A classic dish for backyard barbecues is bratwurst, but how many of us can honestly say we can make a good brat? This comprehensive bratwurst cooking guide includes bonus brat-cooking tips in addition to instructions on grilling, stovetop, and oven brat cooking. Continue reading to discover how to cook brats, tips, and techniques.
3 Ways to Cook Brats
The cooking method you choose will determine how long it takes to cook brats. Choose a method to try next by looking at the three main techniques listed below.
1. How Long to Cook Brats on Grill
Brats can be effectively grilled to add a deep, smokey flavour to the meat. Use these five steps and try grilling your brats slowly over medium-low heat for the best results.
➛ Heat your grill by preheating it to medium-low heat. If you use high heat and rush the grilling process, the brats’ casings will split open and char the outside, letting the flavorful juices from the meat leak out.
➛ Brush the grill with oil: To keep the brats from sticking, coat the grill’s grates with an oil that has a high smoke point, like peanut or sunflower oil. Do not use too much oil; otherwise, you risk producing too much smoke.
➛ When the grill is hot, place the bratwurst links evenly over the grates to allow for proper air circulation and thorough cooking of each brat. This will help you avoid burning spots.
➛ Keep cooking: Use tongs to turn the links frequently while the brats are left on the grill for about twenty minutes. To ensure that the brats get a golden brown colour and caramelization on all sides, turn them over.
➛ Serve the brats: Before taking them off the grill, make sure they have reached an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit by using a meat thermometer. After cooking, move your brats to a platter and savour!
2. How to Cook Brats On the Stove
You can achieve a nice sear on your brats by pan-frying them in a skillet. It is up to you whether to parboil the brats beforehand or not when cooking them on the stove.
Although parboiling thoroughly cooks meat, there are other ways to ensure that your fresh brats reach a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees F. These cooking instructions cover both of your options.
➛ Pan-frying: Bring your pan up to medium heat and add the bratwurst links along with six tablespoons of water.
After covering your pan, cook the brats for approximately 12 minutes, making sure to flip them over frequently. After the brats are a gorgeous golden brown, take off the cover and continue cooking for a further five to seven minutes.
➛ Searing and parboiling: Finally, brats can be cooked on the stove by first boiling them until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, and then searing them in a skillet. To cook your brats, add enough water to a large pot to cover the links by three-quarters.
➛ The brats should be cooked through after about 20 minutes of simmering the water after placing the bratwurst in the pot and bringing it to a boil. When they are done boiling, move them to a hot skillet and cook, covered, for three more minutes to crisp up the outsides.
3. How to Cook Brats In the Oven
Just like when brats are cooked on the stove, there are two options when baking brats: bake or broil.
Broiling a brat will sear its outside for a satisfying crunch, but baking will preserve its flavour and produce a sweeter caramelization of its casing. Whichever approach you like best, follow the steps listed below.
➛ Preheat
Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit if you intend to bake your brats. Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven, and set your broiler to high if you plan to broil the brats.
➛ Place the Brats
Before putting the brats on a rimmed cookie sheet in a single layer for baking, line it with aluminium foil and give it a quick oil spray to prevent sticking.
To broil brats, cover the broiling grate with aluminium foil and line the bottom of a broiler pan. Arrange the brats in a single layer on the upper rack of the preheated broiling pan.
➛ Bake or Broil
To bake, place the brat sheet in the oven and cook for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 160 degrees.
Do not forget to flip the brats midway. The brats only need to be broiled for about 13 minutes on each side, but you may need to turn the links more often to keep them from burning.
➛ Rest
When the brats are thoroughly cooked, take them out of the oven and give them ten minutes to rest before serving. The bratwursts will become moister and more flavorful if you allow the juices to re-distribute throughout the meat.
➛ Serve and enjoy
After the brats are done resting, plate them however you like and enjoy!
5 Tips for Cooking Brats
Now that you understand the fundamentals of brat preparation, you can learn how to create a delicious bratwurst. To cook the ideal brats, use these five pointers and techniques.
1. Poach Brats in Beer
Use beer instead of water if you decide to parboil your brats. If you boil your bratwurst in beer before cooking them, or if you just brush the links with beer before grilling them, you can enhance their flavour.
To give the meat even more flavour, you can also include additional seasonings like sage, garlic, rosemary, or onions in the liquid used to parboil it.
2. Avoid Poking Holes
While poking holes in bratwurst may help it better absorb sauce or beer, doing so will let the brat’s juices seep out while it cooks, contrary to what some recipes suggest. A dry and overcooked finished product will come from releasing the juices.
3. Sear With the Grill
A skillet is not necessary for properly searing brats. Finishing your bratwurst on the grill will give them a smoky char and a snappy sear all at once. Your brats should be prepared similarly to a skillet sear, but move them to a preheated grill instead of finishing in a skillet.
4. Use Good Bratwurst When Cooking
You will be able to detect the difference in seasonings, freshness, and flavour when you use premium brats.
To make sure you do not receive a brat filled with filler instead of meat, buy your brats from a reputable brand like Premio. You will never want to use generic links again after trying Premio’s bratwurst.
5. Experiment with New Recipes
There are tonnes of different bratwurst recipes to try, even though there is nothing wrong with the traditional brat and sauerkraut combination.
Try German-style bratwurst skewers, beer-braised brats on pretzel buns, or even a delectable bratwurst dip. You will never grow tired of brats because there are so many different kinds of bratwurst.