How to Cook Brats on the Stove

Bratwurst is a type of sausage, German dish that is now a delicacy across the globe. However, if brats are undercooked, you might fall sick with parasitic Trichinosis. Therefore, learn the correct cooking procedure on how to cook brats on the stove to ensure that you satisfy your cravings any time you want. 

How to Cook Brats on the Stove?

Germans are pretty serious about perfectly eating their sausages and actually taught the world how to cook brats on the stove. Follow the mentioned steps, and you will be all set!

Method 1: Cooking Brats on Stove With Beer or Water

Cooking brats with beer makes them soft and cooks them right to the core. For those who like their German sausages to melt in the mouth, it’s a perfect way.

Step 1: Prepare the Bratwurst

1. Arrange the necessary tools like food thermometer, pan, stove, skillet, vegetable or olive oil, tongs, and a liquid (beer or water).
2. Open the wrapping of bratwurst.
3. Drain any possible juice coming out of it.
4. Place them over a skillet.
5. Ensure that each of the sausages is in proper contact with the pan bottom.

Step 2: The Simmering Process

1. Pour one or two teaspoons of cooking oil over bratwurst.
2. Use a liquid, mostly beer or water.
3. Cover the base with liquid until the bottom half of all sausages is in level with it.
4. Turn on the stove and set the flame on medium-high.
5. Let the liquid heat up to a fast bubble.
6. Reduce the stove heat and keep it on medium when the simmering begins.

Step 3: Cooking the Bratwurst

1. Do not cover the pan, and let the bratwursts cook until the liquid evaporates.
2. Now, cook and turn the bratwursts until the outside of it turns brownish.
3. Add one teaspoon of oil if you observe that the pan is drying. It will help you avoid the bratwursts sticking to the pan.
4. Turn the stove heat to high, and cook for a bit longer. (Do this only if you want your bratwursts blackened)
5. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of bratwursts. If the temperature counts 160 degrees Fahrenheit, then you can say it is cooked. If the temperature measures less, then you need to cook it a bit more.
6. Stop if the temperature is already higher.

Method 2: Cooking Bratwursts Over Stove With Braising 

The use of braising technique doesn’t reduce any tenderness or taste of bratwursts. As this technique involves both dry and moist cooking, the flavors amalgamate, thereby making the people enjoy rich textures.

Step 1: Sauté the Bratwursts 

1. Take a heavy pan and place it over the stove.
2. Turn the stove and set it on medium-high flame
3. Add little butter or oil onto it.
4. Sauté the bratwursts until you observe the casing browns and they become crispy.

Step 2: Sauté the Mirepoix Solution

1. Put aside the bratwursts on a different utensil.
2. Now, add one or two cups of Mirepoix to the pan.
3. Run the stove and sauté it until the color turns brown and it becomes caramelized.
4. Use wine or beer for deglazing the pan.
5. Add black peppercorns, bay leaf, and chopped herbs onto it.
6. Set the stove flame on low.

Step 3: Adding Secondary Ingredients Onto Bratwursts 

1. Put the bratwursts back onto the pan over the stove.
2. Add secondary ingredients to the pan. (pepper, tomatoes, and mushrooms)

Step 4: Cook or Braise the Bratwursts

1. Now, cover the pan properly.
2. Let the bratwursts cook for around 15 minutes.
3. Use your food thermometer to check whether the internal food temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. After that, take out the brats, and now bubble the braising liquid.
5. Let it evaporate until it forms a moderate yet thick sauce.
6. Season the thick sauce as per your taste, and serve it with the bratwursts.

Method 3: Boiled Cooking of Bratwursts Over a Stove

Certain people want to eat their bratwursts by boiling them. Boiling bratwursts helps to keep the juice intact by sealing the natural flavor and moisture. And if you also prefer eating boiled brats, then this method is the right choice for you.

Step 1: Prepare the Bratwursts for Boiling

1. Take a deep pan, place it on the stove with bratwursts in it.
2. Fill it with water until the brats fully submerge.
3. You can fill the pan with half water & half beer for additional flavoring.

Warning!

Make sure that the brats are not overlapping on one another within the deep pan. It will prevent efficient cooking for one or the other brats.

Step 2: Boiling the Bratwursts

1. Turn the stove on, and let the bratwursts boil for around 20 minutes.
2. Set the stove to medium-high heat.
3. When the liquid starts to boil, turn down the heat. It will prevent the bratwursts from cracking or splitting.
4. You can put them on the grill for further cooking (if desired)
5. You can now serve the bratwursts with your desirable add-ons.

For more refined ways to boil your brats, you can check out this video!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How Much Time Do the Bratwursts Take to Cook Over the Stove?

If you wish to know how long to cook bratwurst on stove, you need to decide on one cooking method amongst others. In most cases, cooking bratwursts takes 10 to 12 minutes, but you will need a little more time for boiling. The time it takes is considerably different from cooking chorizo and grilling a T-Bone steak.

Can I Use an Electric Skillet for Cooking Bratwursts?

Yes, you can definitely use it for the purpose, but before that, you need to check on how to cook bratwurst in a skillet that runs on electricity.

Conclusion

You could cook bratwursts on a grill but on a stove, the steps mentioned above are pretty much how you need to follow to cook your brats correctly. And eventually, relish them to your heart’s content.

They say, if a food item isn’t cooked the right way, then a person can’t get the real taste of it. So, what are you waiting for? Follow the steps to cook brats and enjoy eating!