finished big mac sausage popper boats on a cutting board next to a grill

These Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats are a crowd-pleasing, flavor bomb recipe. These popper boats are inspired by my good friend Brad Prose from @chilesandsmoke. Beer brat “boats” are filled with cream cheese, pickled jalapeños, dill pickles, onion, lettuce, and a homemade special sauce!

This recipe is so simple to make and these popper boats are total flavor bombs. You don’t want to miss these!

Looking for more killer poppers? Try my Jalapeño Chicken Drumstick Poppers or my Bacon Wrapped BBQ Jalapeño Poppers.

closeup of cheesy big mac sausage popper boats

Make Special Sauce for Your Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats

Seriously. This special sauce really is special. Why you ask? Well, it’s creamy, tangy, a little bit spicy, rich, flavor-packed, and exactly what these popper boats need.

Trust me. Don’t skip the sauce, because it’s just that good.

overhead of sausage poppers on a cutting board by a grill

To make your sauce, simply mix together mayonnaise, white vinegar, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, paprika, onion powder, kosher salt, and garlic powder.

Stir the sauce so it’s fully combined, then set it off to the side.

Build the Boats

Next up, the “boat” for the rest of the ingredients. To make your boat, use a sharp knife to slice lengthwise down the center of the beer brats to open the casing.

Use your fingers to press the beer brat out to build a boat or canoe shape. Make sure the sides are high and the center dips down, because we’re going to fill the boats with toppings.

Okay, now let’s assemble our Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats.

Fill Your Boats

First, add a two ounce slice of cream cheese to the center of each boat, then layer on two slices of pickled jalapeños followed by one slice of dill pickles.

uncooked boat shaped sausage topped with cream cheese, pickles, and jalapeños on a baking sheet

Next, sprinkle the top of the Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats with the burger seasoning of your choice. My favorite is Alvin Cailan’s Burger SZN from Spiceology, because it really is so good. I do highly recommend that one.

Lastly, set the assembled poppers into the fridge so they can chill and set for 15 minutes.

If you love a big mac, then you’ll also love my Big Mac Dog!

Cook Your Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats

Next, let’s grill!

First, preheat a medium heat fire for indirect cooking at around 300ºF.

Next, add the Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats onto the hot grill, then cook for about 1-1.5 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be 165ºF.

overhead of sausage poppers on a grill

Roughly 10 minutes before the cooking time is up, top each boat with a handful of shredded cheddar cheese, because the cheesier the better.

sausage poppers topped with cheese on a grill

Allow the cheese to melt, then pull the Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats off of the grill. Let them cool for a couple of minutes, then finish them off with lettuce, finely diced white onions, and a drizzle of the prepared special sauce.

cooked sausages with toppings and melted cheddar on a cutting board

Now dig in, because I know you’re hungry!

For more delicious recipes, check out my second cookbook Flavor X Fire or my first cookbook Food X Fire!

Needing more spice in your life? My spice line can help with that. Check them out here.

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closeup of cheesy big mac sausage popper boats

Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats

These Big Mac Sausage Popper Boats are made with beer brat "boats" that are filled with cream cheese, a special sauce, and more!
Author:Derek Wolf
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients 

Sausage:

  • 6-8 Beer Brat Sausages
  • 12-16 oz Cream Cheese sliced into 2 oz cubes
  • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 12-16 Pickled Jalapeños Slices
  • 6-8 Dill Pickles sliced
  • 2 tbsp Favorite Burger Seasoning

Toppings:

  • 1 cup Finely Diced White Onions
  • 1 cup Shredded Lettuce
  • Special Sauce see below

Special Sauce:

  • ½ cup Mayonnaise
  • cup White Vinegar
  • 2.5 tbsp Yellow Mustard
  • 1.5 tbsp Sweet Pickle Relish
  • ¾ tbsp Paprika
  • ½ tbsp Onion Powder
  • ½ tbsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ tbsp Garlic Powder

Instructions 

  • Begin by adding all the ingredients for the Special Sauce to a bowl and mixing. Set to the side until ready to use.
  • Next, take your beer brats and gently slice lengthwise to open up the casing. Begin firmly pressing with your fingers to build a “boat” or “canoe” shape with the sides being high and the center dipping. Once all the brats are shaped, add a 2oz slice of cream cheese to each in the center. Top the cream cheese with two slices of pickled jalapenos and one slice of dill pickles. Finish each sausage with your favorite Burger seasoning (I used Alvin Cailan’s Burger SZN from Spiceology). Set the poppers in the fridge for 15 minutes to set.
  • Preheat a medium heat fire for indirect cooking (around 300F).
  • Once the grill is hot, add your sausage popper boats to cook until 165F internal (about 1-1.5 hours). About the last 10 minutes of the cook, top each sausage popper boat with a handful of cheese to melt. Once the sausages are done, pull off and let cool for 2-3 minutes.
  • Finish each sausage popper boat with some lettuce, finely diced white onions and a drizzle of the Special Sauce. Slice, serve and enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 1141kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 100g | Saturated Fat: 42g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 227mg | Sodium: 3483mg | Potassium: 983mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 7069IU | Vitamin C: 64mg | Calcium: 685mg | Iron: 5mg

Derek Wolf

Derek is the driving force behind Over the Fire Cooking. He started cooking with live fire in 2016 and decided to start a social media page so his friends and family could follow the journey. Fast forward to today and Over the Fire Cooking has spread across multiple platforms with millions now following Derek's fire cooking journey. He's a southern fellow who enjoys everything from classic BBQ to Central and South American inspired dishes. Whatever he's cooking up, it's guaranteed to be so freakin' delicious!

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