Cooking Frozen Sausages in Air Fryer (Quick & Easy!)

Have you ever tried cooking frozen sausages in air fryer at home? Turns out this is the simplest way to cook frozen sausages quickly and still have them turn out perfectly ready to serve, just like my Delicious Air Fryer Cod. With crispy browned skin and a tender juicy centre, you will not want to miss these easy step-by-step instructions for the best air fryer frozen sausage.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

There is nothing more frustrating than realizing you forgot to take the meat out of the freezer for dinner, but you can air fry frozen sausages to solve this problem instantly. This method for sausages in the air fryer is my absolute favourite weeknight shortcut.

• Fast & reliable: You can air fry frozen sausages in 15 minutes or less, which might be even quicker than making my favourite Cast Iron Chicken Breast.
• No guesswork: My method works perfectly whether you are using raw frozen sausage or previously cooked frozen sausage, no adjustments needed!
• Dinner or breakfast: Whether you want to make bangers and Mash or serve breakfast sausage, you can get a hot meal on the table without having to grill in the middle of winter… burrr!

Here are some dishes you can serve together with the sausages: Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables, Fluffy Yorkshire Puddings and The CRISPIEST Roast Potatoes.

Ingredients

Here is literally all you need to make frozen sausages in air fryer:

• Frozen Sausages: Many people ask, can you air fry frozen sausages? You absolutely can, and ANY frozen sausage brand will turn out great (even the budget ones). You can use breakfast links, patties, Italian sausage, chorizo, bratwurst, andouille, Cumberland… they’re all perfect for keeping on hand for easy meal prep alongside recipes like my Delicious Chicken Bolognese.
• Air Fryer: Using an air fryer provides consistent heat so you never have to guess how long to cook frozen sausages in air fryer to get that perfect crispy skin. And no oil splatter = less cleanup than a frying pan. I love using it for this Air Fryer Gammon Joint as well. Sooo good!

Variations/Adaptations

The great thing about cooking frozen sausages in the air fryer is how easily they can be adapted for different meals or flavour profiles depending on what you’re craving.

• Glazed or seasoned links: During the last 2 minutes of cooking, you can brush your sausages with a sticky glaze or the sauce from my Sweet Chilli Chicken for a lovely sweet and spicy finish. This is such a great tip for when you air fry frozen sausages for a quick dinner.
• Sausage bake: Once your air fryer sausages from frozen are cooked through, you can slice them and add them to a tray of roasted vegetables or pasta. The air fryer gives you beautifully browned edges before adding them to other dishes.
• Bangers and mash: For something more traditional, serve your air fryer frozen bangers over a bed of creamy mash with Onion Gravy. Can’t go wrong with that!

How To Cook Frozen Sausages in an Air Fryer

Preheat:  350℉/180℃ for at least 5 minutes.

1. Place the frozen sausages into the air fryer basket.  Do not worry about the sausages being frozen together. To keep them from sticking, you could use a spray oil on the basket or line the basket with parchment paper (Image 1).
2. Pop in the airfryer and cook for 3 minutes to defrost (Image 2).

3. Then after 2-3 minutes, the sausages will defrost, ready to separate (Image 3).

4. Use a fork to separate them (Image 4).

5. Once the sausages are separated, distribute them evenly across the airfryer, so there is enough room for the heat and oil to circulate around each sausage (Image 5).

6. Cook them for 4 minutes, then rotate and cook for a further 4-6 minutes, or until they reach your desired crispiness and they brown evenly (Image 6).

Here is some useful information on How to cook frozen chicken breast in the air fryer and some other airfryer recipes for you to try: Easy Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Chicken Goujons.

Timing Guide: How Long to Cook Frozen Sausages in Air Fryer

Cooking frozen sausages in an air fryer is quick, but the exact time depends on thickness and whether the sausages are raw or cooked.

• Previously cooked sausages: 10-12 minutes
• Raw sausages: 12-18 minutes, depending on size

Always make sure raw sausages reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) before eating.

By size:

• Thin links (chipolatas or breakfast sausages): 10-12 minutes
• Standard links (pork or Cumberland): 12-15 minutes
• Thick bangers or bratwurst: 15-18 minutes

If your thermometer does not read 165°F (74°C), just add a few more minutes and check again.

How to Keep Air Fryer Sausages Juicy (and Prevent Bursting)

I cannot stress this enough: do not pierce the skin of your sausage! By piercing the casing, you actually let a lot of the moisture and fat out of the sausage, leaving you with a dry, flavourless piece of meat. If your sausage casings are bursting in the air fryer, it usually means the heat is too high. Turning the temperature down should solve the problem – low and slow is the way to cook sausage that is prone to bursting.

Serving Suggestions

Serving frozen sausages in air fryer meals couldn’t be easier as they pair perfectly with so many different sides depending on the mood.

Try them with:

• Easy Skillet Roasted Corn
• Parmentier Potatoes
• Crispy Garlic Fries at Home
• Easy Din Tai Fung Cucumber Recipe
• Creamy Leek and Potato Soup {without Cream}
• Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions

Once you’ve made these frozen sausages in the air fryer, storing leftovers properly helps maintain their quality.

Refrigerator: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freezer: Freezing sausage that has already been cooked is a nice convenience if you want them to be available whenever you crave them.

Reheat: People often ask how long do frozen sausages take in the air fryer to reheat after they’ve already been cooked. If you are reheating from the fridge, 3-4 minutes at 180°C is perfect, but if you are reheating from frozen, you will need 8-10 minutes to make sure they are piping hot all the way through.

FAQs

If you’re craving something sweet, try these Chocolate Protein Muffins or this Vanilla Sponge Cake with Quick Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.