When I'm looking no-fail low-effort dinners, this Air Fryer Italian Sausage Recipe always rises to the top. In about 25 minutes, the air fryer cooks it to golden-brown perfection—no stovetop splatter, hot kitchen, or grill cleanup required. Tuck them into buns, slice them over pasta, or on a platter for a simple appetizer.
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Air frying Italian sausage with peppers, onions, and broccolini is so easy and gives you all the summer flavors any time of the year. I love the juicy flavors of Italian Sausage and Beer Brats, and cooking Italian sausage in an air fryer gives them the crispiness of grilling with the convenience of easy clean-up and no propane or charcoal needed.
There’s just something about the combination of sausage, peppers, and onions that feels summery, comforting, and satisfying. Italian sausage is a family-friendly and budget-friendly protein, making this a great go-to weeknight meal!
Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage in Air Fryer Recipe
- Allergen-Friendly. Sausage and peppers in the air fryer is an easy allergen-friendly meal. Use a sausage that is gluten-free and dairy-free or one that meets your allergen needs and serve with quinoa or gluten-free sides.
- 5-Minute Prep. With just a few vegetables to slice, you can have this meal in the air fryer in under 5 minutes. This is the perfect meal for a beginner cook or when you need a one-pot quick dinner with meat and vegetables. Make prep even simpler by using pre-cut onions and peppers from the deli section of your grocery store.
- No Grill is Needed. Who doesn’t love the sear and crispiness of sausage cooked on a grill or fresh from the ballpark? Using the Air Fryer gives sausage that delightful outer crispy texture without a need for a grill or grilling weather!
- Ideal for Meal Prep. Air-fried Italian sausage makes delicious lunches or weeknight meals. Pack sausage in individual containers with orzo or your favorite grain for flavorful meals without cooking.
Ingredients
- Onion: One of the best flavors to add to air fryer Italian sausage links. Large white or yellow onion, sliced.
- Sweet Peppers: Red, orange, green, or yellow sweet peppers compliment the onion flavors, seeded and sliced.
- Broccolini: Broccolini is an air fryer favorite because it browns and cooks so well in the air fryer. This ingredient adds an additional vibrantly colored vegetable to this dish. Cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- Olive Oil: Adds needed fat to coat vegetables so they brown nicely in the heat of the air fryer.
- Salt: A pinch of salt for seasoning the vegetables, additional for serving, if desired.
- Sweet Italian Sausage: The feature ingredient of this recipe, sausage is a flavorful protein. Chicken or pork varieties work well for this recipe.
- White Wine Vinegar: Vinegar finishes off cooked sausage and vegetables to add a bit of tang and brings together all the flavors.
- Sausage Buns or Orzo: For serving (optional). Add sausage to buns and stack with veggies or serve the sausage and pepper over the orzo.
Substitutions
- Onion: Additional onion can be used in place of the broccolini.
- Broccoli: Use broccoli if you can’t find broccolini.
- Bowtie Pasta or Quinoa: If not using sausage buns, use bowtie-shaped pasta, quinoa, or your favorite grain or pasta in place of orzo.
How to Make Italian Sausage in the Air Fryer
For the complete recipe and measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1: Add the onions, peppers, and broccolini (if using) to a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt, and toss together until combined.
Step 2: With the air fryer basket inserted, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the air fryer has come to temperature (see the Recipe Tips section below).
Step 3: Add the mixed vegetables to the air fryer basket. Lay the Italian sausages on top. Cook Italian sausage in the air fryer for 20-22 minutes, gently stirring or tossing the sausages and vegetables every 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender and caramelized and the sausages are cooked through.
Step 4: Drizzle the white wine vinegar over the sausages and vegetables and gently toss to coat. Serve the sausages and peppers on toasted sausage buns, over orzo, or as desired!
Recipe Pro-Tips
- Preheat the Air Fryer: Preheat your air fryer while you slice the vegetables. A preheated air fryer will cook more evenly and help vegetables and sausage to brown and crisp well.
- Air Fryer Temperature: Air fryers can range in accuracy and strength. The best way to know the air fryer has come to temperature is to insert an oven thermometer after the air fryer has preheated for 2-3 minutes.
- Cut Vegetables to Similar Sizes. Slice your peppers and onions into similarly sized pieces so they will cook evenly.
- Layer Vegetables First. Place the peppers, onions, and broccolini in the air fryer basket first and top with the sausage. Layering in this order will help the air and moisture circulate for slightly crispy vegetables and ultra-juicy sausage!
Recipe Variations
- Breakfast Sausage: Make air fryer sausage links with breakfast sausage and top with fried eggs or serve with your favorite breakfast side. Cook vegetables for 5 minutes before adding in breakfast sausage links.
