• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

wholelottaairfrying.com logo

  • Home
  • Air Fryer Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Frozen Foods
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Beef
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Seafood
    • Instant Pot Air Fryer Recipes
    • Ninja Foodi Air Fryer Recipes
  • Air Fryer Tips
  • Air Fryer Cook Times PDF
  • Say Hello
    • About Us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Home

Frozen Italian Sausage in Air Fryer

Published: Sep 15, 2023 · Sep 15, 2023 by JenMo · This post may contain affiliate links

  • Facebook
Jump to Recipe

Learn the secret to crispy, evenly cooked air fryer frozen Italian sausages every time — no thawing required! Juicy and golden brown Italian sausage air fried from frozen in less than 15 minutes!

Whether you’re cooking raw spicy Italian sausages or other variations like sweet or mild, we’ve got the foolproof method.

air fryer italian sausage pin

Why Cook Frozen Italian Sausage Links in Air Fryer?

Perhaps you didn’t remember to defrost your Italian sausages (or just skipped it!), but you can still get perfectly cooked, crispy on the outside, and juicy on the inside results starting from frozen.

If you’ve ever attempted to cook frozen Italian sausages in a skillet or oven, the outcome is often not the best. You might face uneven cooking, and the sausages might not get that desired crisp due to moisture, resulting in an interesting texture.

Using your air fryer for frozen foods tackles these issues, since air frying evenly circulates hot air around the food, giving you consistent cooking.

frozen Italian sausage in air fryer

Why you’ll love cooking Air Fryer Italian Sausage Frozen!

  • Saves you time: Our frozen Italian sausage in the air fryer recipe is done in under 15 minutes!
  • Perfect for days when you forget to prep dinner.
  • Healthier than skillet cooking since grease drips off the meat.
  • Hands-free cooking compared to other techniques.

What you’ll need: air fryer Italian Sausage from frozen

While we specifically worked with raw frozen Italian sausages, any frozen uncooked sausages you want to cook here will work. The cooking times remain consistent whether you’re preparing raw spicy Italian sausages, mild ones, chicken, or even bratwurst.

For frozen breakfast sausages or precooked frozen sausages, just take 2+ minutes from the cooking time!

  • frozen raw Italian sausages – any flavor or brand, including well known names like Johnsonville, Costco, Jimmy Dean, and Trader Joe’s. Typically, sausages come in packs of 4-5 unless purchased in bulk or in breakfast form.

Equipment

  • Air fryer
  • Instant read meat thermometer
  • Rubber tip tongs

How To Cook Frozen Italian Sausage in Air Fryer

Step 1: Preheat the air fryer on 400 F for 5 minutes.

Step 2: Place the frozen uncooked Italian sausage into the air fryer basket. It’s okay if they’re in a solid block.

frozen italian sausage in air fryer in a block

Step 3: Air fry the sausages for about 11-13 minutes at 400F in total. We recommend separating any sausages after the first 2 minutes of cooking time, if they’re stuck together.

Italian sausage getting cooked in an air fryer stuck together and being separated

Step 3: After a total of 6 minutes of cooking time, flip them over and continue cooking the Italian sausages for 5-7 more minutes until they are browned and cooked through.

frozen italian sausage after cooking in an air fryer basket

The internal temperature of the sausage should be at least 160 F (and up to 190 F) when tested with an instant-read meat thermometer. Enjoy!

Tips for the best Frozen Italian Sausage Air Fryer recipe

  • No need for thawing; our air fryer frozen Italian sausage recipe is tailored for frozen sausages.
  • We recommend separating your sausages after 2-3 minutes of cooking for best results.
  • A digital meat thermometer makes sure that the sausage reaches at least the USDA recommended 160 F internal temperature.
  • This method is super versatile and it works for any raw sausage varieties like brats or chicken sausage too.
  • Standard-sized sausages were used, not the oversized kind from deli or meat counters.
  • If your air fryer begins to smoke due to dripping grease, add a little water to the bottom of the basket.
cooked sausage in the air fryer basket

What to serve with Air Fryer Frozen Italian Sausage

  • Inside a bun like a hot dog or with bell peppers and onions
  • As part of a vegetable stir fry
  • Alongside roasted or air-fried vegetables
  • With pasta dishes
  • Crumbled into sauces for extra flavor

Storing and Reheating Tips

Store: Keep any leftover air fryer Italian sausages in the fridge for up to 4 days, sealed in an airtight container.

Freeze: Once cooked, these sausages can be frozen for 3 months, making sure they’re tightly wrapped and stored in freezer-safe containers or bags.

Reheat: Reheating in the air fryer yields the best results. Warm them for a few minutes at 360 F until they hit at least 160 F internally when measured with a meat thermometer.

FAQs

Do I always have to check the internal temperature?

It’s highly recommended to check the internal temperature to make sure the sausages are cooked thoroughly and safe to eat. The USDA says that the internal temp for sausage should be at least 160 F.

If you don’t have a thermometer, consider your sausages done when there’s no pink in the middle.

What if my sausages start smoking in the air fryer?

If your air fryer begins to smoke due to the sausage grease, adding a little water to the bottom can help reduce the smoke.

Can I cook other varieties of sausages using this method?

Absolutely! While this guide is tailored to Italian sausages, you can use it as a baseline for other types of sausage like bratwurst, uncooked chicken sausage, cooked sausages, or breakfast sausages.

Do I need to preheat my air fryer every time?

Preheating is recommended since it allows for even cooking from the moment you place the sausages in the fryer. It typically leads to better and more consistent results. Although, if you skip the preheat, you might need to add a few extra minutes to the cooking time.

💌 Be sure to join our air fryer recipes email list! Every week we’ll send you easy air fryer recipes from our Whole Lotta Air Frying site + our Whole Lotta Yum site! If you enjoy our recipe, please leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and leave us a comment too!

📖 Recipe

cooked sausage in the air fryer basket

Frozen Italian Sausage (Air Fryer)

Learn how to make air fryer frozen Italian sausage the easy way! There's no need to defrost first and you can cook them straight from frozen.
No ratings yet
Prevent your screen from going dark
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Author Jen
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 12 minutes mins
Course Pork
Cuisine German
Servings 4 people

Equipment

  • 1 air fryer
  • 1 digital meat thermometer
  • 1 tongs

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Italian sausages frozen

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your air fryer to 400 F for 5 minutes.
  • Preheat the air fryer on 400 F for 5 minutes.
  • Place the frozen uncooked Italian sausages in the air fryer. If they’re stuck together, that’s totally fine.
  • The total cooking time will be between 11-13 minutes. Check them after the first 2 minutes of cooking time to separate any sausages that are stuck together.
  • After a total of 6 minutes of cooking, turn them over and continue cooking the Italian sausage 5-7 more minutes until they are browned and cooked through to at least 160 F..

© 2023 Whole Lotta Air Frying

« Texas Toast Garlic Bread (Air Fryer)
Ninja Foodi Hard Boiled Eggs »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

ConvertKit Form

  • Disclosures & Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Say Hello
  • Home

Copyright © 2025 · Seasoned Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required