How To Cook Boerewors In An Air Fryer | Crispy Results

Boerewors is rich, spiced sausage that loves high dry heat. An air fryer gives you that braai-style browning on a weeknight schedule, with far less mess and guesswork. Once you know how to cook boerewors in an air fryer, you can serve a juicy coil any time you like, no grill needed.

Air fryers heat fast, move hot air around the coil, and render fat in a controlled way. That means crisp casing, tender filling, and fewer flare-ups than a pan or outdoor fire. The trick lies in matching time, temperature, and coil thickness so the centre cooks through just as the outside turns a deep golden brown.

Air Fryer Boerewors Time And Temperature Guide

Different air fryers run a little hotter or cooler, and coils vary in thickness. Use these ranges as a starting point, then fine-tune for your own basket and favourite brand of boerewors.

Air Fryer Setting	Coil Size / Thickness	Approx Cook Time
160°C / 320°F	Thin coil, 300–400 g	18–20 minutes, turn once
170°C / 340°F	Medium coil, 400–500 g	15–18 minutes, turn once
180°C / 360°F	Standard coil, 500–600 g	12–15 minutes, turn once
190°C / 375°F	Thick coil, 600–700 g	12–14 minutes, turn once
200°C / 392°F	Thin coil, very firm finish	8–10 minutes, check often
180°C / 360°F (from chilled)	Standard coil, straight from fridge	14–17 minutes, turn once
170°C / 340°F (from frozen)	Standard coil, frozen solid	18–22 minutes, turn twice

These timings aim for a well-browned casing and an internal temperature of at least 71°C (160°F) in the thickest spot. That target lines up with the ground meat and sausage advice in the safe minimum internal temperature chart used by food safety agencies.

How To Cook Boerewors In An Air Fryer Safely And Evenly

This method works for most fresh boerewors coils in the 400–700 g range. You can scale the timing slightly up or down for thinner or thicker sausages.

Step 1: Preheat And Prepare The Coil

Set the air fryer to 180°C (360°F) and let it preheat for 3–5 minutes. While the basket heats, pat the boerewors coil dry with kitchen paper and leave it at room temperature for about 10 minutes so the inside is not icy cold.

Lightly brush the casing with a neutral oil that handles high heat, such as canola or sunflower oil. That thin film helps the surface brown evenly and keeps the sausage from sticking to the basket.

Step 2: Arrange The Boerewors In The Basket

Place the coil in the basket in a single layer. If your basket is small, cut the coil into two or three shorter spirals and tuck the ends under so they do not touch the heating element. Leave a little space between the spirals so hot air can move freely.

Avoid stacking pieces on top of one another. Stacked sausage steams instead of browning and often ends up grey on the inside and dry on the edges.

Step 3: Air Fry And Turn At The Right Time

Slide the basket into the air fryer and cook for 6–7 minutes. When the top side looks lightly browned and beads of fat start to appear on the casing, turn the coil carefully with tongs or a fork through the centre of the spiral.

Cook for another 6–8 minutes. Thick coils and denser sausage mixes lean toward the longer end of that range. Thin coils often reach colour more quickly, so glance through the window or pull the basket out briefly to check.

Step 4: Check The Internal Temperature

Use an instant-read probe in the thickest part of the boerewors where the coil overlaps. Aim for at least 71°C (160°F) for ground beef, pork, or mixed-meat sausage, matching the advice used in the USDA temperature chart.

If the reading sits below that level, return the basket to the air fryer and add 2–3 minutes. Check again in a fresh spot so you do not follow a channel from the first probe hole.

Step 5: Rest Before Slicing

Once the coil hits target temperature, transfer it to a plate or board and rest it for 3–5 minutes. The juices settle back through the sausage instead of spilling all over the cutting board when you slice into it straight away.

Cover the coil loosely with foil if your kitchen is cold. Do not wrap it tightly, or the casing can soften and lose some of its crisp bite.

What Makes Boerewors Different From Regular Sausage?

Boerewors is usually a blend of coarsely ground beef with pork, lamb, or goat, plus coriander, pepper, nutmeg, clove, and other warm spices. The mix sits in a natural casing and is often shaped into one long spiral rather than short links. You can see a more detailed description of the style in this traditional boerewors sausage description.

This coarser grind and higher fat level mean it loves gentle but steady heat. If you blast it at a very high temperature from the start, the casing can split before the centre cooks. The air fryer lets you start slightly lower, then finish hotter if you want deeper colour.

Why You Should Not Prick The Casing

Poking holes in boerewors might sound like a way to stop the sausage from bursting, but each hole gives fat and moisture a way out. In an air fryer, that leads to dry filling and extra smoke in the basket.

