How To Cook Brats On The Stove With Beer

Learn how to cook brats on the stove with beer and onions. Probably the best way of cooking bratwurst sausage on the stovetop; pan-fry them with beer and onions for a simple and hearty dinner.

Y'all don't want to await for expert weather to be able to grill some bratwurst? How about learning how to melt brats on the stove? A unproblematic recipe for cooking bratwurst using simply a few ingredients. In that location are different methods of cooking sausages without a hot grill, simply this beer brats recipe is probably the easiest one.

And if you are at it, check out how you tin can cook brats in the oven or air fryer brats as well. And should you only have frozen brats, see How to Cook Frozen Sausages.

overhead shot of a black pan with bratwurst in it.

What is a Bratwurst?

THE German language sausage. You can buy them everywhere, from cheaper ones in the supermarket to actually high-quality ones at the local butcher.

There are dissimilar types of bratwurst, depending on the region in Germany. The 2 most obvious ones are the fine and the coarse. Both sorts are delicious, just I suppose everyone has their favorite. I adopt the coarser sort, especially when I cook the brats on the stovetop. But whenever I purchase sausages for grilling I make certain to get both sorts, most kids prefer the effectively ones.

Bratwurst is the kind of sausage you can get at whatsoever public effect, at whatever feast or party, non merely Oktoberfest or other autumn festivities simply anywhere. Slowly cooked on a charcoal grill, they are just amazing! Stuffed in a bun, smeared with mustard or ketchup, or sliced in a weird machine and smothered in curry sauce.

And although we can get them and so easily anywhere nosotros go, we still cook and eat them regularly at home. Everybody just loves a skilful bratwurst! This easy recipe is our favorite mode of cooking them inside.

bratwurst cooked on the stove top in a pan.

What exercise you need?

Just 3 ingredients + a little oil, salt, and pepper. You lot could add together a modest pinch of teaspoon caraway seeds to the liquid for a slightly different season, merely information technology'southward not mandatory, I just like it.

Bratwurst:
- Purchase good quality, preferably fibroid brats. Improve quality pays off, they actually taste better, more spices, more flavor, less fatty.
- My brats weighed about 75 g/ 2.7 oz each. A lilliputian more or less is fine. If they are much larger, you might want to prolong the cooking fourth dimension.

Onions: one medium sliced onion, about 150 g/ five.3 oz.
Beer: well-nigh 250 ml/ one cup. If you don't want to melt with beer (although the alcohol cooks off), you tin melt the dish with craven or beef broth instead. Or apple juice for a sweeter version.

raw sausages, sliced onion, beer and oil on a wooden board

How long to cook bratwurst on the stove?

Quarter the onion and piece the quarters.
Heat the oil in a large thick-bottomed pan, a cast iron skillet yields the best results.
Sear the brats on medium-high heat for about three minutes. (ane)
Flip using tongs and brown the other side for some other 3 minutes. Searing adds a lot of season, so don't skip this step.
Add the onion slices between the sausages and melt for nigh 2 minutes, until golden, stirring a few times. (2)
Flip again, add together beer, cover, lower temperature, and melt on depression oestrus for most 10 minutes, flipping again halfway. The internal temperature should read 71 degrees Celsius/160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't take a meat thermometer, merely cutting i sausage in the middle, information technology'southward piece of cake to come across if it's cooked through. (Amazon affiliate link) (iii)
Remove the bratwurst, add table salt and pepper to sense of taste, and reduce the sauce for nearly two minutes.
Return to the pan and turn them into the sauce. (four)
Serve the sausages and the caramelized onions immediately.

collage of four pictures showing how to cook sausages in a pan.

Tips

The beer will non brand a lot of sauce, its main job is to keep the brats moist, preventing them from drying or catching to the pan. It also adds flavor. Instead of beer, you could try some apple tree cider, either with alcohol or without.

How to serve bratwurst?

