Well, who wants to know how to grill brats? Are you looking for an easy and delicious way to elevate your weekend grilling session? If so, grilling bratwurst is a great option! Grilled brats are not only tasty but they’re also relatively simple to prepare. Best of all, this type of grilled sausage pairs well with many different types of sides. Whether you’re a housewife looking for the perfect addition to your summer cookout or a chef searching for something new and exciting, here are some helpful tips and recipe ideas for grilling the best bratwursts around!
What are you waiting for. Let’s go to find out the answer of how to grill brats and the best recipe to cook bratwurst right now.
What are Brats?
Before answering the question of how to grill brats, let’s learn the basic information first. Brats is an abbreviation for ‘bratwurst.’ Brats are a type of sausage traditionally made from pork, but sometimes made with beef or veal.
They have become popular across the United States because they’re so versatile and can be paired with many different side dishes and condiments. Brats are typically served on a bun for a quick meal, but grilling them is also an option for creating delicious flavors!
How to Grill Brats on Gas Grill?
The advantage of using a gas grill is that the heat is steady. This makes sticking to moderate heat, which is great for brats, simple. The brats must be turned frequently, but there is less risk of the grill becoming too hot and splitting the casings.
- Preheat the grill over medium-low heat with greased grates (300 to 350 degrees).
- Grill brats for 20 minutes, rotating often with tongs, until seared in areas and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.
How to Grill Brats on Charcoal Grill?
Charcoal grills produce that tempting smokey grill flavor, but they may get extremely hot. It’s fantastic for getting a lovely sear on a steak, but not so much for brats, which can split if the heat is too high. To cook brats on a charcoal grill, start them over indirect heat until mostly done, then move them to the side of the grill with direct heat to get a good sear in areas.
- Prepare a two-zone grill with medium heat (350 to 450 degrees). Distribute the coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side coal-free. Grates should be lightly oiled.
- Grill the brats for about 15 minutes over indirect heat, flipping regularly with tongs. Cook brats directly on the grill in an aluminum pan filled with beer or a mixture of beer and water.
- Transfer brats to the hot side of the coals and grill for 5 minutes, or until browned in areas and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.
How to Grill Brats on Grill Pan?
Grill pans are useful when heating up the grill is too much work but you still want the crusty, burnt bits that grill marks can provide. Grill pans are also dependable since they heat uniformly and maintain heat, which is ideal for cooking brats. So let’s learn how to grill brats with grill pan with me now.
- Preheat the grill pan to medium heat. Coat lightly with oil.
- Grill the brats for about 15 minutes, rotating regularly, until grill marks emerge and an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees. If a deeper char is desired, increase the heat to medium-high in the final few minutes of cooking.
How to Tell If Your Brats Are Done?
If you use the method mentioned in this series how to grill brats, but you still don’t know how to cook your food when it’s cooked and when not, we’ll help you solve that problem.
(As a side note, I’ve written a post on Cooking Guide With Internal Temperature for Bratwurst which you can read by clicking HERE)
There is one simple technique to ensure that brats are well cooked, and you may have guessed the solution already—a digital meat thermometer. This is the only way to ensure the brats achieve a safe interior temperature of 160°F. (Because the temperature continues to climb by a few degrees after cooking, removing the brats from the stove at 155 degrees is OK.) This regulation applies to fresh and pre-cooked brats alike.
How to Serve Brats?
Your tender brats should be served on a bun that is slightly larger and heartier than a conventional hot dog bun. Some purists argue that bratwursts should merely be topped with mustard, however this is rarely followed. No brat, in my opinion, tastes better than when dressed with my own Brat Sauce recipe. Combine that with some beer-soaked onions from your beer bath and homemade sauerkraut for the ideal brat!
All of your favorite picnic side dishes pair perfectly with succulent brats. So stuff yourself on red potato salad, baked beans, and grilled corn on the cob.
Tips for Grilling Brats to Have a Great Dish
So, let’s go over how to grill brats and continue with all of the recommendations below to create a gorgeous dish so far. Guys, we’re almost done!
- #1: Do Not Prick the Sausage Casing
Although it may appear to be a clever idea, pricking the brat casing results in dry and overdone meat. Allow the fluids to combine inside.
- #2: Don’t Buy Cheap Brats
Buying low-quality brats is akin to eating a tootsie roll and calling it chocolate. It’s simply not the same. Buy only the greatest brats for you and your guests from The Butcher Shop. Your taste buds will reward you for the extra few dollars paid if it is locally sourced and full of spicy tastes.
- #3: Avoid purchasing pre-cooked bratwursts.
Although it may be tempting to save time on the grill, pre-cooked bratwursts will never have the same rich flavor as uncooked bratwursts freshly grilled. Most will also have a fake smoke flavor added to them, which is disrespectful to the art of grilling.
- #4: Brush the Grill with Oil
Oiling the grill prevents the brats from adhering to the grates. Applying too much may result in unpleasant billows of smoke. Canola, peanut, or sunflower oil have a high smoking point and should be used.
- #5: Poach Your Brats in Beer
To ensure a delicious and juicy bratwurst, stew it in lager after cooking it on the barbecue. To make the ideal boozy brat, follow the directions below.
That’s all there is to know about how to grill brats; let’s finish with a quick FAQs and conclusion section.
FAQs
Can you grill brats on high heat?
Grilling brats over medium heat is ideal. This ensures that the brats cook evenly and decreases the likelihood of their bursting or burning. The brats will be juicier and more delicious as well.
Should brats be soaked before grilling?
Essentially, you perform all of the prep work for this beer brats dish ahead of time, which takes about 10 minutes, and then place them in the fridge to marinade in the beer and soak up all of the flavor. Ideally, immerse the brats for 24 hours, but 6-12 hours would suffice.
Do you need to flip the brats on the grill?
Yes, because when you flip the brats often, it will help the brats to ripen evenly on all sides and have a more beautiful color.
Should I grill the brats with the lid closed or open?
Grill the bratwursts over direct medium heat with the lid closed for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned on all sides.
