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If you’ve recently invested in a brand-new air fryer and are dying to get creative with it, nobody would blame you. I did exactly the same thing when I first got mine. In fact, the very first I searched online was ‘How to cook sausages in an air fryer?‘.
And that’s why we’re here!
Today, I’m going to share how to cook both fresh and frozen sausages in your brand-new kitchen gadget, plus a few helpful tips to make your life easier. Let’s jump in, shall we?
Can You Cook Sausages in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you absolutely can cook sausages in an air fryer!
For some people, air frying is a much better way of cooking meat, for a wide range of reasons. Alongside less fat use (such as vegetable oil, olive oil, etc.), using an air fryer will cook your food quicker than in the oven. In turn, you’ll use less energy, which will make your energy bills a bit cheaper.
Amen to that, right?
Are Sausages Cooked in the Air Fryer Still Crispy?
Yes, air fryer-cooked sausages are as crispy on the outside as those cooked in the oven, grill, or frying pan.
This only applies if you turn them during cooking, however. If you don’t, only part of the sausages will turn crispy and well-cooked. You’ll also need to cook them at the right temperature, for the right length of time. But that’s obvious, right?
How to Cook Sausages in an Air Fryer
If you preheat the air fryer before using it, turn it on and set the temperature. By the time you have finished prepping the sausages (which will take approximately one minute), the fryer will be ready.
Temperature: 180°C
Get the sausages out of the fridge, remove them from their packaging, and then place them on your meat-specific chopping board. You’ll need to prick the sausages with a sharp-tipped knife or fork before cooking them. If you don’t, they might ‘explode’ in the fryer, which obviously makes a huge mess that you’ll then need to clean up.
Next, pour a very small drizzle of oil (roughly two to three squirts if you’re using a spray bottle) into the tray/base. Use an oil brush to smear the oil around a little. Ensure all sausage-touching areas are covered in a thin layer of oil to stop the sausages from sticking.
Without touching the air fryer (because it’ll be hot) put the sausages in. You can use tongs, a fork, or whatever works for you. Put the sausages far enough far away from each other to avoid them touching. This will prevent thorough and even cooking.
Put the tray or basket into the air fryer and set a timer for 10 to 12 minutes. After 5 minutes, you’ll need to turn the sausages, so they cook evenly.
Check the sausages when the timer beeps. If they aren’t quite cooked enough for your taste, turn them again, then give them another 1 or 2 minutes. Keep checking them to prevent burning.
When they’re as brown and crispy as you’d like them to be, take them out and serve them up. And, you know, remember to turn the air fryer off.
The Short Version
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C.
- Prick sausages with a fork or knife.
- Spray oil, then put sausages in air fryer (not touching).
- Set the timer for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Turn after 5 minutes.
- Check when the timer beeps, leave for 1 or 2 minutes if necessary.
- Remove and serve.
Can You Cook Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer?
Yes, you can cook frozen sausages in an air fryer, but…
… there are a few exceptions to the rule. (Because of course there are.)
If the sausages were already frozen when you bought them, you can whack them straight into the air fryer without defrosting them first.
You can also do that with sausages you bought fresh and then froze, but it is better to let them defrost before you cook them. This means, grabbing them from the freezer the night before you want to cook them and letting them defrost slowly and safely overnight, in the fridge.
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How to Cook Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer
The process for cooking frozen sausages in an air fryer is exactly the same for fresh sausages.
The only difference is, frozen sausages will need a bit longer.
You will need to set the air fryer to the same temperature: 180°C.
You’ll also need to ensure that the sausages don’t touch each other and check them/turn them every 5 minutes or so.
In total, frozen sausages will take around 12 to 16 minutes to cook, but I recommended checking them every few minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
When you compare this to the 20 to 30 minutes it usually takes to cook frozen sausages in the oven, and the 10 to 15 minutes preheating process, you can understand why the air fryer has become such as popular household appliance!
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