Sausages are one of the easiest wins in an air fryer — no splattering fat, no turning every two minutes, and a skin that browns more evenly than in a frying pan because heat reaches every side at once rather than just the base.
Timings by Type
Thin chipolatas: 190°C for 8–10 minutes. Standard pork bangers: 190°C for 12–14 minutes. Thick Cumberland or gourmet sausages (with a higher meat and fat content): 180°C for 15–18 minutes, turning once. These times are for fresh sausages from the fridge, not frozen — see below for frozen timings.
Cooking From Frozen
Frozen sausages work in an air fryer without defrosting first, but need roughly 6–8 minutes longer than the fresh timings above, and benefit from starting at a slightly lower 180°C for the first 10 minutes so the outside doesn't brown before the inside has thawed and cooked through. Always check the thickest sausage in a batch with a thermometer if you're cooking from frozen for the first time in a new machine.
Checking Doneness
Pork sausages should reach 70°C at the centre; a food thermometer is more reliable than cutting one open and guessing from the colour, since sausage meat can look pink even when fully cooked due to the curing agents some manufacturers use.
A Few Tips
Space the sausages out rather than stacking them so air can circulate on every side, and give the basket a shake or turn halfway through for even browning — sausages left flat on one side for the whole cook tend to have a pale strip where they touched the basket.
Common Mistakes
Piercing sausages before cooking (a habit from grilling) actually works against you in an air fryer — it lets fat and juices escape, leaving them drier than if left whole. The skin's job is to hold moisture in; only pierce them if you've had specific problems with a particular brand splitting.