Name: Italian Air Fryer Sausage Links
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 Pound Trader Joes Italian Sausage; 1 Onion Sliced; 1 Pepper Red or Green Sliced; 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

This Air Fryer Sausage recipe Is a great way to cook sausages. The sausages come out with crispy skin and a juicy inside. The process is so quick and easy.

Air Fryer Sausage

I love my air fryer. I am using the Cosori 5.8 quart model and it produces some of the most consistent air fry cooking results. Cooking sausage in the air fryer is so much easier than cooking them in a skillet.

Can you Cook Sausage in the Air Fryer?

Yes, you can cook sausage in the air fryer. Not only can you cook Italian sausage in the air fryer but you can cook all types. It all comes out fantastic.

I have also cooked bratwurst, chorizo, chicken sausages and breakfast sausage in the air fryer. All of them came out great. When cooking breakfast sausage you want to cook them for a shorter amount of time. 10 minutes seems to do the trick.

How to Cook Sausage in the Air Fryer?

Full Ingredients and Instructions in Recipe Card

Cooking sausage in the air fryer is a simple process. I am going to show you my foolproof method for perfect sausage in the air fryer and you are going to love it.

The sausages that I used in this recipe were Italian sausages that I got at Trader Joes. This time I got the HOT Italian sausage because I was being adventurous but they also have Mild Italian sausage which is also fine for this recipe if you do not like spicy.

Italian sausage in the air fryer on parchment paper

Before we even get into cooking these sausages I want to give you a tip. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper like the picture above. Not only will it cut down on the smoking of the air fryer but but it will also make cleanup easier.

The parchment paper trick in the air fryer is a great trick for chicken wings too. Put that tip in the vault.

Step 1 – Line the Air Fryer Basket with Parchment Paper

The reason that you want to line the air fryer basket with parchment paper is to absorb the grease which will cut down on the smoke created during cooking. It will also make cleanup easier.

Step 2 – Preheat Air Fryer

Preheat your air fryer to 360 degrees. I do recommend preheating you air fryer even though it is not required. I feel it make the skin a bit crispier if preheated.

Step 3 – Place Sausages in Air Fryer

Place the sausages in the air fryer in a single layer leaving some space in between for good air circulation. Close the air fryer and set your timer for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.

Step 4 – Saute Peppers and Onions

Even though this recipe is just about cooking sausage in the air fryer I threw together some peppers and onions with the sausages because I think they’re delicious.

If you would like to also do that the peppers and onions all that I did was slice up a pepper and onion and saute them in a Tablespoon of olive oil for about 15 minutes over a medium heat.

Italian sausage in the air fryer partially cooked and ready to be flipped

Step 5 – Flip the Sausages and Finish Cooking

After 15 minutes of cooking time open the air fryer and flip the sausages. At this point, they should be looking almost done. Once you flipped fry sausages 5 more minutes and they should be done.

How Long to Cook Sausage in Air Fryer?

Generally, I find that the cooking time for sausages in the air fryer is about 20 minutes. Of course, this depends on the size of the sausages.

Breakfast sausage I find takes less time at about 10 to 12 minutes cooking time since they are small.

If you are cooking a sausage that is not mentioned here and you are not sure how long the cooking time would be the best way to get a good result is to use a meat thermometer and cook to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Cooking by temperature instead of time always gives more accurate results. If you do not have a meat thermometer and are interested in getting one I love the Thermopro TP19H. It is accurate, durable, and waterproof.