Why You Should Cook Sausage In An Air Fryer
The air fryer is quick, it sears the outside well to ensure that your final result is a juicy tender sausage. Cook time is quick and it is less than 15 minutes total time. It is low carb keto. and can be used with your favorite sausage whether it is pork, chicken, or turkey. I typically use links with my dinner dishes, but many times if we are doing breakfast I’ll use sausage patties.
We love our Instant Pot air fryer lid and this is one of the best air fryer recipes we have tried. A close second is our air fryer cheesecake.
How To Cook Sausage In The Air Fryer
To make sausage in the air fryer whether its sausage links, sausage patties or the longer sausage coil, all you need is the sausage itself.
For this recipe Im using Italian sausage but any seasoning type will work and any type of meat.
Whether its pork, turkey, chicken, or lamb sausage, this same air fryer method can be used.
You can use uncooked sausage or fully cooked sausage, interestingly the cooking times are just about the same for either.
Simply place thawed sausage links in the air fryer either in the basket or on the trays.
Make sure the sausage is in a single layer so the air fryer can work its convection magic allowing the air to flow all around the sausage as it cooks creating that perfectly fried texture.
How Long To Cook Them
This depends on the size of the sausages, and when I say size, I really mean thickness. For thinner sausages, like breakfast sausages, theyll take about 8-10 minutes to get crisp on the outside and fully cooked inside. For thicker sausages like Brats or Italian sausage, it will be 9-12 minutes.
Whatever kind of sausage you have, you should cut into one and make sure its not at all pink inside before serving.
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How To Cook Sausages In The Air Fryer
First, it depends on if the sausages are frozen or not. If your sausages are frozen, defrost them like this. For thicker links like Bratwurst and Italian sausages, you can also just go ahead and cook them straight from frozen like this . For breakfast sausages, you can defrost them, or you can cook them straight from frozen as well.
For fresh or thawed sausages, use a paring knife or a fork to poke holes in the casings. For an average Italian sausage, I poke it three times with a knife. Poking the sausage is simply so that the fat is able to escape easily from the casing.
Next, arrange the sausages in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 400°F and then cook the sausages until theyre well-browned on the outside and cooked through in the middle if you cut into them. It takes about 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the sausages and how many you have in the basket. See cooking times for different kinds of sausages above.
What We Love About These Sausage Links:
These sausage links in the air fryer get perfectly browned on the outside, just like you sat and babysit them on the stove, turning them at exactly the right time.
Theyre so flavorful, not overly greasy, and theyre just a really simple breakfast protein.
Plus, air fryer sausage links are easy enough that the kids can toss them in before school and make their own breakfast!
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Sauteed Air Fried Sausages
One of my friends introduced me to this sauteed air-fried sausages and I’m hooked ever since. It’s a delicious way to have the sausages on their own. You can pair this with rice, crunchy bread or have it on pasta.
Here’s how to do it. Air fry the sausages. Once they are cooled, cut 3 of them into thick slices. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a skillet and saute the sliced sausages. Add one or two tablespoons of ketchup and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. You can chili flakes and paprika for more heat. Stir well and saute for a few more minutes until the sausages are browned on the edges. Serve warm.
How To Serve Air Fried Sausage
If its summer, maybe youre inclined to just throw a perfectly cooked air fryer sausage in a bun. I say go for it.
As long as youre putting some mustard and kraut on it and not ketchup that is.
Other ways to enjoy the crispy golden brown sausage is with some sautéed peppers, onions and garlic like seen here for a quick and easy dinner. I love this meal served with some rice. Its also a great one for meal prepping.
Or, slice it and throw it over some pasta.
Pesto spaghetti squash makes a great pasta base as does serving it with red lentil pasta or even air fryer cauliflower gnocchi.
Since were headed into fall right now, Ill be enjoying it with this creamy pumpkin garlic pasta in the near future!
Alternatively, make your entire meal in the air fryer and serve the sausage alongside some easy air fried frozen broccoli, air fryer okra or, air fryer mushrooms.
I hope you give this method a shot next time youre about to cook sausage, I think youll love it!
For more like this, check out all my air fryer recipes.
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Why Cook Sausages In The Air Fryer
Now that weve got the basics out of the way, lets dive in to more details. I love using my air fryer to cook the meat portion of our dinners, like over here where I show how to cook ground beef in the air fryer, and how to make salmon with crispy skin. I find that its a great hands-free way to cook one thing if I need to pay more attention to something else.
