Review: Smart Chicken Bratwurst

Still intrigued by Smart Chicken's new line of sausage products, I recently bought and prepared their fresh chicken bratwurst. Like the sweet Italian sausage I reviewed before, I expected Smart Chicken bratwurst to be a healthy alternative to pork bratwurst. But the big question remained. How would this chicken bratwurst actually taste?

Flavor Factors
While I had been a little disappointed with the sweet Italian sausage, the bratwurst cooked up better. It stayed moist after 15 to 20 minutes of cooking in a pan on the stove, perhaps helped by the light coating of oil that I applied beforehand. As for the spicing and flavor, it was again quite mild, but not bland.

The fact that it lacked a strong "brat flavor" was a likely advantage as far as I was concerned, because it made it a more versatile meat option. I could easily envision putting it into a sausage breakfast casserole or strata without having the spices overtake the dish. Most people would not know these chicken bratwurst were actually bratwurst if I incorporated them into recipes calling for sausage links. I look forward to trying this substitution and seeing if anyone notices the switch to chicken bratwurst.

The mild seasoning was also favored by my young dining companions, who ranged in age from 2 to 5 years old. One tiny taster remarked that the bratwurst tasted "like chicken." She was unaware, I think, that the links actually were made of chicken. The eldest companion liked the flavor to bacon. My dining companions and I found the bratwurst links filling as well. One link was plenty for each of us.

For a person looking for full-bodied bratwurst flavor, turkey or pork bratwurst have an edge over this subtler Smart Chicken version. But these chicken bratwurst links were tasty and juicy enough that I would be very likely to buy them again. I would just have to make sure a more authentically seasoned second option were available for ultra-finicky taste buds.

Fat Content
While the unassuming flavor worked well for me, I also remained interested in the nutritional facts like fat content. With only 2 grams of saturated fat (7 grams of total fat per serving, according to the label), these brats are much healthier than the leading bratwurst brand, which contains 8 grams of saturated fat and 22 grams of total fat per link (The Daily Plate, 2009).

Once a person makes the switch to lower fat chicken or turkey bratwurst, it is difficult to go back to the fat-rich pork brats. For me, the pork grease is unappetizing, as are the effects of so much fat in each bite. I would rather avoid heartburn, high cholesterol and heart disease altogether by choosing healthier meats and poultry. Fortunately, Smart Chicken has finally come up with a healthy chicken sausage product that tastes good. The competitive prices of their fresh chicken sausages and brats should persuade more consumers to give them a go. And Smart Chicken's chicken bratwurst, with its flavor, versatility, and nutritional advantages, is certainly a product worth trying.

Sources:

J. K. Baurain. Review: Smart Chicken Sweet Italian Sausage. Associated Content, 2009.

The Daily Plate, LLC. Calories in Johnsonville Original Bratwurst. The Daily Plate website, 2009.