Always with mustard. Otherwise, you tin have them with breadstuff, stuffed in a bread roll or hot dog bun or with fries, ketchup, or mayonnaise. They also become well with German Potato Salad or whatever kind of spud salad, with Noodle Salad, oven-broiled potato wedges, and nigh other irish potato side dishes you tin can recall of.

And sauerkraut or Bavarian sauerkraut. Brats and sauerkraut are a match fabricated in heaven. Some mashed potatoes on the side and you will feel like y'all are in Germany.

brats in a pan served with a bowl of mustard.

Normally asked questions

Why cook brats in beer?

The idea behind it is to melt the sausages all the way through. You start with browning them in the pan, then adding onions and beer. Without the beer, the onions would fire before the brats are cooked through. Another reason is the actress season the beer imparts to them. Every bit mentioned above, beer is a perfect match in terms of flavor, but otherwise, you can employ other liquids as well: apple juice, cider, chicken, beef stock or vegetable stock, even water. Non-alcoholic beer should exist fine as well.

What is the best beer for brats?

A lager or a pils, they have a nice flavor but they are not overpowering. They are cheap and easily available everywhere in the world. Another advantage is that they don't tend to boil over when y'all utilise them for cooking.

What pan to use for cooking brats?

I use my cast-iron skillet all the time. Another sturdy pan or a non-stick pan works likewise.

Should I poke holes in the casing?

No! The brats will release all their juices and their flavor and they volition exist overcooked. Cooking them in the liquid will forbid them from splitting, at least it has never happened to me and I must take cooked what feels like millions of brats. Keep an center on the rut, this is a good way of preventing splitting and overcooking.

Can I cook Italian sausages this way?

Really yes, if they are similar in size and texture, they will taste great as well. Raw kielbasa is another option. Always check the internal temperature, specially if the products differ in size.

Can I use frozen sausages for the recipe?

Y'all didn't accept the time to become to the grocery store but yet, have some frozen brats in the freezer? No problem! In this case, skip the browning part. Cook the onions for well-nigh ii minutes until golden, and then add the beer and the brats. Cook for 13-14 minutes until the sausages are cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 71 degrees Celsius/ 160 degrees Fahrenheit. You will probably miss the depth of flavor added by searing the meat first, just the dish will still be delicious.

What to do with leftovers?

Let the repast come to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container. It's very easy to reheat them in the pan. Still, you lot should add a chip of extra beer or another liquid. Reheat them gently on the stove, covered, and stirring occasionally.

Tin can I freeze the leftovers?

Yes, they should exist fine for up to ii months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat well earlier serving.

More sausages:

Choripan con Chimichurri
Pretzel Pigs in a Blanket
Cevapcici
Romanian Sausage Stew
Butternut Squash and Sausage Stew

Cook Manner Prevent your screen from going dark

▢ ten small brats well-nigh 75 thou/ two.seven oz each (Note)
▢ ane tablespoon vegetable oil
▢ ane medium onion more than or less 150 g/ 5.3 oz
▢ 250 ml/ 8.five fl.oz/ 1 cup beer
▢ fine sea salt and blackness pepper

Quarter the onion and slice the quarters.
Heat a large thick-bottomed pan (preferably cast-iron skillet). Add oil. Sear the brats on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, flip using tongs and cook on the other side for another three minutes.
Add the onions between the sausages and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden, stirring a few times.
Flip the sausages once again, add beer, cover, and cook on low heat for virtually x minutes, flipping again halfway. The internal temperature should read 71 degrees Celsius/160 degrees Fahrenheit. If you don't have a meat thermometer, just cut i sausage in the eye, it's easy to meet if information technology'due south cooked through.
Remove the brats, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the sauce for about 2 minutes. Return the sausages to the pan and turn them into the sauce.
Serve immediately.

If your brats are larger is fine, merely increase the cooking fourth dimension slightly and check if they are washed by cut one in the middle.