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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
If your air fryer begins to smoke due to the sausage grease, adding a little water to the bottom can help reduce the smoke.
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.
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.
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📖 Recipe
Frozen Italian Sausage (Air Fryer)
Equipment
- 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..
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