I have to admit, I don’t think I’d ever tried bratwurst until I picked up these Kirkland Signature Brats recently. We love grilling hot dogs like the Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners and the Kirkland Signature Beef Polish Sausages during the summer, so I was excited to try them. I was curious to find out whether these brats are basically just giant hot dogs or if they have a unique flavor profile.
Other sausages I’ve tried from Costco are the Connie’s Kitchen Feta and Spinach Chicken Sausages, the Siwin Japanese Style Sausage, the Maple Leaf Wild Garlic & Thyme Chicken Sausage, the Olympic Craft Meats Garlic Sausage, the Beyond Meat Sausage and the Smokey River Meat Company Turkey Breakfast Sausage.
Location in Store
You can find the bratwurst in the refrigerated deli section near the other refrigerated sausage. The item number is 1141000 and I bought them in the Kalispell, Montana Costco.
Taste
Like I said, I don’t think I’d ever had a brat before I tried these! I was a bit surprised because I expected them to be a bit more flavorful than they are. They’re basically just plain pork sausages. They remind me of breakfast sausages more than they do hot dogs, kielbasa, etc.
I tried my brats as hot dogs with mustard and just on their own. I liked them. As I said, the flavor is mild. The casing is thicker than a hot dog casing, but not thick enough to be annoying like some sausage casings can be. They’re a bit fatty, but not as fatty as a lot of sausages and hot dogs.
Overall, these are super versatile sausages. They don’t have much in the way of seasoning/flavor, but that means you can use them in a lot of different ways.
I could definitely see serving them for breakfast as they’re tastier and less greasy than most breakfast sausages I’ve had.
The meat is good quality without the gross hard bits you sometimes find in sausages. I didn’t love them as hot dogs as I found them a bit plain. I’ll stick with my Kirkland Signature Beef Wieners and Polish Sausages!
Cost
There are 14 bratwurst sausages in the pack and they cost $8.99 USD at Costco and each sausage is 1/4 pound. That’s not bad for that many large sausages.
You could definitely host a small summer barbecue with 14 brats and just need some buns and sides.
Convenience
Because it’s summer we grilled the brats on the barbecue but you can also broil them in the oven or cook them in a skillet on the stovetop. The brats should no longer be pink inside after cooking and should have an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The sausages need to be kept refrigerated and the best-before date is 13 days from when we purchased them. If you won’t cook them before the use-by date you can easily freeze them. They’re a product of the USA.
I don’t think brats need to be served in buns, they’d be great on their own with sauerkraut, potato salad, corn on the cob, coleslaw or sauteed peppers and onions. I personally enjoyed them on a bun with just some mustard.
Nutrition
Calories
One bratwurst sausage contains 290 calories, 23 grams of fat, 730 milligrams of sodium, two grams of carbohydrates, zero grams of fiber, two grams of sugar and 16 grams of protein.
I’m a bit surprised there isn’t more protein in one sausage. The calories, fat and sodium are definitely high but if you’re on a low-carb diet as long as you skip the bun these are almost carb-free.
Ingredients
I’m happy that the ingredients list isn’t super long and full of chemicals or additives. The Kirkland Signature Brats are gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free.
One complaint I have is when a company lists “natural flavors” on their ingredients but you don’t really know what those are.
Scoring
Taste: 7/10
Cost: 8/10
Convenience: 10/10
Nutrition: 2/10
Overall
Give them a try!
I have no real complaints about these brats from Costco, I just found them a bit plain but overall enjoyed the flavor. They’re definitely more fatty than a chicken or a turkey sausage.
Have you tried these bratwursts from Costco? What did you think of them?
Please note that this review was not paid for or sponsored by any third party. This product was purchased by Costcuisine for the purpose of producing this review. The opinions in this review are strictly those of Costcuisine. Costcuisine is not affiliated with Costco or any of its suppliers. In the event that Costcuisine receives compensation for a post from the manufacturer of a product or some other third party, the arrangement will be clearly disclosed (including where the manufacturer of a product provides Costcuisine with a free sample of the product).
If you want a real Brat you need to go to your local butcher. The Costco brats are indeed bland and tasteless.
A brat review from someone who has never eaten a brat. As worthless articles go, this is gold.
I’m from Wisconsin and I find the best way to cook brats or any kind of fresh sausage is low temperature (225°) on a smoker for a couple of hours. I don’t understand boiling brats in beer and losing all of that great flavor.
I lived in Wisconsin for 65 years. Meat cutter/sausage maker for 42 of that. If you want smoked brats buy smoked brats save time. Using beer adds a different flavor if that is what you like.
