Air Fryer Sausage and Peppers
Italian sausages with blistered peppers and sweet onions, all in one basket.
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Before You Start
A whole tray-bake dinner in twenty minutes with one basket to wash. Cut the peppers and onions large, in thick strips rather than thin, so they char at the edges instead of collapsing into a wet heap before the sausages are cooked.
Instructions
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Preheat the air fryer to 190°C / 375°F for 3 minutes. Prick the sausages once each, so they do not split along their length.
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Toss the pepper strips and onion wedges with the olive oil, oregano, fennel seeds, chilli flakes and salt.
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Lay the sausages in the basket and scatter the vegetables around and over them. It will look crowded, but the vegetables shrink quickly.
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Air fry for 10 minutes, then shake the basket well and turn the sausages over. Add the sliced garlic now, not earlier, since it burns over the full time.
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Cook another 8 to 10 minutes, until the sausages are browned all over and read 71°C inside and the peppers are blistered at the edges.
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Tip everything into a bowl, stir through the balsamic vinegar while hot, and serve in rolls or with polenta.
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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
- Do not slice the peppers thinly. Thick strips are the only way to get char without them turning to mush.
- The vinegar at the end lifts everything. Without it the dish tastes flat and sweet.
🔀 Make it your own
- Use chicken or vegetarian sausages, reducing the time to 14 minutes total.
- Add a handful of cherry tomatoes in the last 6 minutes so they burst into the mix.
📦 Storing & reheating
Refrigerate for 3 days. Excellent cold in a sandwich, or reheat at 180°C for 5 minutes. Freeze for 2 months, though the peppers soften on thawing.
❓ Frequently asked
How long do sausages take in an air fryer?
About 18 to 20 minutes at 190°C, turned once, for standard thick sausages. Thin ones need around 12. Always check they reach 71°C inside.
Should I prick sausages before air frying?
One small prick each helps steam escape so they do not burst messily. More than that and you lose the juices that keep them moist.
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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