Can You Bake Johnsonville Brats? (Finally Answered)

There are a number of ways to cook bratwurst. Most people think of boiling or grilling their bratwurst, but baking is also an option.

Yes, you can bake Johnsonville brats. Johnsonville Brats, the uncooked ones at least, can be prepared any number of ways, including being baked in the oven at a range of temperatures.

This article explores the different ways that Johnsonville Brats can be cooked, particularly baking.

Table of Contents

Can I Bake Johnsonville Brats?

There really is no wrong way to prepare Johnsonville brats, at least not the uncooked variety. Baking, parboiling, grilling, air frying – all these are considered acceptable ways to prepare brats for eating.

Baking is a method many embrace as being a quick and easy way to cook your brats, perfect for situations where you don’t have a grill, or can’t devote the careful attention to preparation that grilling needs.

Can I Bake Precooked Johnsonville Brats?

It is a possibility, especially if they’re frozen and need to be heated up. However, if you do choose to bake them, remember they won’t need the same amount of time as uncooked brats.

You may need to check on Precooked Brats more often if you’re baking them, to assure they don’t become too well done.

What’s the Best Way to Bake Johnsonville Brats?

There are many opinions on the matter, from official directions, to the alternative methods used by food lovers and cooks – which can be found online.

You can choose to use the directions printed on the box, or you can try a method suggested by food lovers who have done their own experimentation.

The Official Johnsonville Recommended Method:

Make sure brats are thawed before beginning
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Lay out brats in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake for 15-18 minutes, turning once.
Bake until internal temperature is at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit and brats are lightly browned.
Remove and let cool, then enjoy.

Other Recommended Baking Methods:

Some snackers and Johnsonville brat aficionados prefer to deviate from the official directions.

The Three Snackateers, for example, suggest the following method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Line a baking sheet or pan with tinfoil
Lay out Brats in a single layer on the pan
Bake brats for 9-12 minutes.
Flip brats
Bake for another 8-10 minutes.
If cooking frozen brats, up the time to about 15 minutes per side.

The temperature should be about 160 degrees Fahrenheit, but if you remove the sausages a little bit early, the residual heat will continue the baking process to the desired temperature.

Other sites recommend different temperatures. Some use parchment paper, some prefer tin foil.

Common themes of bratwurst baking are as follows:

The oven should be at a minimum temperature of 350 degrees and be set no higher than 400 degrees Fahrenheit while cooking Bratwurst.
A pan lined with either tin foil or parchment paper is necessary.
Brats should be turned halfway through their overall cook time for even cooking.
The final internal temp should be about 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Shortest recommended cook time – 5 minutes per side, for fully thawed brats
Longest recommended cook time – 20 minutes per side, for frozen brats, or brats cooked with other foods, like vegetables.

Every set of equipment is different, so you may have to experiment to find your own preferred methodology, but this should give you some useful guidelines.

Is Baking the Best Way to Prepare Johnsonville Brats?

It has the benefit of being quick and easy and requiring less attention than other methods. However, if you search for the best way to prepare brats, you’ll most likely come up with a different answer.

The Johnsonville officially recommended ‘best way’ to prepare uncooked bratwurst is actually via a stovetop skillet, rather than baking in an oven.

For this method, Johnsonville recommends the following:

Spray skillet with cooking spray and set stovetop to medium-high heat
Place brats on the skillet and cook until lightly browned, turning at regular intervals – should be 5 minutes for thawed brats, longer for frozen ones
Turn oven to medium-low temperature
Add a half-cup of water to the skillet
Cover and let simmer until sausage reaches desired temperature, about 10 minutes or so.

Grilling is also a recommended method, as long as you remember to keep a close eye on the brats and turn them regularly, so the sides don’t scorch.

Are There Benefits to Baking Brats, Versus Other Methods?

Baking brats represent an easier method of cooking, especially if you’re not experienced in preparing bratwurst. It’s also one of the methods that require the least amount of attention and focus to attain the best results.

Grilling or stovetop cooking brats require paying careful attention and turning the brats often to ensure they don’t char on either side. You may also have to spritz them with liquids – especially while grilling, to keep the outer temperature low.

Baking brats also allow you to start from frozen or thawed, with minimal adjustments to methodology, useful if you forgot to thaw the meat beforehand.

Another benefit is the ability to include other items in the baking process, allowing your brats to acquire a hint of other flavors, and your other food to pick up a little bit of bratwurst flavoring or juices.

Sliced vegetables such as peppers or potatoes are common selections to accompany bratwurst in the oven.

Is baking Johnsonville bratwurst the best way to cook them? You’ll have to form your own opinion on that, but it certainly is a method that has plenty of potential for bratwurst preparation, especially if you don’t have a grill or a lot of experience cooking bratwurst.

References

https://foodservice.johnsonville.com/products/brats/ready-to-cook-brats/original-bratwurst-party-packs.html

https://www.johnsonville.com/products/original-bratwurst.html