Can I cook sausages in an air fryer

Air fryer sausage is incredibly easy to make, tastes great, and is a convenient way to prepare any sausage. Made in only 15 minutes, it's a great option for simple weeknight meals, breakfast or lunch.

• Sausages
• Instructions
• Top tips
• Serving suggestions
• Variations
• Air fry frozen sausages
• Leftovers
• Frequently asked questions
• You might also like these recipes
• Recipe

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Sausages

Any sausage can be cooked in the air fryer. This recipe works well for uncooked pork or chicken sausages, Italian sausages, British sausages and more.

If you use smoked sausages, or thin sausages such as chipolatas, these typically require less time to cook compared to thicker, raw sausages.

💡 TIP! Sausages are usually cooked without any added marinade or seasoning. To add some flavor, you can serve them with a tasty sauce or dip.

Instructions

1. Pierce the sausages: Use the tip of a sharp knife, a fork or the end of a skewer to pierce a few holes in each sausage. This will prevent the casing from blowing up, and ensure a more even cooking result.
2. Add the sausages to your air fryer: Add them to the air fryer basket in a single layer, and avoid stacking them on top of each other. If you use very lean sausages, you might want to spray your air fryer basket with some cooking spray or olive oil to prevent them from sticking.
3. Cook the sausages: I like to cook them at 360 F / 180 C. The exact cooking time can vary a little, but as a guide you can do 7 minutes, then shake the basket or flip the sausages, and cook them for 7 more minutes on the other side. Add a few minutes if you like your sausages really charred or dark brown.

Top tips

Here's my best advice to help you make the best air fryer sausages:

• Different makes and models of air fryers can cook a little differently. The sausages could therefore require less or more cooking time than suggested. Keep an eye on them, and note down the exact time they took to cook for next time.
• For food safety purposes, it's always recommended that you use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the sausages. If they reach a temperature of 165 F / 74 C or higher, they are safe to eat.
• Remember to prick the sausage casing before cooking, or there is a small chance that the casing could expand or explode and create a huge mess.

Browse my collection of air fryer pork recipes for more easy recipe ideas!

Serving suggestions

Sausages are super versatile. You can serve them for lunch or dinner with a variety of side dishes, enjoy them for breakfast, or use them as an ingredient in other dishes like pastas, casseroles, soups or stews.

Here are some of my favorite sides that I like to pair with sausages:

• Instant Pot Carrots - You can't go wrong with steamed carrots, and this is my favorite way to prepare them.
• Air Fryer Mushrooms - Cook sausages and mushrooms in your air fryer, and you're halfway to a full English breakfast.
• Arrabbiata Spaghetti - Slice air fried sausages into bite sized pieces, and add them to this spicy pasta dish.
• Spiralized Potatoes - Crispy spiralized potatoes are really easy to make, and pair really well with sausages.
• Olive Salad - A leaner and healthier option is to serve sausages with a delicious salad, such as this Mediterranean style olive salad.

Variations

Fewer or more sausages: You can follow the instructions with more or fewer sausages, as long as they are all cooked in one layer. Don't overcrowd the air fryer by stacking sausages on top of each other, as this will affect the final result.

Vegetarian sausages: This method also works great for air frying vegetarian sausages. Keep in mind that vegetarian sausages tend to be much leaner than pork sausages. You might therefore want to spray some oil in your air fryer to prevent them from sticking to it.

Italian sausages or chicken sausages: Any sausage can be cooked with this method. Feel free to use Italian sausage or chicken sausage if that's your preference.

Air fry frozen sausages

Forgot to thaw your sausages? No problem! You can actually cook the sausages from frozen in your air fryer.

When you air fry frozen sausages, it's important to start cooking them at a lower temperature. This will prevent the surface of the sausages from burning by the time they have cooked in the middle.

I recommend cooking them at 320 F / 160 C for about 8 minutes, before you turn the temperature up to 360 F / 180 C and cook them for a further 4-6 minutes or until done.

The exact cooking time can vary depending on several factors, such as whether the sausages are stuck together or not. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer to ensure that they are cooked right. Alternatively, you can cook them a few minutes longer just to make sure that they are done.

Leftovers

Leftover air fried sausages can be stored in sealed containers in a refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to three months. Thaw frozen sausages, and reheat them in a microwave or air fryer before you serve them warm.

The leftover sausages can be enjoyed as a main course for any meal, or diced and added to other dishes such as casseroles, pasta, stews and more.

You can even cook a batch of sausages and use them in multiple meals through the week. For example, make sausage sandwiches for breakfast one day, and diced sausages with pasta the next day.

Frequently asked questions

Are air fried sausages healthy?

All sausages can be enjoyed in moderation as a part of healthy food habits. Air frying sausages is one of the best ways to prepare them, as it doesn't require any added fat or grease.

You might also like these recipes

• Air Fryer Meatloaf
• Air Fryer Pork Roast
• Sheet Pan Sausage and Veggies
• Air Fryer Pork Tenderloin
• Air Fryer Pork Chops
• Sausage Meatballs

If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!

Recipe

Air Fryer Sausage

This easy air fryer sausage recipe is the BEST way to prepare pork sausages or Italian sausages! A quick and simple method that gives juicy sausages with the perfect char.

5 from 2 votes

Created by: Tonje

Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved!

Prep Time 1 min

Cook Time 14 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, British

Servings 6 sausages

Calories 344 kcal

Equipment

• Air Fryer

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients US (cups)UK (ml/g) 1x2x3x

• ▢6 pork sausages

Instructions 

• Pierce the sausage casings a few times with a sharp knife, fork or the end of a skewer.

• Add the sausages to the air fryer basket in a single layer, and avoid stacking them on top of each other. If you use very lean sausages, you might want to spray your air fryer basket with some cooking spray or olive oil to prevent them from sticking.

• Cook the sausages at 360 F / 180 C. The exact cooking time can vary a little, but as a guide you can do 7 minutes, then shake the basket or flip the sausages, and cook them for 7 more minutes on the other side. Add a few minutes if you like your sausages really charred or dark brown.