The BEST Air Fryer Italian Sausage Recipe

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Making air fryer Italian sausage is a quick and easy way to make perfect juicy sausages every single time. Whether you serve them with peppers and onions, or alongside pasta sauce and pasta, air-fried sausages make the best simple dinner in just 10 minutes!

sausage in air fryer after getting cooked

Make quick and easy sausage in an air fryer!

When you don't know what to make for dinner, let your air fryer do the work. Cooking Italian sausages in the air fryer is literally our family favorite meal we eat almost weekly, we always keep multiple packages of these in our freezer.

We show you how to make juicy and golden brown Italian sausage that are perfectly cooking inside and out in the air fryer whether you're cooking just the links or making them with healthy veggies like peppers and onions. Our time tested recipe works great in either an air fryer basket or an air fryer oven.

Why you'll love these!

Cooking sausages in the air fryer is healthier than pan frying them in oil. Plus the fat drips off, which means less on your plate.
No need to watch a splattering stove! Just put them in your air fryer and walk away (other than a quick flip).
These make a healthy high protein, low carb, gluten free meal in less than 10 minutes.
You'll love the flavors infused into Italian sausage like Italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and red pepper flakes.

Italian sausage recipe ingredients

1 pkg uncooked Italian pork link sausage (mild Italian sausage or hot Italian sausage)- ours came 5 to a pack. Raw Italian chicken sausage would be great too.
Optional- feel free to add sliced peppers or onions alongside the uncooked sausages. They cook in the same amount of time.

Our favorite brands

We used the Trader Joe's brand uncooked Italian sausage (called Sweet Italian sausage), your favorite brand will work great too as long as they're the standard size uncooked sausages. (the deli counter sausages are larger and take longer to cook).
Johnsonville sausage in an air fryer - This is another brand we love if we aren't shopping at TJ's. If you have Johnsonville brand sausage, just follow the same recipe instructions since they're sold as a standard size.

Kitchen tools

An air fryer - either a basket style or toaster oven style will work, we have both! The recipe cooks in the same amount of time.

How to air fry sausage

This is just a brief overview, for full instructions please read the recipe card at the bottom!

Temperature

Preheat your air fryer to 360 F for 3-5 minutes. Lay the sausage on the air fryer rack or basket in a single layer.

Cook time

Cook the Italian sausage for a total of 10-12 minutes at 360 F, flip them over halfway through cooking. Air fry until the internal temperature is at least 160 F. We highly recommend an instant read thermometer to check the temperature.

Let the Italian sausages rest for 5 minutes before serving to let the juices distribute throughout the meat. Serve with peppers and onions on the side or even on a hot dog bun. Enjoy!

If you're a sausage lover like we are, using an air fryer will become your favorite way of also cooking breakfast sausage links, bratwurst, or precooked chicken sausages.

air fryer sausage peppers and onions on a black plate after cooking

Making air fryer sausage peppers and onions

We had leftover sauteed peppers and onions in the fridge and served them on the side. To add sliced peppers or onions to the sausages:

Slice 2 bell peppers and one onion. Toss them in a bowl with 2-3 teaspoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Spritz the air fryer basket with cooking spray if you're using an aluminum air fryer basket. If it's nonstick you'll skip this step.
Lay the veggies on the rack and put the Italian sausage on top of the peppers before cooking.

Helpful tips

Sausages are considered cooked at an internal temp of 160 F. However, they often aren't browned yet at this temperature. It's totally fine to keep cooking the Italian sausages until they're browned to your liking. Since sausage is a higher fat content protein, they stay juicy and moist getting cooked up to 190 F.
If you have precooked sausages, you can fry them at 400 F for 8-10 minutes.

What to serve with Italian sausage

Serve the sausages with peppers and onions cooked right in the air fryer. Other great veggies are roasted broccoli or roasted mushrooms.
Slice the sausages and serve them over pasta or gnocchi with marinara sauce.
Serve them on a hot dog bun with sauce and melted cheese.
You can even stuff them with string cheese!

Storage & reheating leftover sausage

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months in an airtight container or a freezer Ziplock bag.

Reheat sausages in an air fryer: When you're ready to eat them again, preheat your air fryer to 360 F and then cook them for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through.

Recipe Questions

Can you put frozen Italian Sausage in Air Fryer?

Yes, you can totally cook air fryer sausages from frozen, there’s no need to thaw them first! They do take a few minutes longer to cook but they turn out just as delicious as fresh.

Preheat your air fryer basket for 5 minutes at 400 F. Cook the frozen Italian sausage in the air fryer for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway. We highly recommend using a digital meat thermometer to make sure they're at least 160 F internally.

What kind of sausages best?

We used raw Italian pork sausage for this recipe. You can use other types of raw sausages like bratwurst too or even raw beef sausages. Raw chicken sausage will also work well, just be mindful that chicken seems to cook faster than pork. If you have precooked sausages, you can still follow our cooking times and temperature, but they won't take as long to air fry.

Should you poke holes in the sausage before air frying?

No, you should not poke holes in the sausage before air frying them. Poking holes with a fork releases the juices and can make your sausages turn out dry.

What is the best temp for Italian sausage?

Air frying sausage at 360°F is considered the best temperature. It allows the sausages to cook thoroughly and evenly on the inside while also giving you a golden brown and juicy texture. The perfect balance!

Easy Air Fryer Recipes

Air Fryer Sausage (Italian, Links, Uncooked)

Yield: 5 servings

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Air frying Italian sausages and other types of uncooked sausages are super quick and easy to do. Juicy and golden brown every time! Serve with pasta and sauce, or cooked peppers with onions.

Ingredients

1 pkg uncooked Italian sausage, mild, sweet, or hot

Instructions

Preheat the air fryer to 360 F for 3-5 minutes.

Lay the sausage in a single layer on the air fryer basket, leaving room on all sides.

Cook the Italian sausages in an air fryer basket or air fryer oven for about 10-12 minutes at 360 F, or until the internal temperature is at least 160 F when checked with a meat thermometer. The cooking time can vary based on the air fryer model you're using.

Remove the Italian sausages from the air fryer and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

The air fryer sausage recipe works with Italian sausages, brats, turkey sausage, or any uncooked dinner sausage.
You can add sliced bell peppers and onions to the air fryer basket at the time time. Just toss them in a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place the sausages right on top of them in the air fryer.