Cooking sausages in the air fryer is a quick and easy option for when you’re short on time. They come out crisp and brown, juicy and delicious, all with no need to stand over a hot stove.
Air frying sausages is one of my favorite ‘no time to cook’ hacks. Perfectly cooked, juicy sausages with crispy skin, but without the hassle of pan frying. No more standing over a hot stove getting spattered with fat, just pop them in the air fryer and get on with something else!
What do you need?
Sausages
You can air fry just about any type of sausages. The cooking times below are for ones around 5-6 inches (15cm) long in length and around 1-inch (2½ cm) thick. You will need to adjust the cooking times if you are cooking much smaller or larger sausages.
Oil
A little oil is essential for getting the outside of the sausages crispy and golden. I use light olive oil, but you can substitute another cooking oil with a high-smoke point.
Should you prick sausages before cooking?
One question that comes up all the time is whether to prick sausages before cooking them or not.
This is a little controversial, and you will find people arguing passionately for both sides. At the end of the day is up to you, but to help you decide:
Sausages that have been pricked:
- Allow the fat to drain out more easily. This should help to prevent them from bursting during cooking, and reduces their fat content a little.
- May not be as tasty and juicy as sausages that haven’t been pricked (due to lower fat content).
- May cause the air fryer to smoke during cooking as so much fat ends up in the bottom of the pan.
Note: if this happens you can just stop cooking, drain the fat out, and continue cooking.
Sausages that haven’t been pricked:
- Retain all the fat, which means they retain all the taste, but at the same time, they retained all the fat… (Though we’re not cooking sausages to have a healthy dinner right?)
- May be at risk of bursting as the fat heats up during cooking (and if this happens the fat will drain out the same as if you had just pricked them in the first place).
Let’s cook these sausages in the air fryer!
1
Preheat.
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C/ 360°F. This is important because the cooking time is short. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat mode, just set it to air fry for 3-4 minutes.
2
Pop the sausages in the air fryer.
Place sausages into the air fryer basket in a single layer, try to ensure they are not touching.
Optional: If you like, you can prick the sausages 4-5 times each with a sharp knife.
3
Air fry!
Air fry sausages for 10-15 minutes until they are crisp and well browned and no pink remains inside. Check that they have reached at least 160°F / 71°C in the center of the thickest sausage.
Finally, sausages should be rested after cooking, just like steak. Place the cooked sausages on a plate and cover with kitchen foil. Leave to rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat.
How long to air fry sausages?
The cooking time depends on how large the sausages are, and also varies with different air fryers.
Most standard-sized sausages of around 10-12cm/ 4-5 inches will take between 10 and 15 minutes to air fry, depending on how powerful your air fryer is.
Sausages need to be cooked until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F / 71°C (or 165°F / 74°C for hot dogs) all the way through. The outside should be golden brown, and there will be no pink left in the centre.
If you’re unsure, it is always best to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
You’ll know if you cooked them too long because they will pop (they’ll still be delicious though!)
Classic sausage serving ideas
- On a bed of mashed potatoes smothered with gravy.
- With scrambled eggs, and roasted tomatoes.
- In a bun or sandwich with mustard, ketchup, fried onions, and sauerkraut.
- Slice, and toss with your favorite pasta, marinara sauce, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Air Fryer Sausages
Ingredients
- 6 sausages
- light olive oil (or another high smoke point cooking oil)
Directions
- Preheat air fryer to 360°F/ 180°C.
- Place sausages in air fryer basket, ensure they are not touching. Optional: Prick the sausages 4-5 times with a sharp knife [Note 1].
- Lightly spritz or brush the sausages with oil.
- Air fry sausages for 10-15 minutes until they are crisp and well browned (and no pink remains inside), and have reached at least 160°F / 72°C all the way through.
- Remove sausages from air fryer, and rest covered with kitchen foil for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Pricking sausages is optional. Sausages that have been pricked allow the fat to drain out more easily, which may help to prevent them from bursting during cooking. It also means that they may not be as tasty and juicy, and also may cause the air fryer to smoke during cooking as so much fat ends up in the bottom of the pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and provided for informational purposes only.
