Sausage, Peppers, and Onions, State Fair Style

5 from 4 votes. Tap stars to vote

One of the best foods at the fair is so easy to make at home! Grilled Sausage, Peppers and Onions are smoky and savory, served in soft rolls.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Dinner, Grill, Make-Ahead Lunch, Summer Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 580kcal

12 fluid ounces beer I recommend a lager or stout
4 Bratwurst sausages (between 3 and 4 ounces each)
3 large bell peppers, washed (I like a combination of green and red)
2 medium yellow onions (about 6 to 7 ounces each)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 sub rolls
condiments you'd like such as mustard, hot sauce, shredded cheese, ketchup, horseradish, etc.

Bring the 12 fluid ounces beer to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add in the 4 Bratwurst sausages (brats) and just enough water so that the brats are just covered.
Simmer the brats for 5 minutes. Then remove them from the beer. They will be plump and also a little grayish looking—but don't worry! They will get more color once you grill them. Hold the brats aside until it's time to grill.

While the brats simmer, slice the 3 large bell peppers, washed into rings. Do this by laying the pepper on its side, then slicing off the top. Pull out the bundle of seeds and membranes, then tap the pepper upside down over the sink to get the loose seeds out. With the pepper still on its side, slice it into thin rings—about ¼-inch thick.
Slice the 2 medium yellow onions into rings: slice off the bottom and peel away the outer, papery layers. Then with the onion still on its side, slice it into rings about ¼-inch thick.

Have ready a rimmed baking sheet to place on one half of your grill grates, or a sheet of heavy duty foil. Preheat a gas grill, then turn the burners to medium.
Place the baking sheet or foil on one half of the grill. For the 3 tablespoons vegetable oil: pour two tablespoons over the pan or foil, then spread the pepper and onion rings over it. Drizzle the last tablespoon of oil over the veggies.
Close the cover and grill the peppers and onions, turning them every few minutes with tongs, for 10 to 15 minutes. They should be softened and browning here and there.
About 5 minutes before the veggies are done, add the brats to the other half of the grill.
Cook them for 5 or 10 minutes, turning them a few times—you want to finish cooking them through and give them some color and grill marks. The internal temperature of the finished brats should be 160°F.

If the 4 sub rolls aren't already cut, slice them open now. Lay some grilled peppers and onions in each roll and then add a grilled sausage to each. Add a few more rings of peppers and onions to the top of each sausage.
Serve the sausages, peppers, and onions, along with condiments you'd like such as mustard, hot sauce, shredded cheese, ketchup, horseradish, etc. Enjoy!

The sausages in my photos are bratwurst or brats, but you can use hot or sweet Italian sausages as well.
Precooked sausages can also be used in this recipe, like kielbasa or smoked sausage. Since these are pre-cooked, you can skip the beer bath and just heat them through on the grill.