Air Fry Frozen Brats (No Thawing Needed, 15 Minutes)

You can cook brats straight from the freezer in the air fryer — no thawing, no defrost cycle, no waiting. Air fry frozen brats at 350°F for 15–18 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the internal temperature hits 160°F. That’s it. In a hurry? Bump the temperature to 400°F and cook 11–13 minutes, but read the section below on bursting first.

This is the method I use on weeknights when I forgot to move anything to the fridge that morning. If your brats are already thawed, use my Easy Air Fryer Brats instead — the timing is different.

Do You Need to Thaw Brats First?

No. Frozen bratwurst goes directly into the air fryer basket. Thawing actually works against you here — a partially thawed brat cooks unevenly, and the softened casing is far more likely to split than a firm frozen one.

The one thing frozen brats need is space. Circulating hot air is what cooks them, and a crowded basket blocks that airflow, which is how you end up with pale, steamed sausage instead of a browned, blistered casing.

Ingredients

Full measurements and nutrition information are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Frozen bratwurst — raw or fresh brats, such as Johnsonville, Trader Joe’s, or beer brats. Fully cooked brats work too, but use the shorter timing in the chart below.
• Buns — brat buns, hoagie rolls, brioche buns, or sub rolls.
• Butter (optional) — for brushing the brats near the end, or for toasting the buns.
• Toppings — mustard, sauerkraut, onions, whatever you like.

How to Air Fry Frozen Brats

Step One: Preheat the air fryer to 350°F for 2–3 minutes. Preheating matters more with frozen meat than with anything else — a cold basket means the brats sit and sweat before they start browning.

Step Two: Place the frozen brats in the basket in a single layer with a little space between each one. Don’t stack them, and don’t crowd the basket. If your air fryer is small, cook in two batches. No oil is needed — brats render plenty of their own fat.

Step Three: Air fry at 350°F for 15–18 minutes total, flipping once at the 8-minute mark. Flipping is not optional. The side facing the heating element browns much faster, and without a flip you get one dark side and one pale one.

Step Four: Pull the brats when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the thickest one reads 160°F. Cook to 165°F if your brats contain chicken or turkey. This is the only reliable doneness test — color and time are both guesses.

Step Five: Rest for 2–3 minutes, then serve on a bun. For a bakery-style finish, brush the cut sides of the buns with softened butter and air fry them at 350°F for 45–60 seconds.

Frozen Brat Time and Temperature Chart

Type of brat	Temperature	Time	Flip at	Pull at
Frozen raw brats (standard, ~4 oz)	350°F	15–18 min	8 min	160°F
Frozen raw brats (fast method)	400°F	11–13 min	6 min	160°F
Frozen thin or Nürnberger-style	350°F	10–12 min	5 min	160°F
Frozen fully cooked brats	350°F	8–10 min	5 min	165°F
Frozen cheddar or cheese brats	350°F	14–16 min	7 min	160°F

Times vary by air fryer. Basket models run hotter than oven-style models, so start checking at the low end of the range the first time you make these. If cheese brats are your thing, I have a dedicated recipe for Cheddar Brats in the Air Fryer.

350°F or 400°F: Which Should You Use?

Both work. They trade off differently.

350°F is the setting I recommend for most people. The brat heats through more evenly, the fat renders gradually, and the casing has time to tighten instead of blowing out. You get a well-browned sausage that’s juicy all the way to the center.

400°F cuts about four minutes off and gives you deeper browning and more blistering on the casing — closer to a grill finish. The tradeoff is real: at 400°F, fat inside a frozen brat heats faster than the casing can stretch, and split casings are common. If you go this route, flip at 6 minutes and check the temperature starting at 11.

If you’re cooking for a crowd and want them to look good on the platter, use 350°F. If you’re standing in the kitchen at 6:45 on a Tuesday, use 400°F and accept that one or two may split.

Why Brats Burst — and How to Stop It

A brat casing bursts when steam and rendered fat build up inside faster than the casing can expand. Frozen brats are more prone to it because the outside heats well ahead of the frozen center.

Three things prevent it:

1. Cook at 350°F rather than 400°F. Temperature is the biggest single factor.
2. Pierce the casing. Two or three shallow pricks with a fork or the tip of a thin knife before cooking gives the pressure somewhere to go. You lose a small amount of juice, which is a fair trade for an intact sausage.
3. Don’t overcook. Once past 165°F internal, the casing is under maximum stress with nothing left to gain. Pull them at 160°F.

