Incredibly easy-to-make air fryer Italian sausage is equally incredibly tasty with a delightfully golden casing while retaining all their juicy goodness! Using your air fryer to cook up these hot, sweet, or mild Italian sausages is sure to be your new go-to method!
These are so much better (and faster) than your average ball game sausages!
Air fryers have become very popular over the last several years, and there’s a good reason for that. They’re a great small appliance for making a lot of things, but cooking meat is where your air fryer really shines!
These delicious links will come out evenly browned with a crispy outside and a tender, juicy inside. No matter how you’re planning to serve them, they'll always be just right!
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Make it a special occasion or just pop these into the air fryer for a delicious weeknight meal. They make great picnic food, too!
❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
They retain their juices! Air fryers are great for getting that perfect cook on meat!
Versatility! These sausages can be served on or with a ton of different options!
Minimal cleanup! All you’ll have to clean is the air fryer basket and tongs!
🥘 Ingredients
Grab your sausages, optional buns, and fave condiments to get started! There’s not much to it!
- 5 Italian Sausages - Any brand will work. See recommendations in the notes.
- 5 Hot Dog Buns or Hoagie Rolls (optional) - Make sure these are super fresh for the best results!
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
Before you begin, get out your air fryer and a pair of silicone kitchen tongs. This is an easy recipe for both air fryer newbies and seasoned home cooks.
- Preheat your air fryer. Set your air fryer to 360℉ (182℃) and let it heat up (about 5 minutes).
- Cook. When the air fryer is hot, lay 5 Italian sausage links in a single layer in the basket. Close them in and cook for 6 minutes.
- Turn and continue cooking. Being mindful of the heat, use tongs to turn each of the sausages. Then, cook for another 6 minutes or so. The internal temperature should reach 160℉ (71℃).
- Heat the buns and serve. If serving sausages on buns, heat the buns before serving. Put each of the sausages in a bun or hoagie roll and put them back in the air fryer at the same temperature for another 2 to 3 minutes.
There are many different ways you can serve air fryer Italian sausage. I like them with the usual condiments (ketchup, mustard, etc), rice, pasta, or roasted peppers and onions. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Cooking time should be the same across brands. For the most part, as long as your sausages are under about 4 ounces, they should cook for the amount of time written in the recipe.
- Here are some of our favorite Italian sausages: Johnsonville (sweet, mild, and hot), Premio, Swaggerty, Hillshire Farms, Iserno’s. We also like chicken and turkey Italian sausages and meat-alternative brands Beyond Meat and Tofurkey. Give them a try!
- Check the internal temperature. Use a digital meat thermometer to verify the Italian sausages reach 160℉ (71℃) in the center of the sausage. Use the same sausage if checking the temperature multiple times. Don’t pierce them all.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Wrap up any leftovers in foil, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. Put wrapped sausages in an airtight container or freezer bag for long-term storage. Though the best flavor fades after 1 to 2 months, they’re safe to eat indefinitely.
Thaw frozen links overnight before reheating.
Reheating Air Fryer Italian Sausages
Put sausages back in the air fryer at 360℉ (182℃) for 3 to 4 minutes or until hot. Alternatively, the air fryer Italian sausages can be warmed in the microwave in short 30-second intervals until heated to your satisfaction.
🍟 More Air Fryer Appetizer Recipes
📋 Recipe
Air Fryer Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 5 Italian sausages
- 5 hot dog buns or hoagie rolls (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your air fryer to 360°F (182°C) for 5 minutes or until fully preheated.
- Once the air fryer if preheated, arrange the Italian sausage links in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Seal and air fry for 6 minutes at 360°F (182°C), then open and turn the sausage carefully using tongs.5 Italian sausages
- Close the air fryer and finish cooking the sausages for an additional 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160F (71C).
- If desired, before serving you can place the sausages into the buns to heat the buns too. Place each sausage into a bun and heat at the same temperature for an additional 2-3 minutes.5 hot dog buns or hoagie rolls
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Italian sausage brands will all cook at roughly the same amount of time as long as they are links, under about 4 ounces in weight.
- We enjoy Johnsonville sweet, mild, and hot Italian sausages as well as Premio, Swaggerty, Hillshire Farms, Isernio's, as well as chicken and turkey-based Italian sausages and the meat alternative sausage brands Beyond Meat and Tofurkey.
- Sausages should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) as read by a digital meat thermometer.
- Temp the same sausage while cooking so the others are not pierced.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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