Directions:

Cook brats through:
In 6 quart electric multi-cooker (Instant Pot used in this recipe), place trivet/rack. Add onion, mushrooms, bratwurst, beer and stock. Place inner pot in electric pressure cooker, cook on low pressure for 15 minutes, with natural pressure release. Place sausages on rack, and put in refrigerator until sauce is complete (or at least rest at room temperature for 10 minutes).

Make the cheddar sauce:
Scoop out cooked vegetable pieces with a small mesh scoop, or pour through a sieve. Reduce cooking liquid in electric pressure cooker on high saute until about 2 cups of liquid remain. Pour reduced liquid into bowl or other heat safe container. Change cooking setting to low saute, and add butter. Once butter is melted, add flour until combined, stirring with wood spatula or whisk. Continue to stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Change cooking setting to normal saute. Slowly, while stirring, add reduced cooking liquid back into pot. Continue to stir until completely combined, and bubbly. Turn off heat and remove inner pot from cooker. Transfer cheddar sauce to gravy boat or dish that sauce can easily be scooped out of.

Finish the brats in air fryer: (alternate option is to grill until brown)
Place rested/chilled brats in air fryer basket. Cook brats in air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes, flipping sausages over half way through.

Serve brats with buns/rolls and cheddar sauce.





If you would like to learn more about appliances that I used in this recipe, check out my Referenced Products page.