How to cook sausages in an air fryer
- Preparation 2 min
- Cooking 20 min
- Servings 4 to 6 sausages
- Freezing I do not suggest
Ads
🔥 The easiest method for perfect sausages
I’ve been making my sausages in the air fryer for years and honestly, I’d never go back. It’s fast, it’s not messy and the result is better than in a pan. The skin is crispy, the inside is juicy and you don’t even need to add oil. The natural fat from the sausage does all the work. In 15 to 20 minutes, your sausages are ready without you having to watch a pan that splatters everywhere.
🌡️ 350 °F, flip and you’re done
The beauty of this method is that it works with all types of sausages. Sweet or spicy Italian, merguez, bratwurst, breakfast sausages. The technique stays the same. You place your sausages in a single layer in the basket, 350 °F (175 °C), you flip at mid-cooking and you’re done. The only adjustment is the cooking time which varies according to the size of the sausage. I never pierce my sausages and I never cut them in half. Fat is flavor, and I want to keep it inside.
🍽️ From Tuesday night to Sunday brunch
Whether it’s Italian sausages on pasta with my air fryer grilled vegetables on a weeknight, merguez with arugula salad and white balsamic on Saturday, or breakfast sausages for Sunday brunch, it’s always the same method. My favorite trick to impress? Serve my sausages in big loaded hot dogs with homemade mayo and crispy bacon on top. Try that once and you’ll understand why I never go back to the pan.
Ads
Ads
🚫 Never pierce the sausages
I know it’s tempting, but piercing sausages before cooking is the best way to make them dry. The fat escapes through the holes, and it’s that fat that keeps the sausage juicy and flavorful. Same thing for cutting them in half. Keep them whole.
🌡️ Cooking times by sausage type (350 °F / 175 °C)
Times vary according to size. Here’s a quick guide: Italian sausages 15 to 20 minutes, bratwurst 15 to 18 minutes, merguez 10 to 12 minutes, breakfast sausages 8 to 10 minutes, cocktail sausages 6 to 8 minutes. Always flip at mid-cooking and check that internal temperature reaches 71 °C (160 °F).
🧈 Zero oil needed
Sausages contain enough natural fat to cook without adding anything. Oil is useless and will just make your air fryer smoke. However, if you add vegetables to the basket, a little drizzle of olive oil on the vegetables will help them brown.
🫙 Recover the rendered fat for vegetables
The fat that accumulates in the bottom of the basket during cooking is liquid gold. Recover it with a spoon and pour it directly over your side vegetables. Carrots, broccoli, potatoes. It’s indulgent, but it’s good.
📏 Don’t overcrowd the basket
If the sausages touch or overlap, air doesn’t circulate and cooking will be uneven. Better to do two batches than to pile them up. In a single layer, each sausage will brown evenly and the skin will be crispy everywhere.
❄️ Always thaw before cooking
I never cook frozen sausages in the air fryer. The result is uneven. The outside cooks too fast while the inside stays cold. Take your sausages out the night before to the fridge or in the morning for dinner. It takes 5 more minutes of planning, but the result is incomparable.
✅ What to serve with my air fryer sausages?
My air fryer sausages pair with pretty much everything. My favorite sides are my Air fryer carrots cooked in the same basket, my Air fryer broccoli drizzled with the rendered fat from the sausages, or my Air Fryer French fries for a meal that pleases everyone.
Ads
Sausages
- 4 to 6 Italian sausages (sweet or spicy)
Vegetables of choice (optional)
- 2 cups (500 ml) chopped vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil (for vegetables only)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ads
Preparation
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 °F (175 °C) for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Place the sausages in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving space between each to allow air to circulate well. Do not pierce or cut the sausages.
- Cook 15 to 20 minutes depending on size, turning the sausages once at mid-cooking for even browning.
- To add vegetables, mix them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place them around the sausages in the basket from the beginning of cooking or after 5 minutes for more tender vegetables like peppers.
- Check doneness with a thermometer. Internal temperature must reach 71 °C (160 °F). Sausages should be well browned and crispy on the outside.
- Let rest 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Recover the fat rendered in the bottom of the basket to drizzle over your vegetables. It’s liquid gold.
It depends on the type and size. At 350 °F (175 °C), Italian sausages take 15 to 20 minutes, bratwurst 15 to 18 minutes, merguez 10 to 12 minutes, breakfast sausages 8 to 10 minutes and cocktail sausages 6 to 8 minutes. The golden rule: always flip at mid-cooking and check with a thermometer that the inside reaches 71 °C (160 °F).
No, never. Sausages contain enough natural fat to cook perfectly without adding anything. Oil is useless and risks making your air fryer smoke. The only time you would need oil is if you add vegetables to the basket. A little drizzle of olive oil on the vegetables will help them brown.
No, and it’s even the worst thing you can do. Piercing sausages lets the fat and juices escape, which gives you a dry sausage. The fat inside is what keeps the sausage juicy and flavorful. Keep them whole, don’t pierce them and don’t cut them in half.
I don’t recommend it. The result is often uneven. The outside cooks too fast while the inside stays cold. The best method is to thaw your sausages in the refrigerator the night before or the morning itself. It takes minimal planning, but the cooking will be much more uniform and the final result will be much better.
Air fryer sausages are served a thousand ways. My favorites: on farfalles with italian sausages and grape tomatoes for a complete dinner, with my italian sausages, dried tomatoes and arugula risotto, or in my stuffed peppers with zucchinis and italian sausages for an all-in-one meal.
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads
Ads