Ready in less than 15 minutes, this is the best recipe for easy Air Fryer Sausage Links! Perfect for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or as part of the main meal, you can air fry any flavor, with or without meat. This recipe is perfect for batch cooking as it’s so quick and easy!

โค๏ธ Why this recipe is the best!
- Easy air fryer recipe: All you have to do is heat up the air fryer, pop the sausages in (fresh or frozen), and cook them, turning once. So simple, and much easier than dealing with a frying pan! It’s such an easy recipe!
- It’s quick! Ready in less than 15 minutes if using fresh, and less than 20 if the sausage links are frozen.
- Fresh or frozen: As above, you can use either frozen or fresh breakfast sausage links in the air fryer! Perfect if you’re like me and forget to defrost things =]
- The sausage texture: These juicy sausages are crispy on the outside, and soft inside. This is the best way to cook link sausage!
- Meal prep perfect: You can make 2 or, depending on your air fryer, possibly even 3 batches in under 30 minutes. They are perfect to serve with grilled vegetables, a salad, mashed potatoes, or even on their own as a snack, hot or cold!
๐๏ธ Key Ingredients & Substitutions for this Air Fryer Sausage Links Recipe
- Sausages: You can use either fresh or frozen sausage links, any type of sausage will work! Cumberland, Italian, plain old pork, turkey sausage, they’re all great! I buy mine from a local sausage maker from the farmer’s market on the weekends which has flavors like black pudding cheddar, chorizo, and andouille. You can also cook different meats like chicken sausage, pork sausage, beef sausage, or turkey breakfast links in the air fryer, or even a meat-free vegetarian sausage. See the list below for my favorites!
- Air fryer: A basket-style air fryer is perfect for this recipe.
๐ฅฃ How to go about cooking sausages in the air fryer
1. Begin by preheating the air fryer for about 2 minutes. I set my dial to 12 minutes for this recipe and heat it for 2 minutes until the indicator light turns off. Your air fryer may be quicker or slower, just keep an eye on it.

2. Next, while the air fryer is heating up, prick the uncooked sausage links 3 or 4 times on each side. This is so that the extra juices can run out and the sausages don’t explode!

3. When the air fryer is ready, pop the raw sausages in the air fryer basket, in a single layer – not overlapping. This ensures even cooking.

4. Close the basket and air fry sausages for 5 minutes.
5. After 5 minutes, open the air fryer and turn the sausage links over. The easiest way to do this is with a pair of tongs or even a fork.

6. Close the air fryer and continue cooking for 4-5 more minutes, or until the sausage links are cooked through, and have lovely brown color on the outside. If you have a meat thermometer handy, the internal temperature should read 71 degrees C/160 degrees F or higher.
7. When the Air Fryer Breakfast Sausages are ready, remove them from the air fryer and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. They will be HOT inside!

๐ซ Storage and reheating instructions
- Store the air fryer sausage links in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat breakfast sausage links in the air fryer for 5-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes until piping hot, or in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Handy if you’re making roasted veggies to go with the leftover sausage links! You can also eat them cold as a quick snack.
- You can Freeze this Air Fryer Sausage Recipe in an airtight container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
๐ช Recipe Notes & Tips
- If you forget to defrost the sausage links, it’s okay! You can absolutely cook frozen sausage in an air fryer as well, it just takes a few extra minutes!
- Make a few batches to last all week. Sausages are great for an easy dinner with veggies, snacks, or throwing into soups and stews. Making a few batches doesn’t take long at all!
- I recommend turning the sausage links halfway through, but it’s not mandatory. They will cook well without turning, I just like them to brown evenly on all sides, and turning them helps this.
- The size of the sausages matters. Thicker sausages will take a little longer. On the other hand, thinner sausages will take less time. Take note of how cooked the sausages are when you flip them at the halfway point. Still quite white? You may need to cook them for a little bit longer.
- For easier clean up, line the air fryer tray below the basket with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. You don’t want to line the actual bottom of the basket because it will stop the air from flowing properly.
โ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! It is my preferred way to cook sausage links in an air fryer because it takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish, and it’s pretty hands-off compared to cooking sausage links in a pan on the stove.
Yes! It takes just a little longer but the sausage links cook through perfectly. It’s almost not even worth defrosting them! Check out the recipe card below for the full instructions.
Cook time may vary from appliance to appliance and depend on the thickness of the sausages, but it usually takes about 2 minutes to preheat the air fryer, and then about 10 minutes to cook the sausage links in the air fryer, flipping them after 5 minutes. 12 minutes total cooking time.
๐ญ What types of sausages work with this recipe?
Make sure you use uncooked sausages, however, the link sausages can be either frozen or thawed. Here are some different kinds of sausages I like to cook in the air fryer:
- Sweet Italian sausage
- Mild Italian sausage
- Hot Italian sausage
- Cumberland sausage
- Bratwurst
- Traditional pork breakfast sausage
- Andouille sausage
- Cocktail sausages (cook for less time!)
- Chicken sausage
- Turkey sausage
- Vegetarian sausage
- Vegan sausage
๐ Looking for more sausage recipes?
Here are a few others that I love:
- Whole30 Sausage Patties
- Sausage Stuffing
- Whole30 Breakfast Casserole
- Keto Breakfast Casserole
- How to Bake Sausage Links

๐ More air fryer recipes you will love
- Air Fryer Frozen Sweet Potato Fries
- Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks
- How to make Air Fryer Carrots
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon
- Air Fryer Rice Paper Dumplings
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๐ Recipe

Air Fryer Sausage Recipe (Fresh or Frozen)
Ingredients
- 6 Sausage Links any flavour, fresh or frozen
- Spray oil optional
Instructions
For Fresh Sausage Links
- Begin by preheating the air fryer to 200°F/390°C, setting the timer to 15 minutes.
- Pierce the sausage links 3-4 times, making sure you pierce both sides.
- When the air fryer is preheated and the indicator light changes, spray the basket with oil if desired and add the sausage links to the air fryer using tongs and then close the air fryer.
- Cook the sausage links for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, open the air fryer and flip the sausage links over with the tongs.
- Close the air fryer and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until they are browned all over and cooked through.
- Remove the sausage links from the air fryer and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
For Frozen Sausage Links
- Begin by preheating the air fryer to 200°F/390°C, setting the timer to 22 minutes.
- If possible, pierce the sausage links 3-4 times, making sure you pierce both sides.
- When the air fryer is preheated and the indicator light changes, add the sausage links to the air fryer using tongs and then close the air fryer.
- Cook the sausage links for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, open the air fryer and flip the sausage links over with the tongs.
- Close the air fryer and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, or until they are browned all over and cooked through.
- Remove the sausage links from the air fryer and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you forget to defrost the sausage links, it's okay! You can absolutely cook frozen sausage in an air fryer as well, it just takes a few extra minutes!
- Make a few batches to last all week. Sausages are great for an easy dinner with veggies, snacks, or throwing into soups and stews. Making a few batches doesn't take long at all!
- I recommend turning the sausage links halfway through, but it's not mandatory. They will cook well without turning, I just like them to brown evenly on all sides, and turning them helps this.
- The size of the sausages matters. Thicker sausages will take a little longer. On the other hand, thinner sausages will take less time. Take note of how cooked the sausages are when you flip them at the halfway point. Still quite white? You may need to cook them for a little bit longer.
- For easier clean up, line the air fryer tray below the basket with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil. You don't want to line the actual bottom of the basket because it will stop the air from flowing properly.
I love making sausages in the air fryer! So easy and the texture is amazing.
Couldn’t agree more, Scott! Thank you for the kind comment =]