Thats how I discovered that sausages are amazing when cooked in the air fryer. Unlike cooking them on the stove, when you put sausages in the air fryer, you dont need to watch them or flip them or anything. They cook and brown evenly all the way around and you dont have to do anything.
The result is a sausage with a crisp and brown exterior that is nice and juicy on the inside.
How To Prevent Air Fryer From Smoking
It is rare the air fryer smokes when cooking sausages but if it does, the most effective way is to add about cup of water in the air fryer basket. That way when the oil is hitting the water in the basket, it is not smoking the whole house. The water would stop this from happening. Alternatively, use air fryer parchment paper under the basket.
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Why Should You Try It
- Healthier – Unlike frying, you don’t need to use loads of oil to cook these sausages in the air fryer. This recipe is a much lighter option.
- Quick – These are ready in just 12 minutes, which is the same time as frying them, but much quicker than cooking them in the oven.
- Easy – You don’t have to stand over the pan, turning them every couple of minutes to stop them burning. You just turn them once and you have perfectly cooked sausages.
- Minimal clean up – No oily pan and oil splattered walls to clean up. Just the air fryer and that’s super easy.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Sausages
Let’s talk about dip first! You need something on the side to dip these air fryer sausages into, so why not try our Homemade BBQ Sauce or Healthy Ketchup Recipe?
When it comes to vegetables sides, we have got you covered! Why not try our Grilled Corn with Herb Butter, Buttered Leeks, Garlic Spring Greens,Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli or Garlic Green Beans.
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How Long Do I Cook Sausage In The Air Fryer
We’ve found that the best way to air fry sausage is to cook it at 380°F/190°C for 10-12 minutes. For even cooking, flip the sausages over halfway through the cooking time.
If your sausage is not quite done after 12 minutes in the air fryer, continue cooking it in the air fryer for 2 minute increments until it’s fully cooked.
How Long Does Air Fryer Chicken Sausage Take
Most air fryers cook food in the same way as a regular oven. The basket is placed in the pan, food is dropped into the basket, and the basket is placed into the air fryer. The basket is heated by fans that circulate heated air around it, allowing food to cook in a short amount of time. While air fryers vary slightly in their design, they are very similar in their function. The first step in cooking food in an air fryer is to preheat the air fryer. This is normally done for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the internal heating system to reach a temperature that is comfortable for cooking food in the air fryer. Food can then be dropped into the basket for cooking. The temperature of the air fryer will be important for determining how long the food cooks. Foods that are cooked in air fryers typically take 15-20 minutes to cook. This is the recommended time for cooking food in an air fryer. Foods that need more time to cook typically take a little longer. The temperature of the air fryer can also be an important factor in determining how long it will take for food to cook. Food that is cooked at a higher temperature will take less time to cook than food that is cooked at a lower temperature.
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Best Tips For Air Fryer Sausage Links
- No need to preheat the air fryer. If you do, cook links in less time.
- If cooking with an air fryer oven like the instant pot vortex oven cook in the middle rack for about 2 minutes less with the air fryer basket because the instant vortex preheats automatically.
- Do not over crowd the basket and be sure to flip the sausages half way through cooking time.
Ingredients For Sausage In Air Fryer
Sausage Links – This air fryer sausage recipe works for fresh sausage links such as Italian sausage, Polish sausage , andouille, bratwurst, or chorizo.
That’s it! You don’t need any seasonings or oil to make air fryer sausages because those things are already inside of the sausage.
If you have any questions about making Sausage in the Air Fryer, please leave a comment below and I will get back to you ASAP!
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How Long To Cook Sausage Links In Air Fryer Appliances
The time it takes to cook sausage links in the air fryer depends on a variety of factors which include brand of air fryer, temperature at which it is cooked and how browned you like your links.
These sausage links were fully cooked in 8 mins at 400°F / 200°C. I cooked for an extra 1 minute to get it to my desired level of brown and crispy.
Can You Put Aluminum Foil In An Air Fryer
Its possible to use aluminum foil in an air fryer if you use it safely and avoid covering critical parts of the machine that could cause damage. Its important to use a small amount to cover the bottom of the pan.
