Get breakfast on the table in just 14 minutes with this no-mess air fryer breakfast sausage links recipe!
The best part is, you can use this recipe for your Italian sausages, bratwurst, or any kind of link sausage, without having to add any oil!
*This post may contain affiliate links — as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Jump to:
air fryer breakfast sausages
Making sausages in the air fryer is my new favorite way of cooking sausages and I have a feeling you will love this recipe as much as we do.
No oil splatters or messy stoves and healthier (no extra calories from fat)! What's not to love? Here are a few other reasons you will love this recipe:-
- ❤️easy to make.
- ❤️family-friendly.
- ❤️reduced odor: the air fryer contains the aroma and odors within the it, minimizing the smell that tends to linger in your kitchen when cooking sausages on the stovetop.
- ❤️suitable for most diets - keto, paleo whole-30 (you just have to keep an eye on the ingredients)!
ingredients
- Sausage - use any type of link sausages; from pork, bratwurst, Kielbasa, to Italian sausage and more! Just feel free to use what you like.
That's it! You do not need anything else; no oil, salt, or seasoning!
how to make air fryer breakfast sausages
make fresh breakfast sausages
- To start with, place sausages in a single layer inside your air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 180°C (350°F), close the fryer, and cook for 14 minutes or until properly browned and cooked through. Make sure to flip the sausages halfway through cooking using a pair of cooking tongs.
- Serve your air fryer sausages with your preferred accompaniments.
make frozen breakfast sausages
- Place the frozen sausages inside your air fryer basket.
- Air fryer at 320°F(160°C) for 8-12 minutes. Flip the sausages, increase the temperature to 180°C or 350°F, and air fry for a further 7 minutes, or until properly browned and cooked through.
- The time you need to cook frozen sausages in the air fryer will vary, depending on their thickness. For this reason, always use an internal read thermometer to make sure the sausages are cooked through. Adjust the time accordingly, if necessary.
Related recipes: For more simple and easy recipes, try our sausage and peppers stew (sausage rougaille), mung bean curry, and German green bean salad with sour cream.
serving suggestions
Sausages are so versatile! I like to pair them up with some air fry sweet potato cubes, or air fryer toast.
And while these air fryer sausages are perfect for breakfast, you can also pair them with some Jamaican cabbage salad or some smothered cabbage for a complete dinner or lunch.
Other ways to enjoy them include:-
- Classic breakfast plate: Serve alongside scrambled or fried eggs, toast, or biscuits, and a side of hash browns or roasted potatoes.
- Place cooked sausages in a toasted English muffin or a bun along with a fried or poached egg, cheese, and your choice of condiments like ketchup or hot sauce to make a sausage and egg sandwich.
- Use them to make burritos.
- Breakfast skillet: Slice and add the sausages to cooked diced potatoes, onions, and bell peppers in a skillet for an all-in-one breakfast skillet.
- Slice and add them to your favorite ingredients when making sausage frittata!
refregiration and freezing
Store your leftover sausages in the fridge or freezer as follows:-
- In the fridge: place the cooked sausages in an airtight container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Store them in the refrigerator. Cooked sausages can typically be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- In the freezer: If you want to store the cooked sausages for an extended period, freezing is a good option. Wrap the sausages tightly in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. Label the package with the date for easy reference. Cooked sausages can be frozen for up to 2-3 months.
When you're ready to use them, simply thaw the sausages overnight in the fridge, then warm them on the stovetop, oven, or in your air fryer!
useful tips
These tips come in handy when making air fried breakfast sausages:
- You do not need to spray or grease your air fryer basket. This is because sausages already have a high-fat content and will release some fat during cooking.
- Adjust the time accordingly for thicker sausages, and make sure to check on them mid-cooking.
- It is fine for the sausages to touch, just make sure they are lying in a single layer in the basket.
