How to Cook Fresh Brats
Our new fans (Hey, fans!) are begging to know: how do you cook your fresh bratwurst?
Most Germans will tell you there is only one way of doing something: the right way. Although, when it comes to cooking fresh bratwursts, many methods exist and we wanted to share a few of our family favorites.
Ingredients
Bavarian Flagship Fresh Brats or our new Beer Brat collaboration with Reuben's Brew.
We make both styles with our signature bratwurst seasoning developed by Grandpa Max. We haven't even tinkered with it, and we love to tinker.
Pan Fry
Preheat pan over medium to medium-high heat.
Add a bit of cooking oil to coat the bottom of pan.
Dry bratwurst off with a paper towel and place sausages in the heated pan.
Turn every 2 minutes for 10 minutes until cooked through and no pink shows in the middle (proper pork temperature 160F).
Continue to fry until you get a nice brown color on the skin.
Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.
Pan Fry - Quick Cook Method
Preheat pan over medium to medium-high heat.
Add a bit of cooking oil to coat the bottom of pan.
Dry bratwurst off with a paper towel and place sausages in the heated pan.
Add a bit of water to the pan, and place a lid on your pan to cover and steam the bratwurst.
Once cooked through on the inside (160F), drain the water while keeping the brats in the pan.
Brown & turn the sausages on all sides to achieve that excellent caramel brown color.
Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.
Simmered & Sizzled
Add your favorite beer or water to a medium size sauce pan. Bring to a low boil.
Add brats to the pan, cover with a lid and cook over a low swimmer for 10-12 minutes.
Preheat a frying pan or grill to medium to medium-high heat.
Add cooked brats to frying pan or grill and cook for a few minutes a side until brown & caramelized all over.
Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.
Oven Baked
Preheat oven to 375F.
Prepare cookie sheet with a light coating of cooking oil.
Dry bratwurst off with a paper towel and place on the sheet.
Bake for approximately eight minutes a side. To ensure brats are cooked through, look for no pink showing in the middle and check to ensure that the internal temp is 160F.
You may not achieve the world-famous brown skin in your oven, but you'll still have great flavor, aroma, and taste. If you can't live without caramelization (like Lyla), bust out a pan and finish the brats in a pan.
Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.
On the Grill
Preheat grill to a medium heat.
Dry bratwurst off with a paper towel and place on grill.
Turn brats every couple of minutes until heated through (approximately 10-15 minutes), and no pink shows in the middle (proper pork temperature is 160F).
Towards the end of cooking, to achieve grill marks + our beloved caramelization, kick the grill up to a high heat.
Don't cook for very long on high; you're just making your brats look cool.
Eat as soon as possible to get the max flavor and juiciness.
Pro Tip: Cooking bratwursts too long will cause them to lose their juice and may even crack or burst. And no one likes a bursting sausage.