Here’s my favorite way to make air fryer brats so they come out tender and juicy every time! I honestly won’t make them any other way now.
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It’s crazy to say that while I am German, I just tried bratwurst for the first time a few years ago at a local restaurant, and now I am obsessed!
It may have to do with this air fryer brats recipe. It’s quick and easy to make! I just pop them in the air fryer and let them cook.
They’re much faster than cooking them in the oven and you don’t have to go outside in the cold or heat to heat up a grill (I think they taste better air fried anyway).
I enjoyed them topped with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese lately and the kids top them with ketchup with some potato chips.
If you like a good sausage, try my oven baked brats, air fryer italian sausages, and sausage, peppers, and onions recipes too!
Bratwurst in the Air Fryer Ingredients
- Bratwurst
- Hot Dog buns
- your favorite toppings — I love sauerkraut and Swiss cheese
How to Cook Brats in the Air Fryer
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees.
STEP TWO: Place the bratwurst in the air fryer in a single layer and air fry them for about 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway through.
STEP THREE: Carefully remove them from the air fryer, place them in a roll, then top with desired toppings, and enjoy!
TIPS For the Best Air Fryer Brats
- Place a piece of bread under the air fryer basket to help catch any grease that drips — it helps with clean up
- Check the brats with a meat thermometer and pull them of the air fryer as soon as they reach 160 degrees F
- Cook the rolls in the air fryer for 1 to 2 minutes to get a crispy hot sandwich roll or skip the roll all together to keep these low carb or keto.
- Melt cheese on bratwurst by putting the cheese on the brats and sandwich roll then letting it sit in the hot air fryer for 1-2 minutes while it’s off
- Air fry bratwurst in a single layer to let them cook evenly
- Use your favorite flavor. I like to use beer brats, but my store also carries cheddar ones.
- Reheat leftovers in a preheated air fryer at 320 degrees F for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Condiments for Added Bratwurst Flavor
- Sauerkraut and swiss cheese — my current favorite!
- Roasted bell peppers and onions
- Ketchup and mustard
- Relish and diced or sliced onions
- Cheese curds
- Pineapple and BBQ sauce
- Jalapenos and bacon bits — you can even use Air Fryer Bacon to create the bacon bits!
- Buffalo sauce and blue cheese
- Potato chips and ketchup — my kids’ favorite!
What To Serve with Air Fryer Brats
I like to pair my brats with a simple side dish such as onion rings, coleslaw, or cucumber salad. I’ve also paired them with pierogies and green beans with bacon.
Air Fryer Brats FAQs
What are Brats?
Brats are short for bratwurst and are a German sausage that is usually made with ground pork. I buy the Johnsonville brand, but they are also available in store brands and are typically bough raw.
Air Fryer Brats Temperature and Cook Time
Cooking brats in the air fryer takes approximately 8 to 10 minutes to cook at 370 degrees F using thawed raw bratwurst in a preheated air fryer.
How to Cook Frozen Brats in the Fryer
You can cook frozen brats in a preheated air fryer at 350 degrees F for about 13 to 15 minutes. I’ve cooked them from frozen in a pinch and it works great!
More Air Fryer Sausage Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
- Air Fryer Sausage Patties
- Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage Links
- Air Fryer Sausage, Gnocchi, and Green Beans
Air Fryer Brats
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 to 4 bratwursts
- 2 hot dog rolls
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 370 degrees.
- Cook brats for 8-10 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, turning the bratwurst halfway through.
- Remove the brats from the air fryer, place in the hot dog rolls, then add back to the air fryer for 1-2 minutes to crisp up the rolls.
- Remove bratwurst from the air fryer and enjoy!
Notes
How to Reheat Brats in the Air Fryer:
Preheat air fryer to 320 degrees and cook for 3-4 minutes, until warmed thoroughly.How to Cook Frozen Brats in the Air Fryer:
Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees and cook for 13-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
Your recipe sounds great, especially in January, when grilling ain’t so much fun!
I love brats, but I usually pierce them all over with a fork, before grilling them, to let the grease out & to keep them from splitting/exploding.
On the grill, it just burns off, but after seeing your warning about piercing them with the thermometer, I’m rethinking my approach, with the air fryer.
Is piercing them all over still a good idea (even with the bread in the bottom) when cooking them in the air fryer???
Hi John, great question. I do not recommend piercing them. It lets all of the moisture out which keeps them nice and juicy. You can however pierce them toward the end to make sure they’re done cooking.
Could you place a layer of sliced raw onions under the brats ?
Yes! I would toss them in a little oil first and lower the temperature a little bit if it will not fill the full bottom of the air fryer.
I tried this and, of course, it was great, but the cooking times need to be almost doubled! I measured the temp with BBQ grill type device with multiple probes and monitored it and at 8 minutes, the brats were 90 degrees. I kept putting the cooking time up and finally after an extra 5-6 minutes, they reached 160 degrees.
Hi Nick, make sure you are preheating your air fryer before placing the brats in there otherwise the time will need to be adjusted. It’s also possible your air fryer doesn’t cook with as much power as the Cosori or the brats were a little crowded and touching. I hope this helps!
I just did this with some German deli home-made Bratwurst.
Pulled out the Ninja Foodi XL, and again blew me away.
Rock solid brats were done to 175′ within about 18-19 minutes.
Both our meat thermos broke recently, and forgot this one had a built-in one, so I usually err on the over done side.
I’m on Keto, so in addition to whey isolate shakes, I need a fair amount of meat intake. Much easier when I can keep most things in the outside freezer and just cook from frozen.
Thanks for the tip.