Knowing how to cook brats in the oven will help you on days when the weather outside does not support outdoor grilling. Everyone loves grilling brats, but oven-cooked brats are equally as delicious.
Cooking brats in the oven is a good way to hide from the chilly weather and make an easy family dinner.
In addition, cooking brats in the oven is an easy, hands-free process. It is not time-consuming, and it creates less mess. Moreover, you can roast veggies, potatoes, onions, and peppers to go with the brats.
Continue reading to see how you can cook brats in the oven.
What are brats?
Brats or bratwurst are German sausages made with pork, beef, or veal. But pork sausages are more common than beef and veal brats.
The ground meat is spiced with marjoram, nutmeg, caraway, paprika, ginger, coriander, sage, and cumin.
A typical bratwurst is served with a hard roll, mustard, ketchup, relish, and coleslaw. These German sausages are not cured before they are forced into the casing.
1. How to cook brats in the oven
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Rub the brats with oil and place them on the baking sheet. Make sure they do not touch each other
- Then, add the veggies or any sides you want to serve with the brats
- Bake on that side for 10 to 15 minutes
- Afterward, turn the bratwursts over and bake on the other side for another 10 to 15 minutes
- Bake until they are golden brown
- Use a food thermometer to check the temperature. When the internal temperature reads 160°F, the bratwursts are ready
- Take them out of the oven and leave them to rest before you serve
- The cooked bratwursts should rest for up to 10 minutes. This allows the juice to distribute around the sausage and give a moist sausage
2. How to cook frozen brats in the oven
Thaw frozen bratwursts overnight in the refrigerator or for a few hours before cooking. In whichever way you want your brats, follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Place them on the baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Make sure they do not touch each other
- After 10 minutes, bring out the brats from the oven and brush them with olive oil
- Add the veggies or any sides you want to serve with the brats and turn them also while you flip the brats
- Bake on one side for 10 to 15 minutes
- Thereafter, turn the bratwursts over and bake on the other side for another 10 to 15 minutes
- Bake until they are golden brown
- Use a food thermometer to check the temperature. When the internal temperature reads 160°F, the bratwursts are ready
- Take them out of the oven and leave them to rest before you serve
- Leave cooked bratwursts should rest for up to 10 minutes. The resting phase allows the juice to distribute around the sausage and give a moist sausage
3. How to cook skinless brats in the oven
Skinless bratwursts are brats without a casing to bite on. You can equally cook them in the oven and serve them with bread. This is how you should cook skinless brats in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Then, grease the baking sheet with oil and place the skinless brats on the baking sheet. Make sure they do not touch each other
- Bake on each side for 10 to 15 minutes
- Bake until they are golden brown
- Use a food thermometer to check the temperature. When the internal temperature reads 160°F, the bratwursts are ready
- Take them out of the oven and leave them to rest before you serve
- Leave the cooked skinless bratwursts to rest for up to 10 minutes. This will allow the juice to distribute around the sausage and give a moist sausage
4. How to cook bacon-wrapped brats in the oven
To make bacon-wrapped brats, you need the brats, bacon strips, brown sugar, and mustard.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Then, cut the brats into small bite-sizes
- Take the bacon strips and use them to wrap the brats. One bacon strip per brat
- Mix the brown sugar and mustard in a small bowl to give you a grainy texture
- Thereafter, roll each bacon-wrapped brat in the mixture until it coats well
- Place them on the baking sheet and bake
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until they have reached 160°F
- Naturally, bacon produces oil as they cook
- When you take them out of the oven, place them on clean paper towels to absorb the oil
- Serve with mustard
5. How to cook smoked brats in the oven
Smoked brats are cured brats that have been cooked halfway in a smoker. Some people love to grill them because of the smoky flavor that comes with grilling. But, you can cook them in the oven as well.
- Begin with preheating the oven to 350°F
- Then, line the baking sheet with parchment paper
- Arrange the bratwursts on the baking sheet and bake
- Cook them until the internal temperature of each brat reaches 145°F
6. How to cook beer brats in the oven
Beer brats are just a few steps different from regular oven-cooked brats. You should braise the brats in beer before baking them in the oven. These are the steps to follow:
- Use any beer of your choice to marinate the bratwursts for 30 minutes. Make sure you choose a beer that will not overpower the meaty, smoky flavor that adds to the deliciousness of the brats
- Afterward, take out the beer brats
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Then, line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. You can also use a baking or casserole dish if you aren’t cooking a lot of brats
- Place the beer bratwursts on the baking sheet. Make sure they are separate from each other
- Add any veggies or any sides you want to serve with the brats
- Bake on one side for 10 to 15 minutes
- Thereafter, flip the bratwursts over with tongs and bake on the other side for another 10 to 15 minutes
- Bake until they are golden brown
- Use a food thermometer to check the temperature. When the internal temperature reads 160°F, the bratwursts are ready
- Take them out of the oven and leave them to rest before you serve
- All the cooked bratwursts should rest for up to 10 minutes. This allows the juice to distribute and give you moist sausages
How to cook brats in a toaster oven
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- Take out the wire rack and arrange the bratwursts on the baking pan and put it in the best rack position, according to the oven
- Then, set the oven to convection bake and the timer to 10 minutes
- Bring out the brats when the timer goes off, flip them over and bake for another 10 or 15 minutes
- Afterward, check to see if the internal temperature is at 160°F
- Allow the brats to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before you serve
How long should you cook brats in the oven?
How long you cook brats in the oven depends on the temperature of the oven. Halfway through the cooking time, flip the brats over to the other side and cook until they are done.
At what temperature should you cook brats in the oven?
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cook the brats over low heat at a temperature range of 375°F to 400°F. Cook them at 425°F to 450°F on high heat.
FAQs
How long should you cook brats in the oven at 400°F?
Cook brats for 20 to 22 minutes at 400°F at an internal temperature of 160°F. Cook the brats for half the time on each side until they are golden brown.
How long should you cook brats in the oven at 375°F?
If you are cooking brats in the oven at 375°F, cook them for 22 to 25 minutes at an internal temperature of 160°F. Cook the brats for half the time on each side until they are golden brown.
Can you cook brats in the oven without broiling?
Yes, you can cook brats in the oven without using the broiler. It will give you brats as delicious as the grilled ones.
Are brats better in the oven or stove?
Cooking brats in the oven is the easiest method to cook the sausages. The stove method does not take long, but it creates a mess on the stove.
What can you eat with brats?
You can have any of the following sides with brats:
- Potato salad
- Green bean salad
- Red cabbage
- Sauerkraut
- Cucumber salad
- Baked beans
- Coleslaw
- Corn on cob
- Roasted veggies
- Mac n cheese
- Hard rolls
- Mustard
- Caramelized onions
- Bacon
- Applesauce
- Beer
Conclusion
If you don’t have a grill or it’s not grilling weather outside, cook brats in the oven and avoid the rigor of cooking them on a stove.
Moreover, the oven will also give you the char line everyone loves to see on their grilled sausage, especially when you broil the bratwurst.
For whatever reason you’re cooking brats in the oven, you can be sure to get delicious brats in the end.
Thanks for reading.
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