If you want to savour the delicious taste of Bratwurst without firing up the grill, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll guide you through how to cook bratwurst on the stove, ensuring you achieve that perfect balance of juicy, flavourful sausages every time. Whether hosting a casual dinner or simply treating yourself to a comforting meal, cooking bratwurst on the stove is a quick and easy method to have everyone return for seconds. Let’s dive into the simple steps that will make your bratwurst the star of the show!
Table of Contents
How to cook Bratwurst on the Stove?
- 5 Raw Bratwurst
- 50 ml Vegetable oil or lard
- Let the sausage come up to room temperature before frying.
- Pat it dry, if needed.
- Preheat a stainless steel pan or cast iron. You don't have to worry about heating them to high temperatures and damaging the pan coating when using them.
- Add vegetable oil or lard to the pan. Heat the oil to a medium-high temperature (around 160-170°C (340°F)). The sausage will not cook properly or burst if you go too high. Adding a bit of salt to the oil reduces the splattering of fat. You can also use a splatter guard if you have one.
- You must fry the sausages for at least 8 minutes to ensure they are adequately thoroughly.
- Place sausage in the pan. Fry for 2 minutes.
- When the time is up, use silicone or plastic cooking tongs to turn the sausages around.
- Fry for another 2 minutes.
- After another 2 minutes, turn the sausage and fry another 2 minutes for the last time.
- You want to avoid bursting sausages; if it happens, it's not the end of the world.
- At this point, your sausages should be nice and brown. If you are unsure if the sausages are appropriately cooked, check their internal temperature. The internal temperature of the Bratwurst should be 70°C (160°F).
- Guten Appetit!
By loading the video, you agree to YouTube's privacy policy.
Learn more
What is Bratwurst?
Bratwurst is a popular German sausage enjoyed by many around the world. It is made from pork, although some regional variations incorporate veal or beef. The sausage is flavoured with different mixtures of herbs and spices. Various regional varieties of Bratwurst exist, each offering its unique twist. The most common way to savour it is by grilling or pan-frying it.
How do the Germans Cook Bratwurst?
Traditional Cooking Methods
The most common way to prepare German Bratwurst in Germany is to either fry it in a pan or grill it.
Stove Cooking vs. Grilling
Both ways, as with everything in life, have advantages and disadvantages. Let’s have a look at some of those for the moment.
Stove Cooking
Grilling
Preserve the natural flavours of food.
It gives food a smoky, charred flavour by interacting with direct heat and smoke.
You need a cast iron or stainless steal pan for cooking
You don’t have to use any kitchen utensils.
Quicker to set up and clean.
Keeping your charcoal grill in top shape involves a bit more effort, especially when it comes to cleaning and disposing of ash.
Cooking with fat can lead to a surprisingly messy kitchen, especially if you are not using any fat splatter.
Cooking outside leaves your kitchen perfectly clean 😉
What you are going to need
Ingredients
Raw or Parboiled Bratwurst – choose the one you prefer. I usually go for the raw, thick Bratwurst. My favourite German Variations are Thüringer Bratwurst, or Corse Franconian Bratwurst. Do you want to know more about Bratwurst? Please check out this video on my YouTube Channel: 6 Traditional German Bratwurst Varieties Explained.
Fat for Frying – use fats that can be heated to higher temperatures like vegetable oil (rapseed or sunflower) or lard.
Salt – to reduce the splattering of fat while frying add a pinch of salt to it.
Cookware & Kitchen Utensils
Cast Iron or Stainless Steel Pan – as those to you can heat up to higher temperatures without demeging them.
Silicone kitchen tongs – you will need unsharp kitchen tongs to turn the sausages.
Prepare the Bratwurst
Raw Bratwurst doesn’t require much preparation. I recommend removing the raw meat from the fridge 20-30 minutes before frying it so the sausage reaches room temperature. Otherwise, the meat won’t cook evenly.
Cut the Bratwurst or not?
There isn’t an easy answer to this question, but bear with me. I will explain what there is to consider.
Cons for Cutting Bratwurst
Raw Bratwurst will lose all the juices if you cut it.
Parboiled Bratwurst – If your cut is too long or deep, it will expand while frying, which can cause the sausage to split. As a result, the sausage will lose its juices and become dry and tasteless.
Pros for Cutting Bratwurst
Cutting parboiled sausages will reduce bursting during frying.
8 Tips For Perfect Bratwurst From The Germans
How do the Germans NOT Cook Bratwurst?
In Germany, raw Bratwurst is usually not parboiled before being fried or grilled. If we want to fry or grill a parboiled Bratwurst, we buy one that has already been parboiled.
Traditionally, we don’t roast Bratwurst in the oven.
In Germany, preparing Bratwurst is very straightforward. We don’t add any beer or spices. Bratwurst is delicious on it’s own, so try not to kill it’s flavor with unnecessarily ingredients.
How to Traditionally Serve German Bratwurst?
Bratwurst go so well with many dishes: mashed potatoes, french fries, german cabbage salad and of course our beloved sauerkraut. Feel free to browse through my recipes for some inspiration.
As much as I love all of those wonderful recipes, Currywurst has a special place in my heart!
Or watch the video below.
Storage & Reheating
Store cooked Bratwurst in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Store cooked Bratwurst in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat in the oven to 120°C. Warming up the Bratwurst from the fridge might take up to 15 minutes. Defrosting a Bratwurst might take 30-40 minutes.
FAQ
How long does it take to cook brats on the stove?
8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the Bratwurst.
What is the best way to cook raw bratwurst?
In Germany, we cook the Bratwurst on the stove or grill it. Those ways are considered the best.
Can you cook bratwurst in a frying pan?
Yes. The best pans for frying Bratwurst are the once you can heat properly, like stainless steal or cast iron.
Should you poke holes in brats before cooking?
That’s really up to you. Poking holes in the Raw Bratwurst reduces bursting. However, meat juices can be lost if you are not careful and make too many holes.
Related Recipes