- Place a piece of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a few pieces of bread at the bottom of the basket, to help catch the grease and prevent smoking.
frequently asked questions
Fresh sausages: The time it takes to cook fresh (unfrozen) sausages in the air fryer will depend on the size and thickness. Using a cooking temperature of 350°F and without preheating the air-fryer, you can use the following cooking times as a guide. Always flip the sausages halfway through cooking.
- Thin to medium-sized sausages will require 8-12 minutes, cooked at a temperature of 350°F (approximately 180°C).
- Thick-sized sausages such as German Bratwurst will need 14-20 minutes, cooked at a temperature of 350°F (approximately 180°C).
Cooking Times for Frozen Sausages:
Frozen cooking sausages require cooking at two sets of temperature:-
First cook them at 320°F (160°C) as shown below, to bring them to temperature.
¼ inch thick - 7 to 8 minutes at 320°F (160°C).
½ inch thick - 8 to 12 minutes at 320°F(160°C).
1 inch thick - 10 to 15 minutes at 320°F(160°C)
Once slightly defrosted, flip and cook using an increased temperature of 180°C or 350°F for a further 7 minutes or until the sausages brown up and attain an internal temperature of at least 160°F (71°C).
Air fry sausages (frozen or unfrozen) until they attain an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
The answer is yes you can. Set the temperature at 375F and the timer to 25 minutes. Place the chips (fries) in the basket and cook for 10 minutes then add the sausages and cook for the remaining time. As always, check on them midway through cooking, and feel free to add a few more minutes (3-5) to the cooking time, should they not be done.
watch how to make this recipe
Craving more air fryer recipes? Then make our air fryer french toast, air fryer peanut butter cookies, and air fryer scrambled eggs, next!
📖 Recipe
Air Fryer Breakfast Sausages
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 sausage links (fresh or frozen - such as chicken, kielbasa, bratwurst or Italian),
Instructions
COOK UNFROZEN (FRESH) BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
- Place sausages in a single layer in the basket. Set the temperature to 180°C (350°F), close the fryer, and cook for 14 minutes or until properly browned on and cooked through (minimum internal temperature 160°F). Make sure to flip the sausages halfway through cooking using a pair of cooking tongs.
- Serve with eggs, toast, or your preferred accompaniment.
COOK FROZEN SAUSAGE LINKS IN THE AIR FRYER
- Program the air fryer at 160°C or 320°F. Place the frozen sausage links into the air fryer basket (you do not need to cut them up) and cook for 8 minutes to kickstart the defrosting and cooking process.
- Once the air fryer beeps, flip the sausages and now air fry at the increased temperature of 180°C (approximately 350°F) for a further 7 minutes to enable the sausages to brown up and attain an internal temperature of at least 160°F. Make sure to check on them halfway through cooking. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- ¼ inch thick - 7 to 8 minutes at 320°F (160°C).
- ½ inch thick - 8 to 12 minutes at 320°F(160°C).
- 1 inch thick - 10 to 15 minutes at 320°F(160°C)
- The cooking time has only been calculated for fresh sausages, in this recipe card.
- Increase the cooking time by a few minutes for thicker sausages, and make sure to check on them halfway through air frying.
- Place a piece of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or a few pieces of bread at the bottom of the basket, to help catch the grease and prevent smoking.
Mahy
Oh wow - such a quick breakfast option - gotta keep this recipe handy!
Kate Hahnel
Very easy too!
Luci Petlack
Oh my gosh, getting breakfast on the table is always so much work. Thank you so much for this easy "hack!"
Kate Hahnel
the air fryer makes life so easy!
Jill
I love using the air fryer to help fixing my breakfast. It gives the sausages such a nice browned "finish". So good.
AISilva
My kids have been loving more elaborate breakfast meals lately, so I can't wait to try these air fryer breakfast sausages. Thank you!
Kate Hahnel
I hope you get to make them soon!
MJ
My family loves breakfast sausages and your tips cooking them in the air fryer from frozen were so helpful. They turned out great!
Kate Hahnel
Thank you! Glad you tried!