Bratwurst, or brats for short, is a classic sausage that’s enjoyed in a variety of ways, from the tailgate to your grill in the summer. I’ve tried preparing them a number of ways, but the air fryer is my favorite method. When you try these Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Brats you’ll see why!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Take a nice, juicy sausage, then wrap it in bacon, and cook it to perfection in your air fryer. You’ll have the perfect level of crispiness and caramelization on the outside, while still maintaining that amazing flavor inside.
If you didn’t think it could get any better, why not also stuff your brats with cheese before throwing on the bacon!
Is it a health food? No. But, every once in a while it’s nice to enjoy a mouthwatering and savory option. Plus, if you skip the bun, it’s a great Keto-friendly option!
What I love about this preparation is that you can use any flavor brats you like, and you can start with raw or cooked ones depending on your preference.
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What You’ll Need: Ingredients
- Brats (Bratwurst), any flavor (such as Johnsonville)
- One slice of bacon per sausage
- ½ slice cheddar cheese per brat (optional)
Ingredient Tips and Notes
- You can use any type of brats that you like. I have Johnsonville beer brats (because who doesn’t love bacon-wrapped beer brats), but they also make original and cheddar (if you use cheddar, you can skip the additional cheese). There are of course other brands as well, so use your favorite!
- Feel free to use fully cooked brats as well instead of the raw
- Regular cut bacon actually works better than thick cut for this, but you can use whatever you like
- I find that slices or sticks of cheese work best to stay put and make it easier to stuff your brat
How to Cook Bacon Wrapped Brats in the Air Fryer
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- (Optional) To add cheese, use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of the brat, about ¼” from the ends and around halfway through the sausage. Stuff cheese into the cut, then press the sausage around to cover it
- Start with the thicker end of a piece of bacon and wrap it around the sausage with just enough overlap on the wrap to hold it in place. Tuck the small end under to secure when you finish
- Place the bacon wrapped brats into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
- Cook on the air fry setting for 15 minutes at 400°F, pausing halfway through to flip them
- Brats are done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Add additional time if needed to achieve this, or if you’d like even crispier bacon
- Serve on brat or hot dog buns with your favorite sides
Alternate Oven Directions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup
- Place bacon wrapped brats on prepared baking sheet
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway, until internal temperature reaches 160°F
Feel free to add some potatoes and veggies around the sheet pan with the sausages. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and a touch of cayenne pepper for a perfect compliment!
What to Serve With Bacon Brats
- Sauerkraut
- Red cabbage
- Spaetzle
- Soft pretzels
- French fries
- German potato salad
- Mac and cheese
- Baked beans
- Pierogies
- Hash brown casserole
- Macaroni salad
- Roasted Brussels sprouts (or other vegetables)
- Peppers and onions
- Roasted potatoes
- Spicy brown mustard
- Beer cheese dip
- Applesauce
- Beer
There are lots of great sides to serve with brats, and beer is such a classic pairing that you can’t help but grab a cold one.
Try these air fryer bacon wrapped brats with my easy Caramelized Onions in the Air Fryer, soft Frozen Pretzels in the Air Fryer, crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts With Bacon, quick Microwave Applesauce, tangy Air Fryer Red Cabbage, or some cheesy Air Fryer Aldi Spaetzle.
Recipe FAQs
Can You Cook Raw Brats in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook raw brats in an air fryer. Make sure to cook them to an internal temperature of at least 160°F before consuming for food safety.
Of course, you may also heat up fully cooked brats in the air fryer as well, based on your preference.
Do You Poke Holes in Brats Before Air Frying?
You do not need to poke holes in brats before air frying. It doesn’t really affect cooking time to do so, and they’ll curl naturally regardless.
In fact, poking holes often makes them turn out more dry, simply from extra loss of moisture during cooking.
Should I Boil Brats Before Air Frying?
There is no need to boil brats before air frying. However, if you really want to, you certainly can. Just finish them in the air fryer to get that final browning on the outside.
It won’t save any time over just straight air frying the brats, though.
Are Johnsonville Bratwurst Pre Cooked?
Johnsonville offers bratwurst that are both raw and pre-cooked. The pre-cooked sausages come in a package of 6, whereas the raw come in quantities of 5 in a standard package.
Refer to the cooking directions on the package. If it directs you to meet an internal temperature of 160°F, then you have raw brats.
Tips For the Best Bacon Wrapped Brats
- If your air fryer starts smoking due to excess grease, pause it and hold the brats in place while you tip out the extra
- It’s normal for some cheese to leak out during cooking if you’ve stuffed them. You can add foil underneath the brats to make cleanup easier, if desired
- Should your air fryer not have a setting for 400°F, you can cook at 375°F instead, but the sausages will need 2-3 more minutes of cooking usually
- If you are using fully cooked brats, reduce cooking time to 6-8 minutes (you may want to pre-cook your bacon strips for 5 minutes before wrapping to get them to brown well)
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Store leftover bacon wrapped brats in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months
- Reheat brats in the air fryer at 350°F for 4-6 minutes or until warmed through
More Air Fryer Bacon-Wrapped Recipes
- Bacon Wrapped Salmon in the Air Fryer
Final Thoughts
These air fryer bacon wrapped brats are incredibly tasty and so easy to make. No more standing over the grill when your air fryer can do all the hard work for you!
Whether you choose to stuff them with cheese or not is up to you, but either way you’re going to have a tasty bacon wrapped sausage to enjoy. They’re perfect for tailgating, barbecues, game day parties, or just anytime.
I like to serve mine up with some sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard (or sriracha for some heat), but feel free to choose your favorite combinations! Oh, and a cold beer is a must have in my opinion!
Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Brats (Johnsonville)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Links Bratwurst (Brats) sausage, any flavor (such as Johnsonville)
- 2 Slices bacon
- 1 Slice cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 400°F
- (Optional) To add cheese, use a sharp knife to cut a slit in the center of the brat, about ¼” from the ends and around halfway through the sausage. Stuff cheese into the cut, then press the sausage around to cover it2 Links Bratwurst (Brats) sausage, any flavor, 1 Slice cheddar cheese
- Start with the thicker end of the bacon and wrap it around the sausage with just enough overlap on the wrap to hold it in place. Tuck the small end under to secure when you finish2 Slices bacon
- Place the bacon wrapped brats into the preheated air fryer basket in a single layer
- Cook on the air fry setting for 15 minutes at 400°F, pausing halfway through to flip them
- Brats are done when the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Add additional time if needed to achieve this, or if you’d like even crispier bacon
- Serve on brat buns with your favorite sides
Notes
- You can use any type of brats that you like. I have Johnsonville beer brats, but they also make original and cheddar (if you use cheddar, you can skip the additional cheese). There are of course other brands as well, so use your favorite!
- Feel free to use fully cooked brats as well instead of the raw (precook the bacon 5 minutes before wrapping, then cook 6-8 minutes instead)
- Regular cut bacon works better than thick cut for this, but you can use whatever you like
- I find that slices or sticks of cheese work best to stay put and make it easier to stuff your brat
- If your air fryer starts smoking due to excess grease, pause it and hold the brats in place while you tip out the extra
- It’s normal for some cheese to leak out during cooking if you’ve stuffed them. You can add foil underneath the brats to make cleanup easier, if desired
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, any condiments or sides added, and quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
