Wondering how to cook sauerkraut? Simmer it with beer, bacon, onions, and caraway seeds for 30 minutes to transform tangy bagged sauerkraut into a rich, savory side dish that's perfect with brats, pork, or hot dogs.
Looking for more ways to use sauerkraut? Try my reuben egg rolls or sauerkraut balls recipe for two crowd-pleasing appetizers.
Recipe Summary: How to Cook Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon
- ✅ Recipe Name: How to Cook Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon
- 🕒 Ready In: 45 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 8 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 52 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Sauerkraut, bacon, onions, caraway seeds, Lager-style beer
- 📖 Dietary Info: Make-ahead friendly, naturally gluten-free (use gluten-free beer if needed)
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: A simple stovetop side dish that transforms bagged sauerkraut into a rich, savory favorite with beer, bacon, onions, and caraway seeds. Perfect for serving with brats, pork, hot dogs, or Reuben sandwiches.
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I've loved sauerkraut for as long as I can remember. Its tangy, slightly sour flavor is the perfect topping for hot dogs, Reuben sandwiches, oven baked brats, and braised pork ribs.
While it's delicious straight from the package, simmering sauerkraut with beer, bacon, onions, and caraway seeds takes it to the next level. The beer mellows the tang while the bacon adds smoky richness, creating an incredibly flavorful side dish.
Serve it with hot dogs, sausages, pork, or Reuben sandwiches, or use it in my reuben egg rolls or hot pastrami sandwich for even more ways to enjoy it.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Big flavor, simple ingredients: Beer, bacon, onions, and caraway seeds transform everyday sauerkraut into a rich, savory side dish.
- Perfect for cookouts: The ultimate topping for brats, hot dogs, Polish sausage, Reuben sandwiches, and roast pork butt.
- Easy stovetop recipe: Just a few minutes of prep and cooking, then let it simmer while you make the rest of your meal.
- Great for entertaining: Make it ahead of time and simply reheat before serving for Oktoberfest parties, BBQs, or game day.
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Ingredients
- Bagged sauerkraut. Refrigerated bagged sauerkraut has the freshest flavor and enough liquid to simmer into a rich, savory side dish. Canned or jarred sauerkraut also works: just add a splash of water if it starts to dry out.
- Onion. A small onion adds natural sweetness and softens as it cooks, balancing the tanginess of the sauerkraut.
- Bacon. Crispy bacon adds smoky, savory flavor while the rendered bacon fat creates the perfect base for cooking the onions and sauerkraut.
- Lager-style beer. A light lager mellows the sharpness of the sauerkraut and adds subtle malty flavor as it simmers. Chicken broth is a great substitute if you prefer not to use beer.
- Caraway seeds. These classic seeds add a warm, slightly nutty flavor that's traditionally paired with sauerkraut and complements the bacon and beer perfectly. I also love them with braised pork ribs.
See the recipe card at the end for the full list of ingredients with the quantities.
Variations
| Skip the beer | Substitute chicken broth, beef broth, apple cider, or water if you prefer an alcohol-free version. |
| Add a touch of sweetness | Stir in a finely diced apple with the onion, a tablespoon of brown sugar, or a drizzle of honey to balance the tanginess of the sauerkraut. |
| Make it heartier | Add sliced kielbasa, bratwurst, or smoked sausage to the pan and let everything simmer together for an easy one-pan meal. |
How to Make Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon
- Step 1: Chop bacon into small pieces, and add to a cold saucepan.
- Step 2: Cook bacon, stirring occasionally until mostly crisp- 6-8 minutes,.
- Step 3: Add onions and caraway seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until onions soften.
- Step 4: Add beer and bacon, cover, and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Don't drain the sauerkraut. Use the liquid from the bag. it helps the flavors meld together as everything simmers.
- Cook low and slow. Simmering for the full 30 minutes mellows the tanginess and lets the beer, bacon, onions, and caraway infuse every bite.
- Use a light lager. A mild lager complements the sauerkraut without overpowering it. Avoid overly bitter IPAs.
- Taste before adding salt. Between the bacon and sauerkraut, this dish is already plenty salty, so it usually doesn't need any extra seasoning.
How to Make Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon FAQs
The best way to heat up sauerkraut is to simmer it on the stovetop with bacon, onions, beer, and caraway seeds. Let it cook for about 20–30 minutes over medium-low heat so the sauerkraut absorbs all of the savory flavors while the beer mellows its tanginess. This method creates a rich, flavorful side dish that's perfect for serving with brats, hot dogs, pork, or Reuben sandwiches.
Sauerkraut is already fermented, so it doesn't need to be cooked for food safety. For the best flavor, cook it for 20–30 minutes on the stovetop, as in this recipe. Simmering it with beer, bacon, onions, and caraway seeds gives the flavors time to meld and softens the tanginess, creating a rich, savory side dish that's perfect with brats, pork, or hot dogs.
If you'd rather skip the beer, you can substitute chicken broth, beef broth, apple cider, or even water. Chicken broth is my favorite because it adds savory flavor without overpowering the sauerkraut, while apple cider brings a subtle sweetness that pairs well with the bacon and caraway. No matter which substitute you choose, simmer the sauerkraut for the full 30 minutes so it has time to absorb all of the flavors.
If you tried this Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Sauerkraut with Beer & Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 32 oz bagged sauerkraut
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 strips of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 12 oz. lager-style beer
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
Instructions
- Add bacon to a cold 5-quart saucepan, then cook over medium-low heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally until bacon is mostly crisp, 6-8 minutes.
- Add onion and caraway seeds, and stor ti combine. Cook 3-5 minutes, until onions soften.
- Add the sauerkraut and it’s liquid, and beer and stir to combine.
- Cover pan with lid and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauerkraut takes on a rich golden color and most of the liquid is evaporated.
Sharon says
This sauerkraut is my favorite for Rueben egg rolls, pastrami sandwiches, and grilled brats and hot dogs- and it is the easiest BBQ condiment!