If you’re wondering how long to boil brats, I will tell you everything you need to know in this post. I will explain how to make sauerkraut, simmer it, and then boil it with brats. Additionally, I will provide instructions on how to fry the brats in a pan or grill them before boiling.
There is a printable recipe card available at the end of the article.
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For an authentic German meal, serve a pint of beer and a side of warm German potato salad with stoneground mustard and sauerkraut, after grilling or frying the boiled brats.
If you’re looking for more ideas about bratwurst, then don’t miss our posts on cooking bratwurst in a pressure cooker, frying bratwurst in an air fryer, and baking brats in the oven. German is important to our household because it has been my husband’s language since childhood.
When referring to the method of cooking brats, the most common way people search for is boiling since we’re actually going to steam or simmer the bratwurst on the stove, not cook it hard-boiled. So, first things first, we’re talking about how long to boil brats.
Boiling brats before you put them on the grill or pan-frying them in a skillet is a popular method of preparing bratwurst.
Why cook boiled sausages instead of simply cooking the sausages raw?
Recipe Variations
Steaming Brats and Kraut
When you’re planning to boil sauerkraut with brats, the recipe calls for adding kraut and simmering or steaming them with slightly different steps.
How to Boil the Brats
Creating boiled sausages in beer is extremely fast and simple, and they’re even more delicious when they’re sausages cooked in beer.
This is just a bad tip circulating on the internet that the moisture and flavor of loss causes the bratwurst, and it is essential to the success of your sausages.
When cooking, you should definitely drink the most, and if there is any beer left after the brats are over, then you should definitely use it. In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add the raw bratwurst, sliced onion, and enough (beer) to cover the sausage. Cut half a stick of butter into cubes to cover the sausage.
Gently simmer the brats for a duration of 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and commence boiling the beer slowly. At this stage, they will be partially (yet predominantly) cooked through the process of par-boiling. The remaining cooking process will ensure their thorough cooking on the interior during the subsequent step.
The internal temperature should be a minimum of 160F. Pan fry them in a skillet with a small amount of oil for 3 minutes on both sides or grill them on a preheated grill for 10-14 minutes until they are browned to your preference, and then remove the bratwurst from the liquid.
Can You Boil Frozen Brats?
Are you worried that you can still boil the delicious bratwurst you have, even though they are frozen? Have you realized that you never took the bratwurst out of the freezer and it’s time to start cooking?
The bratwurst will require approximately 15-20 minutes to cook in the liquid, thus it is recommended to extend the cooking duration of the recipe by an additional 5+ minutes.
How Long to Boil Brats Before Grilling?
Before we delve into the question of whether you should boil or grill brats, let me share my personal opinion and the techniques I suggest for experimentation. In my view, it is not even necessary to grill brats before boiling them, although many purists of bratwurst may claim otherwise. So, let’s address this matter right from the start.
Why is the most common reason to boil brats instead of grilling them directly on the grill, in order to infuse the flavor of beer into the sausages that have been found to help prevent grilling before cooking?
If you are wondering how long to boil the brats before grilling them, the cooking time for the beer-boiled sausages can be reduced to 10-12 minutes. Instead of fully cooking the brats by simmering them in the beer, you could try the parboil theory and grill them before finishing the cooking process. This would result in changes to the recipe, but it might be worth experimenting with.
Although they may still possess a delightful flavor, there is no need to worry about accidentally cooking bratwurst at temperatures ranging from 170-180F. These sausages are forgiving if they are turned upside down during the cooking process. The ideal cooking temperature for bratwurst is 160F. It is possible to overcook brats, resulting in a rather firm texture, but as long as you avoid this, you will be able to enjoy their rich taste and fullness of flavor and fat.
Similar to a hoagie roll, you have the option to serve them on a substantial bun or you can serve them alongside the onion and beer concoction in which they were initially simmered after grilling the bratwurst.
Common Questions
Are Brats Gluten Free or Keto?
If you’re following a keto diet like my husband, who has lost 30 pounds so far, cutting out gluten and carbs seems to be very popular these days, whether it’s for food sensitivities or health reasons.
When purchasing that particular brand, ensure that there are no unexpected additional components by scrutinizing the labels beforehand. Certain varieties of sausage, like kielbasa, may contain gluten or sugar, while others, such as bratwurst, are pre-seasoned.
Avoid the beer and prepare the bratwurst in broth or water instead. You can simply cook the bratwurst in broth or water, but brats boiled in beer are not recommended. Bratwurst alone (or with sauerkraut) are suitable for a gluten-free diet.
Are keto brats boiled in our favorite brand of beer, Michelob Light, which has only 2 net carbs per bottle? Fortunately, there’s a handful of low-carb beers available on the market these days, making it ideal for cooking recipes like bratwurst.
Can I Double the Recipe?
You may not need to add just beer since you might need enough liquid to cover it. If desired, you will of course need to double the onion and butter. The cooking time should remain the same, and it won’t change how long the brats cooked in the beer! Feel free to triple or double the recipe for boiled brats. By all means!
Can I Boil Brats Without Beer?
There are only a few options available, but you don’t want to cook them in beer. Instead, if you’re planning to cook them, learn how to boil or steam bratwurst before frying them in a pan or grilling them.
More Bratwurst Recipes
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Boiling Brats (Ingredients+Essentials)
When cooking bratwurst, you only need a few essential ingredients, such as beer or sauerkraut, to enhance the flavor. It is not necessary to add any additional ingredients, so you can simply boil the brats in beer or simmer them plain.
Our recipe tells you how to make a small batch of bratwurst so that you can always enjoy serving a crowd when the sausages are delicious. Feel free to triple or double the recipe.
If you prefer, we highly recommend cooking the brats in water, sauerkraut, broth, or beer to bring out the natural flavor of the sausage. However, trust me, even if cooked in beer, the flavor of the kids’ favorite brats will not overpower the taste of the beer or sausages.
We love Hempler’s, a local brand, because they offer pre-packaged bratwursts. However, the best way to enjoy fresh bratwursts is by getting them from a butcher. While national brands like Johnsonville are also good, we have a special affection for Hempler’s, our beloved local brand.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Never puncture the bratwurst before cooking it, as this will result in loss of flavor and moisture
Replace the beer with broth or water if you dislike beer or are unable to consume it.
Michelob Light is a great choice if you’re following a low carbohydrate eating plan.
After boiling the brats, pan fry or grill the sausages.
