Love bratwurst all year round, even when it's too cold to stand by the grill? We have great news: your oven works perfectly for cooking brats, even when it's cold outside. We have tips and instructions for cooking bratwurst in the oven, and you'll have endless summer in your kitchen, no matter what the weather is doing outdoors.
How to Cook Bratwurst in the Oven
Is there anything better than biting into a hot, juicy brat? Your oven can get them to the perfect temp in no time at all with minimal effort.
The safe internal temperature for bratwurst is 160°F (71°C). Use an instant-read thermometer to ensure it's properly cooked before serving.
Preheat
You can either broil or bake your brats. If baking, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). If broiling, adjust your oven rack to the center of the oven and turn your broiler on high.
Prep
Bratwurst doesn't require a lot of prep. However, prepping your pan can save you clean up later.
- For baking, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- For broiling, line the bottom part of the broiler pan with foil for easy clean up and place the broiling grate over the top.
Roast Bratwurst in the Oven
Bake the brats following these three steps:
- Lay the brats in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, which takes about an hour.
- Using tongs, turn the brats once, about halfway through cooking.
How to Broil Brats
To broil the brats:
- Lay them on the top rack of the broiling pan in a single layer.
- Place them under the broiler and use tongs to rotate them one-quarter turn every four minutes.
- Broiling will take about 12 minutes, and the brats are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Rest
While the tendency is to want to dive into hot, juicy brats, resting them will help keep the juices in the meat. Remove the brats from the oven and allow them to rest on their pan, tented loosely with foil, for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Beer Boiling and Broiling Brats
Brats and beer go together, and boiling brats in beer before you broil them makes them super juicy and flavorful. I like a stout or a lager but feel free to use any beer you want.
Ingredients
- Beer
- 1 red onion, quartered
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 to 2 pounds bratwurst
Instructions
- Add enough beer to a large pot that you can submerge the number of brats you want to cook.
- Add to the beer a quartered red onion and three cloves of garlic you've smashed along with the brats.
- Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes.
- While the brats boil, preheat your broiler as noted above.
- Transfer the brats to a broiling pan and broil, turning a quarter turn every four minutes, until they are browned on the outside, about 16 minutes total.
Baked Brats and Sauerkraut Recipe
Speaking of things that go super well with bratwurst, sauerkraut tastes like it's made for these juicy sausages. It's super easy to cook, and you'll have a tasty full meal.
Ingredients
- 4 to 6 cups of sauerkraut
- 1 to 2 pounds bratwurst links
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Spread the sauerkraut in an even layer in the baking dish.
- Layer the brats in an even layer directly on the sauerkraut.
- Bake in the preheated oven, turning the brats once after 30 minutes, for 60 minutes, or until the brats reach an internal temperature of 160°F. Rest, tented with foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
Bratwurst and Root Vegetables
You can also roast your brats directly on root vegetables. The veggies will flavor the brats, and the juices from the brats will flavor the vegetables.
Ingredients
- 3 medium red potatoes, cut into one-inch cubes
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
- 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 pounds bratwurst links
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Toss the potatoes, carrots, and onion with the olive oil and salt. Spread in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13-inch roasting pan or baking dish.
- Lay the bratwurst in a single layer on top of the root vegetables.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the bratwurst reaches an internal temperature of 160°F, about 60 minutes.
- Rest, tented with foil, for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving Ideas for Oven-Cooked Bratwurst
Whether you stuff 'em in buns and brush them with BBQ sauce or use them as meaty center of your meal, there are lots of ways to serve brats.
- Take a page out of the British playbook and make "bangers and mash," serving the bratwurst sausages with mashed potatoes.
- Brush the brats with your favorite BBQ sauce or hot sauce, and serve them in buns with caramelized onions.
- Split the bratwurst in half lengthwise and put them in a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Top them with chili for a yummy chili dog.
- Serve them alongside baked beans.
- Serve them in a bun (or bunless) with your fave potato salad.
- French fries or chips and a green salad or coleslaw are excellent choices.
- You can never go wrong with a classic soft pretzel.
- Dish up a side of baked apples.
Beautiful Bratwurst
If you want a taste of summer during the stormy winter months, bake or broil your bratwurst instead of grilling it. Oven-cooked bratwurst makes a tasty main course all year round.
