How Long to Cook Brats at 350? 9 Best Side Items to Try

Cooking brats in the oven is quick and easy way to cook bratwurst when you don’t want to pull out your grill. Oven-baked brats cook faster than grilled sausages, and they’re fantastic! Serve these with your favourite cabbage salad, roasted vegetables, cheesy salad, or slide them into the softest buns topped with mustard. So if you’re wondering how long it takes to cook your brats at 350, then keep reading!

Table of Contents

• What are Bratwurst?
• Sausage vs Bratwurst
• Cooking Brats in the Oven
• Why Should You Cook Brats in the Oven?
• How Long to Cook Brats in the Oven?
• What to Serve with Brats?
  • Hard Rolls
  • Sauerkraut
  • Mustard
  • Potato Salad
  • Grilled Corn on the Cob
  • Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
  • Coleslaw
  • Caramelised Onions
  • Grilled Veggies
• Grilled Brats
• Vegan Brat Substitutes
• So How Long to Cook Brats at 350F?
• FAQs

What are Bratwurst?

Bratwurst is a type of heavily spiced German sausage made from pork. The sausage is traditionally served with mustard and a hard roll, although it can be served differently in other places. In German, brat means finely chopped meat, and wurst means sausage. Pork is the traditional meat used for this sausage, although beef and veal can be used as well. Occasionally, it can be made with a mixture of meats.

Sausage vs Bratwurst

Bratwurst have a natural casing made from animal intestines or animal skin. They are sold fresh with raw meat, and require cooking. On the other hand, sausages are sold pre-cooked or smoked and are sold at the supermarket with a natural or synthetic casing.

Cooking Brats in the Oven

Cooking Bratwurst in the oven is fairly easy. First, ensure that you oven rack is positioned in the centre of the oven, and preheat it to 400F. You might choose to place your empty pan in the oven as you preheat, to help your brats get a nice sear. Next, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil if you prefer. You can use a baking sheet, casserole dish, or any other pan, as long as the brats don’t rolls off the sides.

Place your bratwurst on the baking sheet, with plenty of space between each one. If you want to roast some veggies as well, then place them on the baking sheet before the brats. Drizzle them with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper, swirling them around a little. Lay the brats on the pan, making sure that they are touching the parchment and not floating on top of the veggies, as this will help them brown.

When you flip your brats, give your veggies a mix. Most vegetables like onions and peppers should be done at the same time as your brats. Whereas potatoes and other thick vegetables may take a little longer.

Why Should You Cook Brats in the Oven?

When the weather isn’t on your side cooking brats in the oven is a great alternative for when you can’t use the grill. Plus, making brats in the oven has it’s own advantages. It only takes about 20 minutes to have the perfect brats, and you can still achieve that wonderful char line that the grill usually provides. The oven is the best place to cook brats, especially if you’re looking to achieve that plump, juicy finish. You can also throw in a bunch of vegetables to roast at the same time.

How Long to Cook Brats in the Oven?

Baking brats at 350F is recommended, allow your brats to cook for 15 to 18 minutes on one side, then using tongs flip them over, and cook on the other side for about 10 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check that they have cooked through, the internal temperature should read 160F. Bigger brats will require more time to cook, so always check the internal temperature. After they’re done, let them rest for 5 minutes, so that the juices can settle and distribute throughout the brat, resulting in delicious and tender brats. Similarly, you could decide to cook your normal sausages in the oven at 350F, so here’s an entire article to help you through it.

What to Serve with Brats?

Having brats for dinner is a hearty flavourful type of sausage that can be served at any time of the year. If you’re a little unsure of what would work well beside these thick, juicy brats. Then here’s a list of side dishes you may want to try:

• Hard Rolls
• Sauerkraut
• Mustard
• Potato Salad
• Grilled Corn on the Cob
• Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
• Coleslaw
• Caramelised Onions
• Grilled Veggies

Hard Rolls

When picking the best encasing for your brats, don’t settle for limp buns that become soggy in a matter of minutes. Instead, reach for the hard rolls, and watch how they taste impeccable. Split these tough rolls into halves, and lay one or two brats on one half of the bun. Top with some sliced onions, pickles, and your favourite sauces, for a delicious meal. You’ll definitely prefer the hard crunch, over the soft buns, that would’ve had the brats juices soaking through them instantly. Whilst that may be a fun little mess for some, it’s not always enjoyable for others. The best thing about pairing your brats with your choice of rolls is that you get to choose what to put in them!

Sauerkraut

Sauerkraut, or fermented cabbage contains the same type of good bacteria found in yoghurt. You can make your own, or buy it from your local store, with both proving to be an equally satisfying choice. To extract that extra bit of deliciousness, you should grill your sauerkraut for a few minutes until it caramelises. Or you can sauté it in a skillet with plenty of butter, so that it oozes brilliant juices, ready to be served with your already tender, and juicy brats.

