Are you tired of the same old boring sausage recipes? Look no further than your air fryer! This versatile kitchen appliance can transform your sausages into crispy, juicy, and flavorful delights in no time. From classic breakfast sausages to spicy Italian sausages, there are endless possibilities when it comes to air frying sausages. In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of using an air fryer for sausages, tips for choosing the right sausages, and 10 delicious air fryer sausage recipes that are quick, easy, and packed with flavor.
Introduction to Air Frying Sausages
Air frying has become increasingly popular in recent years as it offers a healthier alternative to traditional deep-frying. An air fryer uses hot air to cook food, resulting in a crispy exterior without the need for excess oil. This makes it a great option for cooking sausages, which are often high in fat and can become greasy when cooked in a pan or on a grill.
One of the biggest advantages of air frying sausages is the convenience factor. The process is quick and requires minimal preparation, making it perfect for busy weeknights or lazy weekend brunches. Air frying also eliminates the need for flipping sausages or worrying about them sticking to the pan, making clean-up a breeze.
So why not take your sausage game to the next level and try out these 10 delicious air fryer sausage recipes?
Benefits of Using an Air Fryer for Sausages
There are several benefits to using an air fryer specifically for cooking sausages:
- Healthier Option: As mentioned earlier, air frying uses little to no oil, making it a healthier alternative to traditional frying methods. This means you can enjoy your favorite sausages guilt-free.
- Quick and Easy: Air frying sausages takes less time than traditional cooking methods, which is perfect for those who are short on time or just want a quick and easy meal option.
- Crispy Exterior: The hot air circulating in the air fryer allows for an evenly crispy exterior without any excess oil. This results in perfectly cooked sausages every time.
- Versatile Cooking: Air fryers can be used for a wide variety of sausages, whether they are fresh or frozen, pre-cooked or raw. You can also experiment with different types of sausages and flavor combinations to find your favorite.
Choosing the Right Sausages for Air Frying
When it comes to choosing sausages for air frying, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Quality: As with any type of food, the quality of your sausages will greatly affect the end result. Choose high-quality sausages made with good quality meat and minimal additives for the best flavor.
- Type of Sausage: Different types of sausages require different cooking times and temperatures. It’s important to choose sausages that are suitable for air frying, such as smoked or fully cooked sausages.
- Size: The size of your sausage will also affect the cooking time. Thicker sausages will take longer to cook, while thinner ones may cook faster than expected. It’s a good idea to check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure they are cooked through.
- Frozen vs Fresh: While both frozen and fresh sausages can be air fried, the cooking time will vary. Frozen sausages will take longer to cook, so be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Flavor Combinations: Don’t be afraid to mix and match different flavors of sausages to create unique and delicious combinations. From spicy to sweet, the possibilities are endless.
Basic Air Fryer Sausage Cooking Tips
Before we dive into the recipes, here are some basic tips for cooking sausages in an air fryer:
- Preheat Your Air Fryer: Just like with an oven, it’s important to preheat your air fryer before adding the sausages. This ensures that they will cook evenly and have a crisp exterior.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Basket: It’s important to leave enough space between sausages in the air fryer basket to allow for proper circulation of hot air. This will result in evenly cooked sausages.
- Shake the Basket: It’s a good idea to shake the basket or turn the sausages halfway through cooking to ensure they cook evenly.
- Use Oil Spray: While air frying doesn’t require much oil, lightly spraying your sausages with oil can help them achieve a crispy exterior.
- Check Internal Temperature: As mentioned earlier, it’s important to check the internal temperature of your sausages with a meat thermometer to ensure they are fully cooked.
Now, let’s get cooking with these 10 delicious air fryer sausage recipes!
Recipe 1: Classic Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients:
- 8 breakfast sausages, fresh or frozen
- Oil spray
- Maple syrup (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- Once cooked, remove from the air fryer and drizzle with maple syrup if desired.
- Serve hot and enjoy your perfectly crispy breakfast sausages!
Recipe 2: Spicy Italian Sausage
Ingredients:
- 4 spicy Italian sausages
- Oil spray
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- In a separate bowl, toss sliced peppers and onions with a little oil, salt, and pepper.
- Once the sausages have cooked for 10 minutes, add the pepper and onion mixture to the air fryer basket.
- Continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot and enjoy your flavorful and spicy Italian sausage with peppers and onions.
