How To Cook Bratwurst In Your Air Fryer For Perfect Results Every Time

Having an air fryer on hand for cooking hamburgers or crisping up veggies can be a huge time-saver, but it does come with a few peculiarities. Some folks, like Clare Andrews — known as the Air Frying Angel and author of "The Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook: One Basket Meals" — have made it a priority to perfect the art of air-frying. Andrews was gracious enough to share some tidbits about using the appliance to cook bratwurst. 

As long as you don't make the common mistake of overcrowding your basket, cooking bratwursts in an air fryer only takes between 12 and 15 minutes when you set it to 380 degrees Fahrenheit. The sausages emerge with a crispy outside and a tender, juicy center — something you can't achieve by tossing them in the microwave. It is also quicker than grilling and saves about 10 minutes compared to heating them in the oven. But if you want your brats to really pop, add flavor before they start cooking. As Andrews said, "I like to brush bratwurst with a basting sauce during cooking for an extra layer of flavour. My favourite is a Honey mustard glaze, but BBQ sauce also works well."

That wasn't the only advice Andrews had in store, saying, "Alternatively apply a dry rub before air frying. For example, smoked paprika and brown sugar or Cajun seasoning for a zesty, spicy kick." Neither of these flavor-inducing methods requires extraordinary effort, but if you have some spare time, there are other ways to enhance bratwursts in the air fryer that make them even more tempting.

You don't need to stray far from proven ingredients when adding more flavor to bratwurst. "You could soak the bratwurst in a marinade before cooking," advised Andrews. "Try classic combinations like beer and mustard, apple cider vinegar and brown sugar, or my favorite of garlic and herb." Just as marinating other proteins infuses them with a bounty of flavor, giving your bratwursts a soak in complementary ingredients makes for a superior sausage. 

Before grilling brats, it is best to boil them with aromatics for extra zing, and the same technique can be applied to cooking with an air fryer. Poke a few holes into the sausages using a fork and boil for 10 minutes in beer, onions, celery seeds, and any other fragrant ingredients that complement a meaty bratwurst. Boil until they are still slightly underdone, then pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees and get a crispy skin. 

One thing Andrews warns against is battering the brats. "Foods that are coated in a liquid batter tend to drip or slide off when exposed to the circulating air, which can lead to uneven cooking or batter that doesn't crisp up properly," she said. "In general, air fryers work best with foods that have a relatively dry surface or are breaded/coated to help create a crisp exterior." If you want to experiment with using bratwurst to create an appetizing Korean corn dog, it is best to skip the air fryer and fry them in oil.