A perfectly cooked bratwurst sausage is tender and moist, with savory flavor and a hint of sweetness in each mouthwatering bite. But you don’t need a grill to get that classic smoky taste!
With a few key points, you can effortlessly oven bake delicious bratwurst that are ready to serve with your favorite picnic sides in only 20 minutes.
To cook brats in the oven, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a with tin foil and add your brats, leaving space between them. Bake for about 9-12 minutes, flip, then bake another 8-10 minutes. When done, the brats will be golden brown and have an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
From the most common questions answered to our top expert tips, we’re sharing all you need to know about how to cook brats in the oven!
In this article, we will cover:
- Why Bake Brats In The Oven
- How To Cook Fresh and Frozen Brats In The Oven
- How To Cook Beer Brats In The Oven
- Other Way To Cook Brats
- What To Serve With Bratwurst
- How To Store Leftover Brats
- FAQs About Cooking Brats In The Oven
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Why Cook Bratwurst In the Oven?
Oven baking is a great method because helps to ensure that the bratwurst cooks evenly and thoroughly. The high heat gives them that classic golden and slightly crisp exterior but also results in juicy brats that are tender on the inside.
It’s also quite convenient and fast to make brats in the oven. Simply preheat the oven while you prep your ingredients, then bake for about 20 minutes (flipping halfway through cook time). There is plenty of hands-off downtime to work on sides, and before you know it dinner is ready.
I promise, once you learn how to make oven cooked brats you will not want to bother with the grill again!
How to Cook Brats in the Oven
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet, rimmed baking pan or casserole dish with tin foil.
- Place one package of brats on the baking sheet. The sides of the bratwurst should not touch.
- Bake for about 9-12 minutes.
- Turn the brats over. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. The brats should be golden brown. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.
PRO TIP: Remove sausage from the oven at about 155 degrees. The residual heat in the sausage will continue to cook it those last 5 degrees needed to reach your ideal temp of 160°. This is called “carryover cooking”.
How To Cook Frozen Brats In The Oven
There is not much difference at all when baking bratwurst from frozen. Just increase the cooking time to 15-20 minutes per side. Check to make sure the internal temp is 160° F before serving.
How to Make Beer Brats In The Oven
- For the easiest oven baked beer bratwurst, purchase readymade beer sausages. You can buy beer brats at most grocery stores or from your butcher.
- To make your own beer brats, pour one full beer in shallow baking dish and marinate the brats for 30 minutes. Then bake with the instructions above. The best beer to make brats in the oven is a lighter ale, like German pilsner or American lager. These will enhance the brat’s sweetness without overpowering the great meaty, smoky flavors. However, feel free to use your favorite beer too.
How Long to Cook Brats in the Oven
Using the oven is a simple method that results in the best bratwurst! Below are some general guidelines for cooking bratwurst sausages in the oven. But please note the exact time may vary depending on the thickness of the brats.
From thawed: Bake uncooked fresh sausage in a preheated oven at 400° F for about 20 minutes. Flip halfway through cook time.
From frozen: Cook frozen bratwurst links for 30-40 minutes in a preheated 400° F oven. Flip halfway through cook time.
PRO TIP: After removing from the heat, allow brats to rest in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to settle in for a moist and delicious bratwurst.
Other Ways To Cook Brats
While baked brats in the oven are delicious, you do have some other options as well.
Cooking Brats On The Grill
To help prevent brats from splitting open while grilling, you can parboil them on the stove or a grill-safe skillet. This pre-cooking will help seal in the moisture. This is an optional step.
Heat grill to 300 – 350 degrees F. Add the brats to the grill and cook for about 20 minutes or until you get to an internal temp of 160 degrees F.
Grilling brats will give you a delicious smoky flavor and those classic grill marks.
Cooking Brats In A Skillet
Add a couple of cups of water to the bottom of a saucepan, frying pan or cast iron skillet. Bring the water to a boil, then add in the uncooked fresh bratwurst.
Simmer for about 8-12 minutes or until the internal link temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’d like to brown the brats, drain off any excess water and fry the brats in the pan for a couple of minutes or until golden brown.
Cooking Brats In An Air Fryer
Heat your air fryer to 370° F. Add uncooked brats to the air fryer in a single layer leaving plenty of space between them. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning brats once during cooking.
Keep in mind that every air fryer cooks differently. These are just general guidelines and your exact cooking time may vary. Just make sure the internal temp of the meat is 160 degrees F.
Cooking Brats In A Deep Fryer
Deep-fried brats are delicious. It isn’t the healthiest way, but definitely yummy!