If you worry about splits, pick a moderate temperature such as 170–180°C (340–360°F) and add a few more minutes, rather than piercing the casing. A compact coil with no sharp bends also helps keep the sausage intact.

Seasoning Ideas For Air Fryer Boerewors

Most boerewors comes well seasoned already, so you do not need a heavy marinade. A few small touches can still give you a fresh twist without hiding the spice mix that makes the sausage special.

Simple Oil And Spice Rub

Before cooking, mix a spoon of neutral oil with a pinch of smoked paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper. Brush this over the casing. The oil helps colour develop, and the light seasoning adds a hint of smoke and garlic on the outside.

If your sausage already contains chilli, keep extra spice gentle and lean on herbs or lemon zest instead.

Cook On A Vegetable Bed

Slice onion and bell pepper into thin strips and toss them with a little oil and salt. Spread the vegetables in the bottom of the air fryer basket and place the boerewors coil on top. The fat that renders out flavours the vegetables, and you get a ready-made side dish soaked with sausage juices.

Stir the vegetables once when you turn the coil so they cook evenly and pick up browned bits from the basket.

Glaze In The Last Few Minutes

For a glossy finish, mix tomato paste, a splash of vinegar, and a little brown sugar. Brush this glaze on during the final 2–3 minutes of cooking. The sugars caramelise fast, so keep an eye on the colour to avoid burnt patches.

Reheating Leftover Boerewors In The Air Fryer

Leftover boerewors reheats well in an air fryer as long as you keep the temperature moderate. Reheating too hot can dry out the sausage and toughen the casing.

Best Settings For Reheating

• Preheat the air fryer to 160°C (320°F).
• Place sliced or whole coils in a single layer.
• Heat for 4–6 minutes, turning once, until hot in the centre.

You do not need to reach 71°C (160°F) again if the sausage was fully cooked before cooling, but it should be steaming hot all the way through. If you reheat from frozen, add 2–3 minutes.

Troubleshooting Common Air Fryer Boerewors Problems

If your first batch does not come out quite right, use this table to fix the next round. Small tweaks in temperature, spacing, or timing can change the result a lot.

Problem	Likely Cause	Quick Fix
Outside dark, inside still pink	Temperature too high, coil too close to element	Drop to 170–180°C, lower basket if possible, add a few minutes
Sausage dry and crumbly	Cooked too long or pricked casing	Shorten cook time by 2–3 minutes, keep casing intact
Casing split in several places	Very high heat or tight bends in coil	Shape a looser spiral, start at 170–180°C instead of 200°C
Lots of smoke in the kitchen	Fat pooling under basket, dirty tray	Add a splash of water under the basket and clean tray between batches
Uneven browning	Crowded basket or overlapping sausage	Cook in two batches or cut coil into smaller spirals with space between
Sticks badly to the basket	No oil and worn non-stick surface	Brush coil and basket lightly with oil before cooking
Coil does not fit in basket	Basket too small for full spiral	Cut into halves or thirds and coil each piece separately

Serving Ideas For Air Fryer Boerewors

Once you master how to cook boerewors in an air fryer, the fun part is deciding what to serve with it. The sausage pairs well with both classic sides and quick pantry dishes.

Boerewors Rolls

Slice the coil into lengths that match soft hot dog rolls. Toast the rolls in the air fryer for 1–2 minutes while the sausage rests. Add fried onions, tomato relish, or a spoon of chutney, then tuck the sausage pieces inside for easy boerie rolls.

With Maize Porridge Or Mashed Potatoes

For a plate meal, serve thick slices of boerewors over maize porridge or creamy mashed potatoes. Spoon any juices from the resting plate over the top. A side of braised cabbage or simple green salad cuts through the richness.

Breakfast Hash With Leftovers

Chop leftover boerewors and fry it with diced potatoes and onion in a pan until the potatoes are crisp. Add a fried or poached egg on top. You can also crisp the potato mix in the air fryer for a few minutes before adding the sausage pieces.

Quick Air Fryer Boerewors Checklist

When you want a fast reminder rather than every detail, use this short checklist before you start cooking.

• Choose a fresh boerewors coil that fits your basket once cut or coiled.
• Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (360°F) for most standard coils.
• Brush the casing and basket lightly with oil, but do not prick the sausage.
• Cook for 12–15 minutes, turning once, and adjust for thickness.
• Check the thickest part for at least 71°C (160°F) inside.
• Rest for 3–5 minutes before slicing so the juices stay in the sausage.

Follow these steps and you will have a reliable method for how to cook boerewors in an air fryer that gives crisp casing, tender filling, and far less stress than watching a grill the whole time.