Sausage links in an air fryer take 8–12 minutes at 375°F/190°C, flipping once, cooked to 160°F/71°C inside.
If you’re hungry and staring at a pack of links, the question is timing. Air fryers brown fast, but sausage can fool you: the outside colors up while the center runs cool. Here’s the minute range that works, plus the checks that keep casings intact and the bite juicy. If you typed how long to cook sausage links in air fryer?, you’re in the right spot. You’ll learn quick fixes when timing goes sideways today.
Cook Times By Sausage Type And Size
Use the table as a starting point, then verify with an instant-read thermometer. Times assume a single layer with space between links.
| Sausage Links | Temp And Time | Finish Target |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast pork links (thin, 25–35 g) | 375°F/190°C for 7–9 min | 160°F/71°C center |
| Italian links (medium, 75–90 g) | 375°F/190°C for 10–12 min | 160°F/71°C center |
| Bratwurst (thick, 90–110 g) | 360°F/182°C for 12–15 min | 160°F/71°C center |
| Chicken or turkey links (lean) | 375°F/190°C for 9–12 min | 165°F/74°C center |
| Smoked fully-cooked links | 350°F/177°C for 6–8 min | Hot throughout |
| Frozen raw links | 360°F/182°C for 14–18 min | 160°F/71°C center |
| Frozen fully-cooked links | 350°F/177°C for 9–12 min | Hot throughout |
| Plant-based links | 360°F/182°C for 8–10 min | Package direction |
What Changes The Minutes In An Air Fryer
Sausage timing shifts in predictable ways. Once you know what moves the needle, you can land the texture you want without guesswork.
Link Thickness And Casing Style
Thin breakfast links heat through quickly, so higher heat is fine. Thick brats do better with a slightly lower temp so the casing doesn’t burst before the middle catches up.
Raw Vs Fully Cooked
Raw links need enough time for the center to reach a safe temperature. Fully cooked links just need reheating, so you can run lower heat and stop once they’re steaming and glossy.
Air Fryer Model And Load
Basket size, wattage, and how packed the food is all matter. A crowded basket blocks airflow and stretches cook time. A roomy single layer browns quicker and more evenly.
How Long To Cook Sausage Links In Air Fryer? Step By Step
This method is built for links that brown, stay juicy, and don’t leak all over the basket.
1) Preheat
Preheat to 375°F/190°C for 2–3 minutes. This jump-starts browning and keeps it from going pale.
2) Arrange In One Layer
Lay links in a single layer with a little gap between each one. If you’re cooking a lot, run two batches. You’ll get better texture and less casing split.
3) Cook And Flip Once
Cook most medium links for 10 minutes, then check. Flip at the halfway mark so both sides pick up color. Thin links often finish sooner; thick links take longer.
4) Check Internal Temperature
Probe the thickest link in the center, pushing the tip to the middle without touching the basket. For pork or beef sausage, stop at 160°F/71°C. For poultry sausage, stop at 165°F/74°C. The Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures chart lists these targets.
5) Rest Briefly
Rest the links on a plate for 2 minutes. This lets juices settle, and carryover heat finishes the last few degrees without overcooking the surface.
Settings That Work When You’re Not Sure
If you don’t know the sausage type, these defaults get you close, then the thermometer handles the finish.
- Temp: 375°F/190°C for raw pork or beef links; 360°F/182°C for thick brats; 350°F/177°C for reheating fully-cooked links.
- Time window: start checking at 8 minutes for thin links, 10 minutes for medium links, 12 minutes for thick links.
- Flip: once, halfway through.
- Finish check: thermometer, not color.
How To Get Browning Without Dry Sausage
Air fryers can brown fast. The trick is to brown the casing while the center climbs steadily. These small moves keep the bite juicy.
Skip Extra Oil
Most links carry enough fat to self-baste. Extra oil can smoke, and it can also make the casing blister unevenly.
Poke Or Don’t Poke
If you poke holes, fat drains and the link can dry out. If you don’t poke, pressure can build and split the casing. A middle path works well: don’t poke at the start; if a link starts ballooning, prick one tiny hole on the top side near the end.
Use A Lower Temp For Thick Links
Thick sausages do well at 360°F/182°C. You’ll still get color, but the heat reaches the center with less casing drama.
Common Results And Fast Fixes
When sausage doesn’t turn out right, it’s usually one of a few simple causes. Match what you see to the fix.
Casing Split And Leaking
This happens when the outside heats too fast. Next time, drop the temp 15–25°F and give the links more space. Flip gently with tongs so you don’t tear the casing.
Outside Brown, Inside Cool
Start at 360°F/182°C and add minutes, or keep 375°F/190°C and reduce the basket load. Thick links also benefit from a 2-minute rest, then a final 1–2 minute crisp at the end.
Dry Texture
Dryness usually means the internal temp ran past target. Pull the links right at temp, rest, and serve. If you like deeper browning, brown earlier in the cook, not by extending the finish.
Too Pale
Preheat, pat off surface moisture, and run a single layer. For fully-cooked links, a quick brush of mustard or a thin glaze can boost browning without extra oil.
Time And Temp Tweaks For Frozen Sausage Links
Frozen links work well in an air fryer, but they need breathing room. Ice on the surface turns to steam, and steam slows browning.
- Preheat to 360°F/182°C.
- Place frozen links in one layer.
- Cook 7 minutes, then separate and flip.
- Cook 7–11 minutes more, then check the center temp.
If the outside is browning before the center is safe, drop to 350°F/177°C and add time. You’ll get an even finish with less casing split.
Doneness Checks Beyond The Clock
Minutes get you close. Two quick checks get you the rest of the way, even if your air fryer runs hot or cool.
| Check | What You Want To See | What To Do If It’s Off |
|---|---|---|
| Thermometer in center | 160°F/71°C (pork/beef) or 165°F/74°C (poultry) | Add 1–2 min, then recheck |
| Juices at first cut | Clear with no cool pink in the center | Return for 2 min, then rest |
| Firmness | Springy, not squishy, casing intact | Cook 1 min more, then test again |
| Surface color | Even browning with small blisters | Increase temp 10–15°F late cook |
| Smoke in basket | Light wisp at most | Lower temp, wipe excess grease |
Serving Ideas That Match Air Fryer Sausage
Once the timing is locked in, dinner feels easy. These pairings keep the sausage front and center.
- Peppers and onions: air fry sliced peppers and onions, then pile links into buns.
- Breakfast plate: breakfast links with eggs and air-fried potatoes.
- Pasta night: slice cooked Italian links into marinara, then toss with pasta.
Food Safety Notes That Keep You Out Of Trouble
Color can mislead, and some sausages stay pink even when cooked. Internal temperature is the clean check. If you’re unsure whether a pack is raw or fully cooked, read the label and treat it as raw.
The USDA FSIS sausage and food safety page also lists storage and handling basics.
Cleaning Tips After Cooking Sausage Links
Sausage leaves a grease film that can bake on if you ignore it.
- Cool the basket, then dump grease into a can.
- Soak basket and tray in hot soapy water for 10 minutes.
- Brush the mesh gently, rinse, and dry.
Quick Recap For Busy Nights
If you came here asking “how long to cook sausage links in air fryer?”, start at 375°F/190°C for 10 minutes, flip once, then cook to temperature. Thin links often land at 7–9 minutes. Thick brats usually need 12–15 minutes at 360°F/182°C. Frozen links often need 14–18 minutes at 360°F/182°C, with a mid-cook flip and a temperature check.
When you repeat the same sausage brand, jot the time that hits your preferred bite. Air fryer models vary, but your notes will stay consistent in your own kitchen.