If youre using a cast iron skillet, make sure that the skillet is clean and dry before you start cooking. If you dont clean it well, it could make your food soggy. You can also clean your skillet by wiping it with a damp cloth or paper towel, but be careful not to get too much into the food.
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Sausage Peppers And Potatoes In Air Fryer
A meat thermometer really isnt needed for this since youre using precooked meats. Total time will be 15 minutes to 20 minutes total including time to preheat your machine. This allows it to cook more evenly.
- Want to change it up from a sausage link to including air fryer SPAM with your potatoes? We have made that too and it is amazing!
If you ONLY want to air fry sausages like this by themselves follow our Ninja Foodi sausage recipe here. You can see the results below, they come out great too.
- You could follow this to cook sausage patties as well. For that youd need to check internal temp. before eating since those are raw.
Can You Freeze Chicken Sausage
You can freeze chicken sausage in the air fryer. You can put chicken sausage in a container and freeze it. In the freezer, you can store sausage for up to three months. Once you thaw the sausage, you can warm it in the air fryer for about 10 minutes. You can heat it in the air fryer to 90°C for a few minutes and then continue to cook it. Air fryers are great for freezing and reheating food. However, you can only freeze sausage up to three months. You can then thaw the sausage in the air fryer for up to 10 minutes. You can heat it to 90°C for a few minutes and then continue to cook it.
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How To Cook Sausage Links In An Air Fryer:
For fresh, refrigerated links- Place your links in a single layer, ideally not touching, in your air fryer basket. Cook them for 5 minutes at 400 degrees F. then flip or just give the basket a quick shake and cook for 5 more minutes.
For uncooked frozen links- If they are NOT precooked, you need to cook them at two different temps. Cook them at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Flip them and cook for 7-8 minutes at 400 degrees F. Due to varying thicknesses and differences in air fryer models, you should confirm the internal temp of the sausage is at least 160 degrees F before serving.
For precooked frozen links- This is just as easy as our refrigerated links. Cook them for 10 minutes, but at 350 degrees F. Flip or shake them halfway through.
Ninja Foodi Sausage And Potatoes
Here is a quick rundown of how we made this. There is a printable version in the recipe card below if you prefer that as well.
- Slice all ingredients. Preheat your air fryer at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Put cubed potatoes, sliced onions and sausage dials into a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and add garlic.
- Sprinkle with seasonings and stir together so everything is coated nicely.
- Add half your contents into your basket so they dont overlap much.
- Close lid and air fry for 12 minutes total, tossing ingredients halfway through.
- Test potatoes with a fork to see if theyre tender enough, if not add 2 minutes at a time up to an additional 5 minutes until everything is just as you like it.
- Remove, serve, add other half of your batch and cook Italian sausage and potatoes the same as the first batch.
We love this and our roasted potatoes in air fryer, theyre both favorite air fryer potato recipes for sure.
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What Types Of Sausage Can I Use
Our temp and time are for cooking raw sausage. Either pork sausage, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage works with this method as long as they are large links and raw in a casing. Air fryer Italian sausages made with pork are our family’s top choice.
If you would like to air fry a pre-cooked sausage reduce the time to just 5 minutes. You only need to crisp the outside and warm the inside.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Sausage
Air Fryer Sausage makes for an easy dinner when you serve it with simple side dishes that everyone loves!
Air Fryer Corn on the Cobis a family favorite that is so simple to make in the air fryer. I love this for hot summer days when I don’t want to boil any water in the kitchen!
If I’m trying to make dinner incredibly easy, I can cook a bag of frozen broccoli in the air fryer too!
Make Air Fryer Tater Tots, or Air Fried Potato wedges from fresh potatoes to make a filling meal for your hungry family.
Toast rolls in the air fryer, and fill them with cooked Italian sausage and sauteed peppers and onions.
Try sliced air fryer sausage on top ofSpaghettior your favorite pasta dishes.
Or add cooked sausage to recipes, like this one for sausage, onion, and pepper pizza rolls.
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Can Frozen Sausages Be Cooked In The Air Fryer
Yes, sausages purchased already frozen from the supermarket have been specially prepared to be safe to cook from frozen. So they can safely be cooked in an air fryer.
They may need a couple more minutes than fresh sausages, check them at the time suggested above and cook for longer if necessary?
However, if you have frozen the fresh sausages yourself. It is recommended to defrost ahead of time in the fridge before cooking them in the air fryer.