Recipe 3: Honey Garlic Sausage
Ingredients:
- 4 honey garlic sausages
- Oil spray
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix together honey, minced garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Brush the honey garlic mixture onto the sausages.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and enjoy the sweet and savory flavors of honey and garlic with your sausages.
Recipe 4: Cajun Sausage with Peppers
Ingredients:
- 4 Cajun sausages
- Oil spray
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- Cajun seasoning to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with Cajun seasoning.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- In a separate bowl, toss sliced peppers and onions with a little oil and Cajun seasoning.
- Once the sausages have cooked for 10 minutes, add the pepper and onion mixture to the air fryer basket.
- Continue to cook for an additional 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot and enjoy the delicious Cajun flavors of this sausage and pepper dish.
Recipe 5: Herb and Cheese Sausage
Ingredients:
- 4 herb and cheese sausages
- Oil spray
- Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage), chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Sprinkle fresh herbs on top of the sausages.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and enjoy the burst of flavor from the herbs and cheese in this sausage recipe.
Recipe 6: Beer Brats
Ingredients:
- 4 beer bratwurst sausages
- Oil spray
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 bottle of beer
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sausages in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each sausage.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Add sliced onions to the air fryer basket.
- Pour beer over the sausages and onions.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning sausages halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and enjoy the delicious flavor of beer-infused bratwurst.
Recipe 7: Greek Sausage Skewers
Ingredients:
- 4 Greek-style sausages
- Oil spray
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into cubes
- 1 red onion, cut into chunks
- 8 cherry tomatoes
- 4 skewers
- Greek seasoning to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Cut each sausage into bite-sized pieces.
- Thread the sausage pieces, peppers, onions, and cherry tomatoes onto the skewers.
- Lightly spray the skewers with oil and sprinkle Greek seasoning on top.
- Place skewers in the air fryer basket, leaving enough space between each skewer.
- Cook for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket or turning skewers halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and enjoy these flavorful and colorful Greek sausage skewers.
Recipe 8: Chinese Sausage Fried Rice
Ingredients:
- 4 Chinese-style sausages
- Oil spray
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- ½ cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Green onions, chopped (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Slice sausages into small pieces and place in the air fryer basket.
- Lightly spray the sausages with oil and cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and pour them over the sausages in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the eggs are fully cooked.
- Remove sausages and eggs from the air fryer and set aside.
- Place cooked rice, frozen peas and carrots, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in the air fryer basket and mix well.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes until the rice is heated through and slightly crispy.
- Add the cooked sausages and eggs back into the air fryer basket and mix well.
- Serve hot and enjoy this delicious and easy Chinese sausage fried rice.
Recipe 9: Vegan Sausage Rolls
Ingredients:
- 4 vegan sausages
- 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
- Oil spray
- Dijon mustard (optional)
- Ketchup (optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Unroll the puff pastry and cut into 4 equal rectangles.
- Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard or ketchup on each rectangle.
- Place a sausage in the middle of each rectangle and roll the pastry around it, sealing the edges with a little water if needed.
- Lightly spray the sausage rolls with oil and place in the air fryer basket.
- Cook for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
- Serve hot and enjoy these crispy and delicious vegan sausage rolls.
Recipe 10: Sausage and Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients:
- 4 smoked sausages, sliced
- Oil spray
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ cup teriyaki sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat your air fryer to 375°F.
- Place sliced sausages in the air fryer basket and cook for 8-10 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through cooking.
- In a separate bowl, toss peppers, onions, minced garlic, and teriyaki sauce together.
- Add the vegetable mixture to the air fryer basket with the sausages.
- Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Serve hot and enjoy this flavorful and colorful sausage and vegetable stir fry.
Conclusion and Serving Suggestions
We hope you’ve enjoyed these 10 delicious air fryer sausage recipes! As you can see, the options are endless when it comes to cooking sausages in an air fryer. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of sausages and flavor combinations to find your favorites.
Here are some serving suggestions to take your sausage dishes to the next level:
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauces such as honey mustard, BBQ sauce, or ranch dressing.
- Add sausages to a salad for a protein-packed meal.
- Pair sausages with roasted vegetables for a nutritious and filling dinner.
- Serve sausage skewers as an appetizer at your next gathering.
No matter which recipe you choose, we hope these air fryer sausage recipes will become a staple in your kitchen. Happy cooking!