How to Tell When Brats Are Done

Use a thermometer — 160°F in the center of the thickest brat. If you don’t have one, cut one open: the meat should be uniformly grayish-tan with no pink, and the juices should run clear. A properly cooked brat also feels firm and springy rather than soft when pressed with tongs.

How to Store Leftover Brats

Let cooked brats cool to room temperature, then wrap them tightly or place them in an airtight container. They keep in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

I don’t recommend refreezing brats that were cooked from frozen — the texture suffers noticeably the second time around.

How to Reheat Brats in the Air Fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 350°F, place the brats in a single layer, and reheat for 4–6 minutes until warmed through. The air fryer is genuinely better than the microwave here — it re-crisps the casing instead of turning it rubbery.

Leftover brats are also excellent sliced into coins and tossed with vegetables. My Brats and Peppers in the Air Fryer works well with pre-cooked brats — just cut the time roughly in half.

What to Serve With Air Fryer Brats

Bratwurst is a rich, fatty sausage, so the best sides either cut through that with acid or lean into it with starch.

Acidic and tangy: Air Fryer Sauerkraut is the classic pairing, and air frying it gives you crisped edges you don’t get from the jar. A vinegar-based coleslaw does similar work.

Potatoes: Air Fryer Potato Salad is my go-to for cookouts, Air Fryer Potatoes and Onion makes it a one-appliance dinner if you cook the potatoes first, and Air Fryer Cottage Fries are the crispiest option of the three.

Simple vegetables: Roasted green beans, Brussels sprouts, or carrots all hold up next to a brat without competing with it.

If you have takeout fries sitting in the fridge, here’s how to reheat french fries in the air fryer so they’re actually crisp again.

Best Toppings for Bratwurst

Brats have a mild, marjoram-forward flavor that takes toppings well:

• Spicy brown mustard or Dijon
• Air Fryer Sauerkraut — air frying gives you crisped edges you don’t get straight from the jar
• Air Fryer Caramelized Onions — soft and jammy, and they hold up better on a brat than raw grilled onions
• Sautéed peppers — or skip the bun entirely and make Brats and Peppers in the Air Fryer
• Crispy bacon
• Beer cheese or cheese sauce
• Sautéed apples — sweet-tart apple against pork is a genuinely great combination

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you put frozen brats in an air fryer? Yes. Frozen brats go directly into the basket with no thawing. Cook at 350°F for 15–18 minutes, flipping once, until they reach 160°F internally.

How long to cook frozen brats in an air fryer at 400 degrees? 11–13 minutes at 400°F, flipping at the 6-minute mark. Start checking the internal temperature at 11 minutes. At this temperature the casings are more likely to split, so pierce them first if that bothers you.

Do I need to flip frozen brats in the air fryer? Yes. Flip once at roughly the halfway point. Without a flip, the side facing the heating element browns significantly more than the other.

Do I need to add oil? No. Brats render enough fat on their own. Adding oil just creates smoke.

Why did my brats burst in the air fryer? Internal pressure built up faster than the casing could expand. Lower the temperature to 350°F, pierce the casings a few times before cooking, and don’t cook past 165°F.

Can I cook frozen precooked brats in the air fryer? Yes, and they’re faster — 8–10 minutes at 350°F, since you’re only reheating rather than cooking through. Heat to 165°F.

Can I toast the buns in the air fryer? Yes. After the brats come out, brush the cut sides with butter and air fry at 350°F for 45–60 seconds. Watch them closely; they go from toasted to burnt quickly.

Can I cook a whole package at once? Only if they fit in a single layer with space between them. A crowded basket blocks airflow and you’ll get pale, steamed brats. Cook in batches instead.

What temperature do brats need to reach? 160°F for pork or beef bratwurst. 165°F if the brats contain poultry.

More Air Fryer Sausage Recipes

• Easy Air Fryer Brats — for fresh, thawed brats
• Cheddar Brats in the Air Fryer
• Brats and Peppers in the Air Fryer
• Air Fryer Sauerkraut Hot Dogs
• Easy Air Fryer Kielbasa and Potatoes