How to Cook Chicken Sausage in Air Fryer (Perfect Every Time)
Updated 11/30/25
Cooking chicken sausage in the air fryer is one of the easiest healthy meals you can make on a busy weeknight. Crispy on the outside, juicy inside, packed with flavor, and ready in under 10 minutes — this method is perfect for meal prep, healthy lunches, or an effortless dinner.
If you love simple, high-protein air fryer recipes, you’ll also enjoy my Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers, Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins, or Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs.
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Why You’ll Love Cooking Chicken Sausage in the Air Fryer
- Fast — ready in 8–10 minutes.
- Healthy — lower fat than pork sausage.
- Hands-off — no flipping on a skillet or dirty pans.
- Ideal for meal prep — reheats perfectly.
- Kid-friendly — great for toddlers and quick lunches.
- Versatile — serve with veggies, pasta, rice bowls, or salads.
Growing up, my mom made the best sausage, peppers, and onions — so chicken sausage became my healthier adult version of that nostalgic meal. This is now one of my go-to options when I want something high protein, quick, and packed with flavor.
Best Chicken Sausage Brands
You can use any pre-cooked chicken sausage links for this recipe, but here are my favorites for flavor and macros:
- Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage — 170 calories & 13g protein per link.
- Applegate Chicken & Apple Sausage — minimally processed, great flavor.
- Al Fresco Chicken Sausage — lots of flavors and very macro-friendly.
All three brands are fully cooked, made with simple ingredients, and widely available at most grocery stores.
How to Serve Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Chicken sausage is incredibly versatile. Here are my favorite ways to serve it:
- With peppers & onions over jasmine rice + a drizzle of low-sugar BBQ sauce.
- With sweet potatoes — especially Japanese or purple sweet potatoes.
- With green beans for a quick stir-fry-style dinner.
- With cauliflower rice for a low-carb meal.
- With whole wheat pasta + jarred marinara for a high-protein pasta dish.
How to Cook Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Follow these simple steps for perfectly crispy chicken sausage every time.
- Add to basket: Place chicken sausage links in the air fryer in a single layer.
- Lightly spray with oil: Helps the skin crisp up.
- Cook at 400°F: Air fry for 4 minutes.
- Flip: Turn sausages, spray lightly again.
- Cook 4–6 more minutes: Total time is 8–10 minutes depending on thickness.
- Rest: Let cool 1–2 minutes before slicing or serving.
Internal temperature should reach 165°F for food safety.
Air Fryer Chicken Sausage Tips
Don’t overcrowd the basket — allows crisping.
Use pre-cooked sausage — the most common grocery store type.
If using raw chicken sausage: Air fry at 370°F for 12–14 minutes, flipping halfway.
Slice after cooking to keep juices inside.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
These sausages are perfect for meal prep!
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Air fry at 350°F for 2–3 minutes, or microwave 30 seconds.
- Meal prep tip: Slice after cooling and portion into lunch containers.
Frequently Asked Questions
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenderloins
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers
- Air Fryer Boneless Chicken Thighs
- High-Protein Snack Boxes
If you try this recipe, leave a comment below! You can also follow me for more high-protein meals and meal prep ideas on Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest.
Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Equipment
- 1 air fryer
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Chicken Sausage
Optional Ingredients
- 1 Green bell pepper sliced
- 1 Red bell pepper sliced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper
- 1/2 Onion sliced
Instructions
- Open the package of the dinner sausage and place in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Spray the tops of the sausage with some olive oil. This will help get a crispy skin.
- Next, set the air fryer to 400 degrees and air fry the sausages for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, open the air fryer and check the sausages and flip once to ensure an even crispness.
- Spray with olive oil again and cook for approximately another 4 minutes.
- Total cook time will be approximately 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken sausage.
- Once the sausages have cooked through, remove from the air fryer and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes before enjoying!
Optional
- Sautee bell peppers and onions until they have wilted and are soft
- Serve chicken sausage over bell peppers
I more then doubled the time in order to make the sausage well done enough for our liking.
Hi Arlene! Yes, cooking times will vary based on type of sausage used and personal preference of “doneness”. Hope you enjoyed!
Does the air fryer need to be preheated? Also, do you recommend poking a couple of holes in the sausages or will they not split while cooking?
Hi Jessica! The air fryer does not need to be preheated but you can pre-heat if you’d like. Also I wouldn’t recommend poking holes in the sausages as that will allow the juices to run from them making them drier. The sausages I used did not split while cooking however note that every brand may cook differently. I hope that helps!
Yes you do preheat it. You do also poke hole so it won’t explode.
It doesn’t mess with the juices
Hi Kristy!vI didn’t poke holes in mine and didn’t have any issues with them bursting, but that’s a great precaution if you’re worried about it. Thanks for sharing!
I Like it. Not kid friendly. My son would never eat it