Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Air fryer chicken sausage is an easy way to cook both fully cooked and raw chicken sausage, but the time and temperature change depending on which type you’re using. For fully cooked chicken sausage, I use 370°F for 8–10 minutes. For raw chicken sausage, I increase the temperature to 400°F and cook refrigerated links for about 8–10 minutes or frozen links for 12–14 minutes.
After testing raw chicken sausage with and without oil, I prefer brushing the casing lightly with oil before air frying. The sausage will cook without it, but the unoiled casing became chewier and wrinkled as it cooled. A light coating of oil kept the casing smoother and gave the sausage a better bite.
How to Cook Chicken Sausage in the Air Fryer
The cook time depends on whether your chicken sausage is fully cooked, raw, or frozen.
- Fully cooked chicken sausage: Preheat the air fryer to 370°F. Arrange the links in a single layer with space between them and air fry for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through for more even heating.
- Raw chicken sausage: Preheat to 400°F and lightly brush the sausages with oil. Air fry for 8–10 minutes, checking that the centers reach 165°F.
- Raw frozen chicken sausage: Brush the frozen links lightly with oil and air fry at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, checking the internal temperature as they cook. Some links may finish sooner than others because air fryers can have hot spots.
- Fully cooked chicken sausage from frozen: Use the same 370°F method and add about 1–2 extra minutes as needed.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
How Long to Cook Chicken Sausage in the Air Fryer
The cook time changes depending on the type of chicken sausage:
- Fully cooked, refrigerated chicken sausage: Air fry at 370°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Raw, refrigerated chicken sausage: Air fry at 400°F for 8–10 minutes, or until the center reaches 165°F.
- Raw, frozen chicken sausage: Air fry at 400°F for 12–14 minutes, checking each link for 165°F since air fryer hot spots can cause some sausages to finish sooner than others.
- Fully cooked chicken sausage from frozen: Add about 1–2 extra minutes to the refrigerated fully cooked timing.
For raw sausage, use the internal temperature as the final guide rather than relying only on the clock.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can you air fry raw chicken sausage?
Yes. I tested raw refrigerated chicken sausage at 400°F for 8–10 minutes. Lightly brushing the links with oil gave the casing a smoother texture and better bite. Cook until the center reaches 165°F.
Can you air fry frozen raw chicken sausage?
Yes. My frozen raw chicken sausage took about 12–14 minutes at 400°F. Check each link with a thermometer because air fryer hot spots can cause some sausages to finish sooner than others.
Do you need oil for chicken sausage in the air fryer?
It depends on the type. Fully cooked chicken sausage does not need oil. For raw chicken sausage, oil is optional, but I prefer brushing the casing lightly with it because the unoiled sausage became chewier and wrinkled after cooling.
Do you need to flip chicken sausage in the air fryer?
For fully cooked sausage, I turn the links halfway through so they heat more evenly. Leaving one side against the basket longer can give that side more browning, so flipping is more about even cooking than getting the darkest casing.
What to Serve with Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
- Air Fryer Tater Tots – An easy air fryer side that keeps the meal simple.
- Butternut Squash Soup – A warm, creamy side that works well with the savory chicken sausage.
- Crockpot Corn on the Cob – A simple vegetable side with very little hands-on prep.
- Baked Caramelized Onions – Sweet, tender onions pair especially well with browned sausage links.
More Sausage Recipes
- Air Fryer Smoked Sausage – Fully cooked smoked sausage air fried until browned with a snappy casing and juicy center.
- Sausage Links in the Oven – An easy oven method for cooking raw sausage links evenly.
- Crockpot Sausage and Potatoes – Smoked sausage and potatoes slow-cooked in a creamy, cheesy sauce.
- Pancake Sausage Balls – Savory sausage balls made with pancake mix for an easy breakfast or brunch recipe.
Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pack chicken sausage fully cooked
Instructions
For Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage
- First, preheat the air fryer to 370℉.
- Arrange the refrigerated sausage links in a single layer with space between them. No oil is needed.
- Air fry for 8–10 minutes, turning halfway through for more even heating.
- For fully cooked frozen sausage, add about 1–2 additional minutes as needed.
For Raw Chicken Sausage
- Preheat the air fryer to 400°F.
- Lightly brush the sausage links with oil and arrange them in a single layer.
- Air fry refrigerated raw sausage for 8–10 minutes, or until the centers reach 165°F.
For Raw Frozen Chicken Sausage
- Lightly brush the frozen links with oil.
- Air fry at 400°F for 12–14 minutes.
- Check each sausage with a thermometer and remove the links as they reach 165°F, since air fryer hot spots can cause some to finish sooner than others.
Notes
- Oil is not necessary for fully cooked chicken sausage.
- Raw chicken sausage will cook without oil, but in my testing the unoiled casing became chewier and wrinkled as it cooled. A light coating of oil kept the casing smoother with a better bite.
- For raw sausage, use 165°F as the final doneness check rather than relying only on time.