For best results, it’s recommended to thaw brats before deep frying. To deep-fry thawed brats, you can add cooking oil to a deep fryer or a deep saucepan. Heat the oil to 350 degrees.
Carefully add the sausages. Fry 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown with an internal temp of 160 degrees.
Cooking Brats In the Microwave
To cook bratwurst in the microwave, add water to a microwave-safe dish that is large enough for sausages to be in a single layer.
Add the brats to the dish. Make sure there is enough water to cover the brats totally. Add enough so that the water will not evaporate totally during cooking.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap. Cook on high for 2 minutes. Turn the brats, re-cover, then cook for 2 more minutes.
Cooking Brats In An Instant Pot
Add 1-2 cups of water or other cooking liquid to your instant pot. Pressure cook for about 6 minutes or until heated to 160 degrees. If desired, saute with melted butter in the instant pot or a saute pan.
What to Serve with Bratwurst
Bratwurst can be served with a variety of sides that compliment the sweet and smoky baked brat flavors. Some classic accompaniments include:
- Sauerkraut
- Pierogies
- German potato salad
- Potato pancakes
- Coleslaw
- Fried cabbage
- Fried potato wedges
- Brussels sprouts
- Corn on the cob
- Cucumber salad
- Onions and bell peppers
- Hot dogs
It is also common to enjoy warm sausages with hot dog buns or rolls and goodies like sauteed onions and peppers, stone ground mustard, relishes, and even more sauerkraut.
How To Store Leftover Brats
Oven-baked bratwurst will keep well for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Let them cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container or wrapping them tightly in plastic cling wrap.
To freeze, first cool the brats to room temperature and then wrap them in plastic cling wrap or place them in an airtight zipper bag. I suggest you also wrap them in a layer of aluminum foil for even more protection against freezer burn. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQs About Cooking Brats In the Oven
Q. How long do you cook brats in the oven at 375°?
A. About 25 minutes. Bake for 12-15 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Q. How long do you bake brats in the oven at 400°?
A. About 20 minutes. Cook for 9-11 minutes on each side or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Q. How long do you bake brats at 425°?
A. About 17-20 minutes. Cook for 9-10 minutes on each side or to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
Q. How long do you cook brats at 450°?
A. About 10-17 minutes. Bake bratwurst for 5-10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 5-10 minutes more. Keep a close eye on them to ensure the brats don’t burn. Even if the outside looks done, the internal temp must still be 160 degrees F.
Q. How long does it take for a brat to cook?
A. It typically takes somewhere between 15-30 minutes to bake bratwurst, depending on the oven temperature.
Cooking at a lower temp like 375-400 degrees will then be on the higher side of cook time, approximately 20-30 minutes. However, in the high heat range of 425-450 degrees bratwurst will bake in 10-20 minutes.
Q. How do you bake raw brats?
A. Most bratwurst is sold raw. But even if precooked the internal temperature needs to reach 160 F. So you can just follow the same recipe for how to make brats in the oven below, and use a meat thermometer to check the temp before serving.
Q. What temperature should brats be cooked to?
A. The internal temperature should be 160 F, or about 71 celsius.
Q. How can you tell when brats are done?
A. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. It should be 160° F when the sausages are cooked completely. They also will be firm to touch and browned on the outside.
Q. How do you cook Johnsonville Brast in the oven?
A. Preheat the oven to oven to 350°F. Place Johnsonville sausage or Johnsonville beer brats on a baking tray or sheet pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning once and until brown and cooked to 160 degrees.
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Easy Oven Baked Brats (Optional Beer)
In less than 20 minutes, you can bake delicious, brats baked to a golden brown right in your oven!
Ingredients
- One package uncooked bratwurst
- 2-3 cans or bottles of your favorite beer (optional)
Instructions
- OPTIONAL STEP FOR BEER BRATS: Marinate brats in beer for 30 minutes prior to baking.
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet, baking pan or casserole dish with tin foil.
- Place one package of brats on the baking sheet. The sides of the bratwurst should not touch.
- Bake for about 9-12 minutes.
- Turn the brats over. Bake for another 8-10 minutes. The brats should be golden brown. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees F.
Notes
PRO TIP: Remove sausage from the oven at about 155 degrees. The residual heat in the sausage will continue to cook it those last 5 degrees needed to reach your ideal temp of 160°. This is called "carryover cooking".
PRO TIP: After removing from the heat, allow brats to rest in a warm spot for 5-10 minutes. This allows the juices to settle in for a moist and delicious bratwurst.