• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe

Mindy's Cooking Obsession

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Entrees

    Air Fryer Cheddar Brats

    by Mindy Boyd · Published: May 31, 2023 · Updated: Dec 11, 2024

    Share by text, email, or on social!
    99Pinterest12FacebookEmailRedditXSMSFlipboardBluesky
    111
    SHARES
    Pinterest Hidden Image
    ⏲️ 12 minutes mins
    Jump to Recipe

    In this post I will show you how to cook Johnsonville Cheddar Brats in the air fryer. It is so quick and easy! 

    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. 

    One brat in a hot dog bun with the words cheddar brats in the air fryer above it.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient Notes
    • How to Make This Air Fryer Brats Recipe
    • What to serve with cheddar brats for a quick and easy meal.
    • What we love about this air fryer bratwurst recipe
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Try these air fryer recipes next!
    • Air Fryer Cheddar Brats
    Three cheddar brats in hot dog buns with mustard on them.

    Ingredients

    One package of Johnsonville cheddar brats and one package of great value hot dog buns sitting in front of an air fryer.

    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! 

    Five cooked cheddar brats on a plate in the foreground and buns and a bottle of mustard in the background.

    How to Make This Air Fryer Brats Recipe

    1. 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. 
    2. 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. 
    Five cheddar brats in the basket of an air fryer before they are cooked.

    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. 

    Five cheddar brats in the basket of the air fryer after they were air fried.

    What to serve with cheddar brats for a quick and easy meal.

    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

    Taste of Home has a great list of 70 Sides to Serve with Brats.

    One cheddar brats in a hot dog bun with potato chips on the side.

    What we love about this air fryer bratwurst recipe

    Cooking bratwurst in the air fryer is an easy way to get dinner on the table quickly. 

    You only need a few ingredients and we can buy side dishes that go perfectly with them so we can spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing other things. 

    Cheddar brats have an irresistible burst of cheese flavor that we love. 

    One cheddar bratwurst in a hot dog bun with some chips in a red basket.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How long do you cook brats in the air Fryer?

    At 380° they have a cook time of 12 minutes. We turn them over halfway through the cooking process. 

    Do you poke holes in brats before air frying?

    No, there is no need to poke holes in bratwurst sausage before cooking them. 

    Are air fryer brats good?

    Absolutely! Air frying results in moist and delicious brats that are piping hot. I think this is one of the best cooking methods because you don’t have to wait on the grill to get hot (or my least favorite part, clean it) or heat up your kitchen. 

    Close up of five brats with three being visible.

    Try these air fryer recipes next!

    Seasoned Potatoes and Onions

    Onion Rings

    Sliced Potatoes

    Peanut Butter & Jelly

    Close up of one cheddar bratwurst in a hot dog bun with mustard on it.

    Air Fryer Cheddar Brats

    Mindy Boyd
    Air Fried bratwurst come out moist, brown and delicious and this is such an easy recipe.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print – Email Required Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe
    Prep Time 0 minutes mins
    Cook Time 12 minutes mins
    Total Time 12 minutes mins
    Course Lunch, Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 5 cheddar brats

    Ingredients
      

    • 5 cheddar brats
    • 5 hot dog buns
    • toppings of choice
    • cooking spray
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    I earn a small commission from Instacart for qualifying purchases.

    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Notes

    Did you make this recipe? We would love it if you would leave us a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review below!
     
    Nutritional information is approximate. 
     
    See tips, notes, and suggestions in the post above.
     
    Bookmark this page to find it quickly when you are ready to make this recipe!

    Nutrition Facts

    Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 910mg | Potassium: 282mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.
    Share by text, email, or on social!
    99Pinterest12FacebookEmailRedditXSMSFlipboardBluesky
    111
    SHARES

    More Entrees

    • Feature image of a close up side shot of the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich.
      Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
    • Feature image of one serving of the finished dish on a white plate.
      Pasta with Tuna & Peas
    • Feature image of baked chicken breasts on the rimmed baking sheet after coning out of the oven.
      Baked Thin Chicken Breasts
    • Side shot of one serving of Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Bake on a white plate with a salad in the background.
      Cheesy Ground Beef Pasta Bake

    Reader Interactions

    5 from 8 votes (8 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    A picture of me sitting at my dining room table.
    Hi, I’m Mindy! Whether I’m cooking for friends and family or sharing recipes with you, I love feeding people. And it doesn’t have to be complicated! Here, you’ll find quick and easy recipes that don’t require a long list of ingredients or take too much time.

    More about me →


    Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Reader Favorites

    • Four cooked cube steaks in the air fryer basket.
      Air Fryer Cube Steak
    • Three potatoes on a sheet pan after they have been baked in the oven without foil.
      Baked Potato Without Foil
    • Several air fried biscuits in a cloth lined basket.
      Air Fryer Canned Biscuits
    • one piece of cake on a white plate.
      Tornado (Do Nothing) Cake
    • Homemade Arby’s Chicken Salad
    • Overhead view of several fried squash rounds on a white plate.
      Southern Fried Yellow Squash

    Popular Pasta Dishes

    • Homemade Tuna Helper Creamy Pasta
    • Feature image showing the skillet full of cooked cheesy chili mac.
      One-Pot Chili Mac
    • Overhead close up shot of a bronze colored pot full of alfredo chicken broccoli pasta.
      Alfredo Chicken Pasta & Broccoli (with jar sauce)
    • Overhead close up of one serving of lemon pasta with peas and ricotta on a white plate.
      Lemon Pasta with Peas & Ricotta
    • A white plate with one serving of hamburger helper on it.
      Hamburger Helper Italian Shells
    • A serving of Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo on a white plate.
      Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Orzo
    • close up view of one pot meaty marinara pasta on a white plate.
      One Pot Meaty Marinara Pasta
    • Cheesy Beef Taco Noodles - ground beef, onion, cheese soup, salsa, corn and Light 'n Fluffy Noodles. Easy to make and on the table in about 25 minutes!
      Cheesy Beef Taco Noodles
    • Overhead view of plate with one serving of homemade hamburger helper cheeseburger macaroni.
      Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni

    Recent Posts

    • Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich
    • Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
    • Pasta with Tuna & Peas
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Banana Brownies
    • Vodka Sauce Baked Ziti
    • Blended Baked Oats (no banana)

    Footer

    Featured on

    The websites I have been featured in, parade, purewow, msn, mashed and brit+co.

    ↑ back to top

    Every recipe on this blog is tested in my own kitchen and written by me, Mindy. I occasionally use AI tools to help with things like editing or brainstorming, but the cooking, photography, and storytelling are all mine.

    Newsletter

    SIGN UP TO RECEIVE EMAIL UPDATES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    FIND IT HERE

    Privacy Policy | Contact

    Copyright © 2025 Mindy's Cooking Obsession

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.