Perfectly Cooked Sausage in the Air Fryer - Easy Healthy Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Does air frying sausages make them healthier? ›

If you're cooking a food that you wouldn't normally add fat to when you cook it, whether that's ready-made oven chips, bacon, sausages or breaded chicken, being cooked in an air fryer is unlikely to make it healthier.

Sausages should reach 155–165°F (68–74°C). Alternatively, boiling them before cooking in a pan or on a grill can ensure that they're thoroughly cooked and remain moist. Boiling and baking are the healthiest ways to cook sausage, whereas deep frying is the least healthy due to the added fats and calories it involves.

Pierce the sausages a few times all over using a sharp knife (this is optional, but will help release more fat). Arrange the sausages in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 180C and cook for 10-15 mins, turning every 5 mins, until the sausages are cooked through.

Heating Fully-Cooked Sausages In The Air Fryer

Cook them for 4-5 minutes at 400°F, just until lightly browned in places. For a kielbassa ring, or unsliced kielbassa link, I cook it about 7 minutes at 400F, just to get some crispy skin. You can get other kinds of fully-cooked sausage links at the grocery store.

People getting rid of air fryers in favour of kitchen appliance that's cheaper to run. Households are shelving their air fryers in favour of another kitchen appliance that is cheaper to run, and just as healthy.

Cons of Air Fryer

These include stews, rice and pasta, batter and more. This means that Air Fryers are not completely versatile and cannot cook as many things as a traditional oven. If you're feeding a large family, you may find that the Air Fryer's capacity just won't do.

Extra-lean chicken or kangaroo sausages tend to be the healthiest sausage option. Leaner sausages are also often lower in calories and salt. Follow these guidelines to choose healthier sausages: Less than 5g saturated fat per 100g.

Sausages are a nutrient dense protein option for the family as part of a weekly meal plan with other high iron sources. Where possible aim for high quality ones that ideally have around 75-85% meat or higher. Watch for fillers and additives, especially if there are certain dietary requirements for the family.

While sausage is a good source of protein, it is best consumed minimally due to its high sodium and saturated fat content. So if you're looking for lean protein options or require a low sodium diet, it might be hard to include this food in your day-to-day meal plan.

In an air fryer the heat is more concentrated, which causes the sausage to expand and increasing the likelihood that the casing will split (via Italian Barrel).

Can you use foil in an air fryer? ›

Foil is safe to use in an air fryer so long as you follow three basic rules: never let foil touch the heating element; make sure the foil is weighted so it doesn't blow around the basket; and avoid contact with acidic ingredients, which can cause the foil to leach onto your food.

There are so many pros to air fryer sausages: They cook very evenly, with none of the patchy browning that you get on a BBQ. They are ready in just 10 minutes, compared to the 25+ minutes when you bake them in the oven (plus no preheating required!) They don't spit or burst like when you pan fry.

Uncooked sausages that contain ground beef, pork, lamb or veal should be cooked to 160 °F. Uncooked sausages that contain ground turkey and chicken should be cooked to 165 °F. For more information go to Sausages and Food Safety.

Air-fried foods have less fat and fewer calories than deep-fried foods. Plus, the evidence so far suggests that they have fewer potentially harmful compounds than deep-fried foods.

Although air-frying may be healthier than deep-frying, harmful chemicals are still present at lower levels in air-fried foods. Additionally, air fryers take longer to cook food and produce a slightly different taste and texture compared to deep frying.

In terms of health, air frying generally offers advantages over traditional frying. It allows you to enjoy crispy textures with reduced oil and calorie intake, potentially minimising health risks associated with excessive consumption of fried foods.

All things being equal, air frying typically retains nutrient density [without adding to the] energy density (calorie content).” Deep frying often leaves you with lots of the 'frying' and less of the original goodness!”