Someone that has lived in Wisconsin for a few years I feel like I need to say you definitely cooked them wrong lol. But that’s ok! Everyone has to learn! What you need to do is simmer them on the stove in beer and onions for about 15-20 minutes before you cook them on the grill. Then serve them on a Chicago hard roll with some spicy brown mustard and sauerkraut!
Thanks for the tips!
That is an old fashioned way of cooking them. You’re boiling out all the flavor. Put them on a grill for 6 minutes per side and they taste better than they are boiled in beer
Boiling brats is the old way of doing it and I don’t think that’s the best way. You’re boiling out all the flavor. Put them on a charcoal grill 6 minutes per side. They’re so tender and flavorful that way.
Riddle me this….how can one rate a brat when they have never had them before?
Great review, there are many ways to cook brats. If you visit Wisconsin, many restaurants cook them as a patty, and cook them as butter brats. Don’t let the nay Sayer’s bother you.
That’s really interesting about how they cook them in Wisconsin!
Really appreciate that you mentioned the lack of gristle and other less than ideal bits in these brats, that’s the main reason I don’t generally buy any coarse ground sausages. Can’t wait to give these a try!
They also make
delicious fried rice.
If you have never tried bratwurst, are you really qualified to review bratwurst??
I totally agree
Bratwurst are just about all veal, not beef, yes I know they both are from a and steer.
I have had many over the years in Germany and always lo ed them. Costco Brats are not Bratwurst and really more like a pork type sausage.
I was thinking the same thing. My curiosity would be makes these brats and puts them under the Costco label. To me they taste like Johnsonville, but that’s just a well educated guess.
Exactly ! Try JOHNSONVILLE, That’s a great benchmark brat!
I was hoping these would taste like the one they used to have at the deli but they don’t. They’re ok just not what I expected
Tossed ten of the fourteen in my electric smoker with a mix of pecan/apple chips. Low (200°) for the afternoon (4 hours give or take). Quite good! Next time I’m going to try hickory or mesquite chips.
That sounds really good!
Also from Wisconsin but our. Family would put 2beers or maybe a few swallows less in pot and 1/4 lb butter of bring to a boil in fry pan again butter one onion get it brown
Then
Add it to pot let set for 1 hour
Then take out the brats fry them off and fry then on a hot fire
When done back in the beer pot
Till you eat on low fie::
I’m not a German-American. I’m an American of Spanish and Native American heritage but I have eaten brats, both here in the states and abroad, including Germany. I dismiss Laughable man’s criticism as should anyone else who lost a minute of their life reading his ignorant little rant.
I agree with Natalie’s review. I just grilled 2-14 qty packs of Kirkland’s brats today at the lake over charcoal. The manner of cooking brats makes a huge difference. In my opinion, and these reviews are just that, our opinion, charcoal grilled brats taste better than boiling or baking. Perhaps thats just the Texas boy in me. The closest brat competition is the Johnsonville Original brat. While I believe the Johnsonville brat has more flavor, the Kirkland brat grills nicely with the same deep dark charred casing. The Kirkland brat’s advantage is in the cost. While the JV brat usually runs anywhere between $5-$7 for a 5 pack (here locally), Kirkland’s 14 pack for $8.99 is a heck of a deal. With a little stone ground or horseradish mustard and some kraut, the Kirkland brat will be a hit, as mine were today. If you want to compare a brat from the Milwaukee Brathouse to a Kirkland brat, it will be brief and it will be ugly. But if you are shopping at Costco and see these, its definitely worth the purchase.
I totally agree with you Edward! I made the same comment! Charcoal grilled brats stomp the flavor of boiled brats. Yuck!
Good for you you are a native American. What the hell does that have to do with the brots. Get off your high horses. I’m an American too. (Jackass)
Don’t let the downers get to you! You always say it is just your
“opinion” … nothing more. The reader can just decide if they want to “try” the food.
You have reviewed items I have not seen… I appreciate your reviews!
It is odd how people come to a review site and then criticize the reviewer. Natalie, I enjoy your reviews and site and love coming here to read what you have written. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much! That’s very kind of you!
Apparently, this reviewer has never eaten bratwurst before.
Next time, find a German-American as this was a review by a person who doesn’t seem to understand that brats are not similar to other types of sausage.
If you haven’t eaten them before, you’re not really qualified to review them.
Hi there! I’m actually part German, but even if I wasn’t I have a disclaimer that says the reviews are just my opinion. I think everyone has different tastes and respect all opinions and thoughts about the various Costco products I review.