Air Fryer Sausage Links

These air fryer sausage links are the easiest and quickest way to cook links or any sausages! Ready in just 8 minutes and works with any sausage.

If you’ve made air fryer bacon, air fryer turkey bacon, or air fryer brats, you will love using it for cooking up sausage links.

I mean, for how delicious sausages are, they can be quite messy when cooking them on the stovetop or on the grill (unless you are cooking brats in the oven). Thanks to the air fryer, you skip all of that and, as a bonus, have juicy and crisp sausage links in minutes.

Table of Contents

1. Why I love this recipe
2. Ingredients needed 
3. How to air fry sausage links
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. How to store leftovers
6. More air fryer recipes to try
7. Air Fryer Sausage Links (Recipe Card)

Why I love this recipe

• Quick and easy. No preparation is required; your sausages will be ready to serve in 8 minutes. 
• Cooks to perfection. Like with air fryer hot dogs, the hot air circulation in the air fryer basket cooks the sausages perfectly every single time– juicy on the inside, crisp on the outside. No burnt edges, either!
• Healthier. Have you seen how much oil is needed to prep the grill or add to the skillet before cooking? Enough said!
• Fresh or frozen. I prefer cooking my sausage links fresh, but if you have a package in your freezer, you can add them straight to the air fryer and just adjust the cooking time. Easy peasy.

Ingredients needed 

The only ingredient you’ll need are sausages, but I like to add spray oil to prevent the links from ever sticking.

• Raw sausages. I typically use pork sausages, but any kind of sausage or sausage flavor you like works, including Italian sausage, kielbasa, Johnsonville dogs, or even sausage patties (try my turkey sausage or chicken sausage). Also, double-check the brands you use are gluten-free and/or low carb if those are of importance to you.
• Spray oil.
• Optional sides. I like to whip up some peppers and onions to serve these with and let’s not forget some fluffy buns, ketchup, and mustard.

How to air fry sausage links

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- Prepare the sausages. Slightly poke the sausages in 2 places through their casing. 

Step 2- Air fry the sausages. Add the sausages to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry for 8 minutes or until they are crispy and golden brown on the outside. Use tongs to remove them.

Recipe tips and variations

• Don’t fret if your sausages puff up, then deflate as they cool down. This is completely normal and expected. It won’t compromise on the taste.
• As mentioned earlier, you can cook frozen sausage links. If you do, I find 3 minutes extra is the right amount of time.
• You’ll know your sausages are fully cooked once they reach an internal temperature of 160F. Use a meat thermometer to check.
• I usually grease my air fryer basket beforehand, but adding the cooking spray is completely optional. Unless you are using fat-free sausages (are they even a thing?), there is ample fat to sizzle up.
• Air frying sausages definitely works with veggie dogs or vegan sausages. I tried this with three different brands, and they all cooked up like traditional sausages. Just make sure they all have a casing.
• Add a drizzle of maple syrup to the sausages once they are cooked, and serve them up for breakfast! Keep the air fryer on and add some air fryer French toast on the side.

How to store leftovers

To store: Place leftover sausages in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to five days.

To freeze: Fully cooked sausage links can be frozen for up to two months. Keep them stored in a ziplock bag.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for a few seconds or in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes.

More air fryer recipes to try

• Air fryer chicken tenderloins
• Air fryer lamb chops
• Air fryer pork tenderloin
• Air fryer meatloaf
• Air fryer hamburgers