Mustard

Bratwurst performs perfectly, when served with spicy mustard. Many suggest that it is the only acceptable condiment for the meaty depth of these brats. There are a variety of mustards to choose from, but one that pairs amazingly with freshly cooked brats, would have to be the spiciest, to compliment its partner.

Potato Salad

Something as simple as a potato salad, can make a huge difference to your delicious main. Scoop spoonful’s of this herby, potato mixture and glop it on the end of your brats, allowing the contrasting flavours to overpower your tongue in no time.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

There’s nothing as incredible as the sweet and juicy crunch you get when biting into a corn on the cob, The few strays that become stuck in your teeth are almost always forgivable, given the standard of deliciousness it provides. But once you combine one heavenly dish with another, you get a phenomenal combination. Don’t forget to smother that bright yellow corn with lots of butter!

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

This vibrant, purple mess of sweet and sour cabbage is a healthy and fulfilling side dish to have. Simply drench your shredded cabbage with red wine vinegar, apples, sugar and cloves, and voila! You’re good to go.

Coleslaw

This crunchy, yet zesty side is the perfect balance to the rich and smoky flavours emanating from your main. Plus its very easy to prepare. Just toss shredded cabbage, in a tangy vinegar dressing, and let it sit in the fridge till your brats are ready to eat.

Caramelised Onions

Onions always save the day! Whether they’re served raw, or pre-drenched in salt to extract the overpowering bitterness, they’ll always provide the perfect crunch to any spicy meal. Which is why caramelised onions are the answer to all your problems. Simply sauté them, till they become a wonderful golden colour, and toss them over your plate of brats.

Grilled Veggies

Since you’re already using your grill for the brats, why not throw some veggies over the flames for a wonderful and healthy side dish. Place your favourite choice of veggies on to the grill, and watch them crisp to perfection. Plate them up and serve them with your brats, plus a little splash of your favourite savoury sauce. Dip the succulent brats into the sauce, then switch to a veggie, balancing the brilliant flavours creating the perfectly contrasting treat.

Grilled Brats

Who doesn’t love the simplicity of tossing a few brats onto the grilling, and letting it do all the work? Loaded with flavour, brats are so delicious, and the grill really helps bring out all of those delightful textures, with hints of toasty and caramelised notes, that’ll have you coming back for more in no time. Bratwurst come loaded with flavour, and are so easy to make. You can use fresh or thawed, frozen brats to make this delicious recipe.

Start your grill, and bring it to a temperature between 300F to 350F. This temperature will keep the brats from bursting, so be sure to adjust appropriately. Place 6 brats in your grill for about 20 minutes. Turn the sausage every so often, to get a nice caramelised finish. Remove them from the grill and serve on your favourite buns with a generous helping of your choice of mustard.

Vegan Brat Substitutes

Vegan brats are a delicious, hearty and meaty replica of the actual version. With a tender and flavourful interior, combined with a beautifully crisp exterior, these vegan brats will have you more than impressed in no time.

This recipe is everything a vegan sausage needs, scrumptious, healthy and loaded with flavour. This recipe combines beans, nuts, oats and several seasonings to create a mouth watering vegan sausage that is simply irresistible. It relies on blending, forming, steaming and frying, and there are a variety of ways to cook these sausages, depending on how you prefer them.

To make these amazing vegan brats you’ll need:

• 270g white beans
• 90g oats
• 60g walnuts
• 1/2 medium onion
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3 chia eggs
• 1 flat tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tbsp tamari
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fennel seeds

In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with 1/4 cup of water and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken. If you don’t have ground chia seeds, you can blend them for a few seconds in a food processor. In the mean time, rinse the canned white beans thoroughly using a sieve, then drain and pat them dry with some paper towels. Make sure that they are completely dry before proceeding. Process the oats and walnuts in a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor and blend again. Don’t overdo the blending as we don’t want the mixture to turn into a mushy paste. The mixture shouldn’t be sticky, but if it is, then add some flour.

You can choose to freeze the mixture for 10 minutes, as this will make it easier to shape into sausages. For 6 or 7 sausages with your hands, then place them on a large plate lined with parchment paper, and pop them in the fridge for about 20 minutes. Wrap each sausage in some parchment paper and tinfoil, twisting the ends. Then, place them in a steamer basket, and steam for around 35 minutes. Once they’ve cooked you can serve instantly, pan fry or even grill for a crisp result.

So How Long to Cook Brats at 350F?

Essentially, you’ll need to cook your brats for 15 to 18 minutes in the oven at 350F, flipping them over and cooking them for an additional 10 minutes. The brats should be thoroughly cooked, once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, ready to serve with your favourite sides.

FAQs