Air Fryer Breakfast Sausage Patties
Homemade sage and maple pork patties, browned without a spitting pan.
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Before You Start
Shop-bought breakfast sausage is mostly rusk and salt. Mixing your own takes five minutes and lets you get the sage and maple balance right. The air fryer browns both sides without the fat spitting all over your hob.
Instructions
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Mix all the seasonings and the maple syrup into the ground pork with your hands. Work it for about 30 seconds, until it feels slightly sticky and holds together.
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Chill the mixture for 30 minutes. This lets the salt and sage penetrate and firms the fat so the patties keep their shape.
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Divide into 8 and press into flat patties about 1 cm thick. Make a shallow dimple in the centre of each with your thumb, since they puff in the middle as they cook.
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Preheat the air fryer to 190°C / 375°F for 3 minutes. Lay the patties in a single layer with space between them so the fat can drain and the edges brown.
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Air fry for 5 minutes, flip, and cook another 4 to 5 minutes until browned and cooked through at 71°C in the centre.
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Rest for 2 minutes on kitchen paper to drain, then serve. They are excellent in a soft roll with a fried egg.
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♨️ Air fryer notes
- Cook at 190°C / 375°F and preheat for 2 to 3 minutes for the crispiest result.
- Keep everything in a single layer with space around each piece. Overcrowding steams food instead of crisping it, so cook in batches if your basket is small.
- Shake or turn halfway, and check a few minutes early, since air fryers cook faster than ovens and every model runs slightly differently.
💡 Cook's tips
- Fry a teaspoon of the raw mix in a pan and taste it before shaping. It is the only way to check the seasoning, and pork needs more salt than you expect.
- Use pork with at least 15 percent fat. Lean pork makes a dry, crumbly patty in an air fryer.
🔀 Make it your own
- Swap the sage for fennel seeds and extra chilli for an Italian style patty.
- Use ground turkey and add 1 tbsp olive oil to the mix to make up for the lost fat.
📦 Storing & reheating
Refrigerate cooked patties for 4 days and reheat at 180°C for 3 minutes. Freeze raw shaped patties between sheets of paper for 3 months; cook from frozen, adding 5 minutes.
❓ Frequently asked
What temperature should pork sausage patties reach?
71°C / 160°F in the centre. Check the thickest patty with an instant-read thermometer rather than going by colour alone.
Why do my patties puff up into balls?
Meat contracts as it cooks. Press a shallow dimple into the centre of each raw patty and they will cook flat.
Adapting your own recipe? Use the oven to air fryer converter for temp and time, or the recipe scaler to halve or double this.
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Kit that makes this foolproof
A few inexpensive bits that get you crispier results with less mess.
A roomy air fryer
A larger basket means fewer batches and crispier results.
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Perforated liners
Less sticking and mess, without blocking the airflow.
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Silicone tongs
Turn and lift without scratching the non-stick basket.
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