Looking for the quickest way to get a juicy bratwurst with that perfect ‘snap’? These Air Fryer Johnsonville Cheddar Brats are a total weeknight win. By using the air fryer, you get all the flavor of a grilled brat in under 15 minutes—no charcoal required! These cheesy, flavorful links use simple ingredients and are perfect for a no-stress dinner that the whole family will love.
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What You’ll Love About This Air Fryer Bratwurst Recipe
- Cheesy Flavor: Every bite has an irresistible burst of cheddar.
- Quick Dinner: It’s an easy way to get a meal on the table fast.
- Minimal Effort: You only need a few ingredients and can use store-bought sides to save time.
We are finding that the air fryer is the new best way to cook many foods. The result is juicy brats that are perfectly golden brown in about 12 minutes cooking time and literally no prep time. You can gather the hot dog buns, favorite toppings and prepared side dishes while they are cooking.
Brats are a food we eat on occasion and we buy Johnsonville brats because they are our favorite brand of brats. We serve them with potato chips and either potato salad or macaroni salad for the perfect summertime quick meal. It is carb overload and while we don’t necessarily follow a low carb diet we do limit this type of meal.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Cheese Brats – one package of brats has 5 sausages and that is exactly how many fit into our air fryer basket. That is not how many hot dog buns or hoagie rolls comes in a package so it is one of those things where you can virtually never end up with the same amount of each. So annoying!
- Buns – we like good ol’ cheap hot dog buns for this. You can decide the best rolls or buns based on what you like best.
- Mustard – this is the only topping we put on our brats, this is personal preference.
Special Note – Brats come in many flavor varieties and the cook time is the same. You can use regular brats, beer brats, Italian brats or your favorite brats that I have’t mentioned. I looked on the Johnsonville website and was surprised at just how many different flavors they come in. My local grocery store only carries maybe three different kinds of brats so I had no idea there were so many!
Tips
- Don’t Overcrowd: Leave space between the brats so the air can circulate for that “snap” in the casing.
- Check Internal Temp: Use a meat thermometer to hit 160°F so they stay juicy.
- The Poke Rule: Unlike grilling, don’t poke holes in cheddar brats before air frying, or all your cheese will leak out!
How to Make Air Fryer Brats
- Prep the Basket: Give your air fryer a quick spray with cooking spray. While there is a high fat content in brats, the natural casing they are in may stick to the bottom of the air fryer basket.
- Arrange: Place uncooked brats in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Cook Time: Air fry brats at 380°F for 6 minutes.
- Flip: Flip the brats and cook for 6 minutes more (12 minutes total).
Note: According to Johnsonville’s website the internal temperature of the brats should be 160°. I do have a digital meat thermometer but never think to pull it out when I make these. I am confident that they have reached the correct temperature without checking. Feel free to check if you have a meat thermometer. Brats will be very hot so you will want them to cool down a bit, especially if you are serving them to kids.
What to Serve With Cheddar Brats
You can buy these in the deli of your local grocery store or make them ahead.
- Potato Salad
- Pasta Salad
- Macaroni Salad
- Tomato & Cucumber Salad
- Cole Slaw
- Fruit Salad
- BBQ Baked Beans
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Air Fryer Johnsonville Cheddar Brats
Ingredients
- 5 cheddar brats
- 5 hot dog buns
- toppings of choice
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Give your air fryer a quick spray with cooking spray.cooking spray
- Place uncooked brats in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Air fry brats at 380° for 6 minutes, flip and cook for 6 minutes more.5 cheddar brats
- Serve on your favorite type of bun with your favorite toppings.5 hot dog buns, toppings of choice
About Mindy
Mindy has been cooking for over 30 years, starting as a young mother who learned how to create delicious meals on a budget. Today, she shares approachable recipes made with everyday ingredients that are easy, affordable, and family-friendly. Her goal is to show that great food doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.