- Ballpark Style: Top sausage and peppers with yellow mustard and chili and serve in a sausage roll. Wrap in foil for easy outdoor dining.
- Hot and Spicy: For air fryer hot sausage, use your favorite hot sausage instead of sweet Italian sausage. Serve with sliced jalapenos or hot sauce.
- Sausage and Veggie Omelette: After cooking sweet Italian sausage in the air fryer, slice the sausage and dice any large pieces of vegetables. Cook with eggs or egg whites for sausage omelets loaded with sweet sausage and tender vegetables. Top with cheese or avocado.
Serving Suggestions
Air fryer sausage and peppers are great served on toasted sausage buns or over orzo. Toast sausage rolls in a toaster, toaster oven, or under the broiler. Spread mayonnaise or Dijon mustard on one side of the roll before adding the sausage. Or make a quick pot of orzo, a delicious pasta with a smooth texture, perfect for topping with sliced sausage and vegetables.
I love serving sweet sausage in the air fryer as a summery meal with crunchy Broccoli Slaw or Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. Bring together the flavors of a backyard barbeque for the 4th of July, summer celebrations, or picnics without having to grill!
Air fryer sausage, pepper, and orzo bowls are also great for meal prep. Slice sausage into bite-sized pieces before putting it in a microwave-safe container for easy reheating. This kid-friendly recipe pairs well with other kid favorites like Healthy Mac and Cheese or Sweet Potato Fritters.
Dietary Adaptations
This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free as long as you use a sausage that does not contain gluten or dairy. Serve with quinoa, gluten-free orzo, or another gluten-free grain of your choice.
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Cooked air fryer Italian sausage keeps in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating or defrost in the microwave for 2-3 minutes at 50% power.
- Reheating: Reheat sausage and peppers in the air fryer at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is warmed through.
FAQs
If air frying sausages on their own, you will only need to air fry them for 10-12 minutes in an air fryer preheated to 375 degrees, or until they are cooked through and have reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
For hot and crispy air fryer sausage peppers and onions, however, cook for 20-22 minutes, tossing the sausage and veggies throughout so they cook evenly.
To make this recipe with frozen Italian sausage, air fry sausage in a preheated 375-degree air fryer for 5-7 minutes, remove from the basket, add vegetables, and return sausages to the air fryer. Cook with vegetables for an additional 20-22 minutes, stirring or tossing every 5 minutes.
The internal cooking temperature of both air fryer pork sausage and air fryer chicken sausage is 160 degrees Fahrenheit. For the most accurate reading, insert a food thermometer into the center of the sausage. Once it reaches 160 degrees, the sausage is cooked through and safe to eat.
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More Air Fryer Recipes
- Flaky Air Fryer Salmon
- Cheesy Ranch Air Fryer Turkey Burgers
- Air Fryer Portobello Mushrooms
- Garlic Bread in the Air Fryer
- Air Fryer Kale Chips
More Sausage Recipes
- Italian Sausage and Peppers Pasta
- Cheesy Baked Italian Sausage Pasta
- Sausage Risotto
- Pumpkin Sausage Soup
Recipe
Italian Sausage in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 sweet peppers red, orange, green or yellow, seeded and sliced
- 2-3 stalks broccolini cut into 1 ½-inch pieces (or, 1 additional sliced onion)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Large pinch salt
- 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage chicken or pork
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Sausage buns or orzo (optional, to serve)
Instructions
- Add the onions, peppers, broccolini (if using) to a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with the salt, and toss together until combined.
- With the air fryer basket inserted, preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the air fryer has come to temperature (see notes below).
- Add the mixed vegetables to the air fryer basket. Layer the Italian sausages on top. Air fry the mixture for 20-22 minutes, gently stirring or tossing the sausages and vegetables every 5 minutes, or until the onions are tender and caramelized and the sausages are cooked through.
- Drizzle the white wine vinegar over the sausages and vegetables and gently toss to coat. Serve the sausages and peppers on toasted sausage buns, over orzo, or as desired!
Notes
- Storing: Leftovers keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: Cooked air fryer Italian sausage keeps in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating or defrost in the microwave for 2-3 minutes at 50% power.
- Reheating: Reheat sausage and vegetables in the air fryer at 375 degrees for 2-3 minutes or until the sausage is warmed through.
- Gluten-Free: To make this recipe gluten-free, use a sausage that does not contain gluten. Serve with quinoa or a gluten-free grain.
- Preheat the Air Fryer: The cooking time for this recipe is based on using a preheated air fryer. Air fryers can range in their accuracy and strength. The best way to know the air fryer has come to temperature is to insert an oven thermometer.
