I love my turkey sausage, but I love it even more when it's fast and easy! And for several years, I bought Costco's pre-cooked turkey sausages. All I had to do was heat them in the microwave, boil some eggs and I had a quick meal! That was until they stopped carrying them... Ugh. So I had to come up with a solution in order to have my beloved turkey sausages in a quick and easy way. Enter my air fryer..... I cooked up a bunch of turkey sausages, then put them in the freezer for quick and easy breakfasts. Making turkey sausage in the air fryer is definitely a great way to do it!
Turkey sausages are ideal for breakfast any time of the year! They are healthier than traditional pork breakfast sausage and even healthier when they are cooked in the air fryer! The great thing about the air fryer is that you can cook a lot at once (I cooked 24 in my Ninja Foodi Dual drawer) and there is very little mess. It's so much better than cooking them in a frying pan!
Turkey sausages go great with eggs of course, but are the perfect pairing with my Mexican Sheet Pan Eggs. as well as many other breakfast and brunch recipes.
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🥘Ingredients
You will need 2 ingredients:
- turkey breakfast sausage
- spray cooking oil ( I use canola or avocado oil ) due to both oils having a higher smoke point. *You can read about smoke point here, if you're not familiar with it
*See printable recipe card for quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Turkey Sausage- you can use any brand of turkey sausages or use chicken sausage (directions are the same) or use different kinds of sausages.* I love maple flavored turkey sausages, so that's what I use, but you could just add a little maple syrup to your sausages and enjoy them that way!
- Oil - The best oil to use in an air fryer is avocado or canola, as they have a high smoking point. Also, it's important to use a non- propellant spray (see Top Tip) And you can learn more about the best types of oil to use in your air fryer HERE!
🔪Instructions
How to Cook Turkey Sausage in the Air Fryer
Simply follow these easy steps:
Spray the bottom of your clean air fryer basket or drawer with a little oil (propellant free) *I use about 2 pumps
Add thawed uncooked sausages on top of the grill in a single layer (do not stack, although it's okay if they touch)
*See NOTES in recipe card if you are cooking from frozen
Spray 3-4 pumps of oil, making sure to cover all the sausages *This is critical if you want them to brown
*Spray the same amount in 2nd drawer if you're using a dual air fryer
Set to air fry at 350 degrees f (176 degrees c)
*If you are using both drawers, set to match cook
Set the air fryer for about 12 minutes (check and turn or shake at 5-6 minutes). They may need a couple minutes longer.
*This time could vary, depending on the type of air fryer you have and if you are using thicker sausages, they will take a little longer.
*They are ready when internal temperature reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) on a meat thermometer.
Remove sausages onto a plate lined with paper towel.
Pat with more paper towel to remove excess oil. * I do this because I want less oil and I'm freezing them, but it's not necessary. It will also make them look 'less plump' and shrivel a bit
Hint: Since cooking time can very, depending on the model of air fryer you own, the best way to check for doneness is with internal temperature with a meat thermometer.
💭Top tip
Spray your turkey sausages (and anything you put in the air fryer) with a light spray cooking oil, but do NOT use an aerosol cooking spray with propellants (like Pam). This can cause damage to the surface of your air fryer and cause the coating to flake off and potentially onto your food. *The label will tell you whether it has propellants or not
🍳 Dishes to Serve with Turkey Sausages
Many dishes go well with turkey sausages. Here are a few:
- Pancakes (all types!)
- Belgian Chocolate Waffles (shown)
- Microwave Omelette in a Mug
- French Toast Sandwich (with Raspberry Cream)
- Bagel Toad in a Hole
- Carrot Cake Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Butter Tart Waffles
- Pierogi Breakfast Casserole
- Raspberry Mocha Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Lasagna
You can also use turkey sausages in my Award-Winning Maple Sausage Brunch Bites!
🍽Equipment
You will need an air fryer for this recipe. I did a lot of research before I bought my Ninja Foodi dual zone 2 basket 8 quart air fryer, (affiliate link)- 9 months to be exact. Yeah, I know, I could have had a baby in that amount of time, but I'm glad I researched it so thoroughly because I got the perfect air fryer for my family and my budget. It's the best countertop kitchen appliance I have ever owned! Some people like the basket style air fryer, but I prefer the drawers because I can cook more than one thing at a time.
I also purchased stainless steel tongs with silicone tips (affiliate link) so I don't damage the non-stick coating on my air fryer when using it.
Lastly, I recommend everyone own a instant read thermometer! (affiliate link). Internal temperature of food is the BEST way to check for doneness and you can use it for everything (pie, bread etc) not just meat.
🌡️Storage
Store leftover turkey sausages in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Or cool and freeze in an airtight container or Ziplock freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Reheat: heat from frozen in microwave for 3-50 seconds, depending on power of your microwave.
👪Serving Size
Of course, serving size will depend on the size of your air fryer, but I could fit 24 servings (2 packages of 12) in my 2 drawer 8 quart Ninja Foodi.
🔢WW Points
Turkey sausage are Weight Watchers friendly @ 3 WW points for 2 sausages on my plan. This is the same as the Costco (Smokey River brand)
🦺Food safety
- Cook turkey sausage to a minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Sausages take anywhere from 10-15 minutes to cook in an air fryer.
Yes, you can put uncooked sausages in the air fryer. You can also cook sausages from frozen but it will take longer.
So, if you're looking for a quick, easy and healthy way to make turkey sausage, the air fryer is the answer!
⭐ Reviews
Did you make this easy air fryer recipe? If you loved it, please leave a 5 star rating and comment below!
📋 Air Fryer Turkey Sausage Recipe
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
- 24 turkey sausages
- spray oil * I use canola (no propellants)
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of your air fryer basket or drawer with a little oil (propellant free)
- Add uncooked sausages on top of the grill in a single layer (do not stack, although it's okay if they touch)
- Spray 3-4 pumps of oil, making sure to cover all the sausages *Spray the same amount in 2nd drawer if you're using a dual air fryer *Spraying them with oil is critical if you want them to brown
- Air fry on 350 degrees f (176 degrees c)
- Set the air fryer for about 12 - 14 minutes (check on them and turn or shake at 5-6 minutes). * 14 minutes was perfect for me
- They will be done when they are lightly browned and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C)
- Remove sausages to a plate lined with paper towel.
- Pat dry to remove excess oil with another paper towel. * I do this because I want less oil and I'm freezing them, but it's not necessary. It will also make them look 'less plump' and shrivel a bit
- Serve and enjoy! * You can also cool and freeze (see Storage)
Notes
- Place grill base in basket or drawer. Spray bottom of air fryer with oil.
- Add frozen sausages.
- Spray top of sausages with oil (2-3 sprays of non-propellant oil)
- Cook for 10 minutes on 350 degrees F, then shake or turn (if you have drawer type air fryer, you can drain the water that's accumulated under the grill)
- Cook for 10 additional minutes (20 minutes in total).
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