Air Fryer Smoked Sausage

Air Fryer Smoked Sausage (or Kielbasa) just made your life so much easier! Dinner is served in less than 10 minutes!! You can serve it up on a bun like a giant, fancy hot dog or slice it up and air fry with onions and peppers for a yummy entree that’s great over rice.

My dad was a big fan of smoked sausage & kielbasa and I’ve eaten it since I was a kid. It’s a very flavorful pre-cooked sausage. Growing up we either sauteed it in a skillet in either a touch of oil or an inch of water – mainly just to heat it through. But now – pop it in the air fryer and it’s even quicker!

What’s the Difference? Smoked Sausage vs. Kielbasa vs. Mettwurst vs. Bratwurst

The short answer – if you’re not getting too technical – is not much. Most versions of all are pre-cooked pork or beef that is in a casing and smoked – at least to some extent.

Smoked Sausage – I got a gift box from the folks at Kiolbassa and they sent me four varieties of their Smoked Sausage. I made the Beef Smoked Sausage for this recipe – but all of these varieties cook up pretty much the same.

Kielbasa is traditionally a U-shaped sausage that is precooked and not quite as “smoky” as it’s precooked but not always smoked. I grew up on Kielbasa – it was something we made at least a couple times a month – often times served with a good ol’ can of Pork & Beans (yuck!).

If you look up more info on Mettwurst – it’s actually a German sausage that is not always cooked – but here in Cincinnati – people consider “Metts” a smoked sausage. My favorite local brand is Queen City Sausage – their cheddar metts are my favorite!

Lastly – I’ll also mention Bratwurst – most of the time Brats are NOT pre-cooked and smoked. They’re more white and raw on purchase. BUT the folks back home in Iowa at the Amana Colonies sell Smoked Brats – again the Cheddar Brats are ridiculously amazing. These are basically the same as a Cheddar Mett here in Cinci. I will say – these Cheddar Brats are so freakin delicious – they are smokier than Queen City and I really love them. I also bought Breaded Pork Tenderloins and Bacon (which I just made on my Traeger last week).

How do you make Smoked Sausage in the Air Fryer?

Uh – this could not get any easier.

• Open package
• Put sausages in air fryer
• Hit start

Sausages in links like this are very similar to hot dogs and are done in 5-6 minutes because they’re already pre-cooked.

Popular Air Fryer Recipes

• Air Fryer Italian Sausage
• Italian Sausage & Peppers
• Frozen Chicken Wings in Air Fryer
• Sausage Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos
• More Air Fryer Recipes

What to serve with Smoked Sausage

Because these are so quick – and if you have room – you can make a side dish with the sausage in the air fryer! Or serve it up with lots of tasty sides. Here are some of my favorites:

• Air Fryer Asparagus
• Copycat Taco Johns Potato Oles
• Creamiest Macaroni & Cheese
• More Tasty Side Dishes