Air-Fryer Sausage Links: How Long To Cook Them?

Cooking sausages in an air fryer is a quick, easy, and mess-free way to prepare a tasty breakfast. The air fryer solves the problem of grease splattering all over your stove, and it also frees up space on your stovetop for cooking other breakfast foods.

Cooking temperature and time

The cooking temperature and time for sausage links in an air fryer depend on the type of sausage and whether they are fresh or frozen.

Fresh Sausage Links

Place the sausage links in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching. For fresh, refrigerated links, cook at 400°F for 5 minutes, flip them, then cook for another 5 minutes at the same temperature. If you prefer your sausages softer, you can cook them at 370°F for 13 minutes, or for a crispier exterior, cook for 14 minutes.

Frozen Sausage Links

If your sausages are frozen, you can either defrost them first or cook them straight from frozen. If cooking from frozen, you will need to cook at two different temperatures. First, cook at 350°F for 5 minutes, then flip them and cook for 7-8 minutes at 400°F.

Precooked Frozen Sausage Links

Precooked frozen links can be cooked at 350°F for 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

General Tips

• The high temperature is important for achieving the perfect browning without overcooking the sausages.
• The sausages are done when they reach an internal temperature of 160°F and are no longer pink in the centre.
• Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of the sausages and the model of the air fryer.
• To prevent the sausages from drying out, do not pierce the skin before cooking.

How to arrange the sausages in the air fryer

When arranging sausages in an air fryer, it is important to ensure they are in a single layer, with a bit of space between each sausage. This is to ensure the air fryer can cook the sausages evenly, allowing the air to flow all around each sausage. It is also important to note that you should not overlap the sausages.

For fresh, refrigerated sausages, it is recommended to cook them in a single layer, ideally not touching, in the air fryer basket. For uncooked frozen sausages, you can cook them straight from frozen, but it is important to note that you should cook them at two different temperatures to ensure they are cooked thoroughly. Precooked frozen sausages can be cooked in a similar way to fresh, refrigerated sausages.

It is also worth noting that you should not overcrowd the air fryer. Depending on the model of your air fryer, you may be able to fit more or less sausages. For oven models, you can likely fit 8-10 sausages, while basket models may fit 5-8 sausages.

Additionally, some recipes suggest pokeing holes in the sausages before cooking to allow the fat to escape, but this is a matter of personal preference. If you choose to poke holes, use a paring knife or a fork to poke each sausage a few times.

How to know when the sausages are done

There are several ways to tell when your sausages are done in the air fryer.

Firstly, you can check the internal temperature of the sausages with a meat thermometer. The USDA recommends an internal temperature of 160ºF for sausages. At this temperature, the sausages will be cooked but still juicy.

Secondly, you can cut into a sausage to check that it is cooked through. The sausage should be well browned and no longer pink inside.

Thirdly, you can check the exterior of the sausages. They should be brown and have a crispy skin when done.

Finally, you can also go by the cooking time. For fresh, refrigerated sausages, cook for around 10 minutes at 400ºF. For uncooked frozen sausages, cook for 10-12 minutes at 375-400ºF. For precooked frozen sausages, cook for 10 minutes at 350ºF.

It's important to note that cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of your sausages and the model of your air fryer, so it's always a good idea to check the doneness of your sausages using one of the methods mentioned above.

Reheating and storing sausages

If you have any leftover sausages, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to four days. To do this, let the sausages cool down to room temperature, then wrap them in plastic wrap and seal them in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can use parchment paper instead of plastic wrap, or even go without if you plan to eat the sausages within 1-2 days.

You can also freeze sausages to keep them for longer. To do this, first, let the sausages cool down to room temperature. Then, spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place them in the freezer for 2-3 hours. After this, you can wrap the sausages in plastic wrap for added protection and place them in a zip-lock freezer bag. Sausages can be stored in the freezer for up to six months.

When you're ready to eat your chilled sausages, you can reheat them in the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C and cook the sausages for 3-5 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat sausages in the microwave or the oven, although these methods may affect the texture and flavour of the sausages. If you're reheating sausages in the air fryer, be aware that they may dry out, so consider brushing them with a little oil before reheating.

How to prevent the air fryer from smoking

Cooking sausages in an air fryer is a quick and easy way to get them browned and crispy on the outside, and juicy in the middle. But if your air fryer has cooked a lot of greasy foods, it might start smoking. Here are some ways to prevent that from happening:

Clean your air fryer regularly

This is the simplest solution to a smoky fryer. A dirty fryer is a smoky fryer. Clean your fryer as often as you can, especially after cooking something that leaves behind a greasy or oily residue. That residue, when heated up the next time, will smoke and may also affect the food you're cooking.

Use slices of bread to catch grease

Place some bread at the bottom of your fryer to soak up all the dripping grease. When the grease is absorbed by the bread, it won't bubble up and smoke. This trick works for a variety of air fryer designs, including units with baskets and shelves.

Use water to diffuse grease drips

Add a tablespoon or two of water to the outer basket of your air fryer to prevent smoking. This method works particularly well for basket-design fryers. The water diffuses the dripping grease, preventing it from burning and smoking. However, be cautious as too much water can cause a steaming effect, resulting in steamed rather than fried food.

Other tips to prevent smoking

• If you're cooking fatty foods, just add a tablespoon of water. This should prevent the fatty foods from smoking.
• Use an oil with a smoke point above 400 degrees Fahrenheit, such as avocado oil, peanut oil, extra light olive oil, rice bran oil, or safflower oil.
• If you're cooking something lean, like chicken breasts or french fries without oil, there shouldn't be enough grease to cause the air fryer to smoke.
• If your air fryer has a fat reducer accessory, make sure to use it. This accessory helps to keep excess fat from forming white smoke.

Frequently asked questions