How Long Should You Cook Brats On A Grill

Grilling brats recipe photos with text overlay.

Grilling brats is a fast way to make juicy bratwurst that everyone loves. See my tips on exactly how long to grill brats and the right bratwurst internal temperature to know when they're done. So join me and let's make grilled beer brats for game day or an easy BBQ main dish…

Grilled Beer Brats — Look at those perfectly grilled brats!

Why this grilling brats recipe is the best…
What's the right bratwurst internal temp?
How long to cook brats on grill
Ingredients
How to grill brats
FAQs
More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes
Are you a foodie, too?
Best Grilling Brats Recipe (BBQ or Gas Grill) Recipe | Sip Bite Go

Why this grilling brats recipe is the best…

Use the correct grill temp for brats (it really does matter!)
Cooking brats on a grill is great for entertaining.
No need to boil brats before grilling.
No need to poke holes in brats before grilling.
Use this recipe for any bratwurst – beer brats, Johnsonville, etc.
Use any charcoal grill, gas grill, or bbq grill.
If you're new to making grilled brats, see the video at the end of this post where I'll walk you through how to cook the brats on a grill step by step.

What's the right bratwurst internal temp?

Cook bratwurst on the grill until a safe brat internal temp of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. You might be wondering why it matters if you reach this brat internal temperature if you're cooking premade sausages. But you do need to have them measure 160 degrees F by an internal meat thermometer for them to be safe to consume.

Internal temperature measuring grilled brats recipe

How long to cook brats on grill

This recipe cooks bratwurst on the grill low and slow enough that the juices remain intact and you don't need to pierce the skin with a fork before grilling them. With this guide, the brat grill time is about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

Here's what you need for grilling brats and serving them as brat sandwiches.

Bratwursts (pre cooked beer brats, any kind, no holes poked in them)
Sausage buns (hotdog buns)
Condiment toppings for brats like ketchup and mustard (dijon is my preference)

How to grill brats

Now I'll walk you through it…

Infographic demonstrating grilling brats on gas grill with grill brats temperature captions

Preheat grill to 350 degrees F. (This grill temperature is crucial for maintaining the juiciness and flavor and keeps you from having to poke holes in the brats).
Place pre cooked brats directly on grill grates over the heat and cook for 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes), flipping them about every 5 minutes. When grilled brats temperature reaches 160 degrees F, as measured with an internal meat thermometer, then they are ready to come off the grill.
Remove brats from the grill and rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. During this time, prepare condiments so they are ready to serve.
Toast your beer brat sandwich buns if desired. We like to toast sausage buns on the grill for 1-2 minutes, until a lite char is formed on the outside. Or, we just pop the buns in the air fryer at around 350 degrees F for 3 minutes to lightly brown.
Assemble grilled brats sandwiches by placing each brat into a bun and topping with dijon mustard and ketchup, or your favorite condiments. Enjoy!

Grilled Brats in hotdog buns — These beer brats are extra flavorful because they cooked on a low – medium heat and were turned regularly.

See leftover brats used as a pizza topping on this smoked Traeger pizza. For a tasty side dish, try my smoked corn on the cob.

FAQs

Do you need to boil brats before grilling?

No, there's no need to boil them with this grilled brats recipe. And actually, boiling them will lose some of the flavor to the water. But if you're wondering exactly how long to boil brats before grilling because you want to meal prep them in advance and just finish them on the grill…. Then I recommend simmering them low and slow on the stove ~5-10 minutes instead.

Can you use high heat to grill brats?

It's best to use a lower heat of 350 degrees F instead of cranking the grill temperature up to 400 or 500 degrees F. This way the brats retain their juices and the skins don't burst from the extreme temperature. If you're cooking brats with other grilled foods cooking at a higher temperature, then move brats to a spot where they'll get a more medium heat or indirect heat, like on a higher grill grate towards the side of the grill.

More Tasty Grill + Smoker Recipes

Smoked wings
Smoked turkey breast
Whole smoked turkey
Smoked whole chicken
Traeger tri tip
Smoked Traeger pizza
Smoked corn on the cob
Traeger beef ribs
Grilled chicken wings
Grilled skirt steak
Flank steak marinade
Grilled potato wedges
Smoked pulled pork

See my favorite smoker tools and seasonings in my Amazon Storefront.

Grilled Bratwurst with condiments and sausage buns

Are you a foodie, too?

Hey home chefs, hope that answers all your questions about making perfectly cooked grilled brats. See other Sip Bite Go recipes for making:

Smoked brats on pellet grill
Oven baked brats in a cast iron pan
Air fryer brats
Sous vide brats in beer
And similar dishes to cooked bratwursts like these bacon wrapped hot dogs

If you don't follow me on instagram you totally should @sipbitego. And for more deliciousness, subscribe to the Sip Bite Go channel and see the Sip Bite Go recipe collection.

Grilled Beer Brats

▢ 4 bratwursts pre cooked beer brats, any kind, no holes poked in them
▢ 4 sausage buns
▢ 2 tbsp mustard dijon
▢ 2 tbsp ketchup

Preheat grill to 350 degrees F. (This grill temperature is crucial for maintaining the juiciness and flavor and keeps you from having to poke holes in the brats).
Place pre cooked brats directly on grill grates over the heat and cook for 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes), flipping them about every 5 minutes. When grilled brats temperature reaches 160°F, as measured with an internal meat thermometer, then they are ready to come off the grill.
Remove brats from the grill and rest on a cutting board for about 10 minutes. During this time, prepare condiments so they are ready to serve.
Toast your beer brat sandwich buns if desired. We like to toast sausage buns on the grill for 1-2 minutes, until a lite char is formed on the outside. Or, we just pop the buns in the air fryer at around 350 degrees F for 3 minutes to lightly brown.
Assemble grilled brats sandwiches by placing each brat into a bun and topping with dijon mustard and ketchup, or your favorite condiments. Enjoy!

Reader Interactions