Air Fryer Kielbasa Recipe (Polish Sausage)
Both traditional Kielbasa and the lighter Turkey kielbasa variety turn out perfectly when cooked in the air fryer.
Just slice up the kielbasa sausage and place it in your air fryer basket at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes depending on how crispy you like it. Shake half way through.
How To Cook Kielbasa In the Air Fryer
I don’t like to add additional fat to this dish because I find the sausage crisps up nicely without the use of additional oil, but some like to drizzle a little olive oil on the kielbasa prior to placing it in the air fryer. This helps the outside carmelize a bit better, but in my opinion isn’t necessary.
If you are adding some olive oil, I suggest cutting up your kielbasa slices and placing them in a bowl. Then add a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and mix to coat the slices.
Then cook at 400 for 8 to 10 minutes in your air fryer, shaking half way through cooking.
Different Ways to Cook Kielbasa
There are many ways to cook polish sausages. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook your polish sausage Kielbasa in the oven, on the grill, on a cast iron skillet, in a foil packet or even by boiling.
Before you choose your favorite recipe you will have to decide if you want to cook your sausage whole or in slices. I like my kielbasa to crispy on the outside so I like to cook it in slices, but you can also easily cook your sausage whole or in large chunks. Kielbasa is usually fully cooked when you buy it, so you are really just heating it up when cooking it at home.
One of our favorite boiled kielbasa recipes is a shrimp and sausage boil.
My favorite kielbasa foil packet (which I make a lot when camping) is a packet with potatoes, onions, cabbage and kielbasa. I prepare the foil packets and then just place them in the hot coals from our camp fire for about 30 minutes. You can also pop these in the oven for a quick weeknight meal. If you are making foil packets for a camp fire I suggest using heavy duty aluminum foil. It really makes a difference when cooking in camp fire coals. You won’t have to worry about double wrapping and it won’t rip when turning it over with tongs.
Now that I have an air fryer I do make air fryer kielbasa in there A LOT. It comes out perfectly crispy without having to clean a frying pan or skillet and it cooks in about half the time. I use the turkey kielbasa for my air fryer kielbasa and serve it with breakfast.
For the easiest clean up use an air fryer liner to keep your air fryer basket clean.
How Long to Air Fryer Kielbasa
Cook sliced kielbasa for 8 to 10 minutes in the air fryer at 400 degrees. Shake half way through cooking.
What to serve with Air Fryer kielbasa
There are so many different ways to use kielbasa.
I often make sliced kielbasa for breakfast and serve it with eggs and toast. Or for a low carb meal swap the toast for tomatoes with mozzarella and basil.
Kielbasa with potatoes is a great way to serve kielbasa as the main meat for dinner.
kielbasa hoagies with peppers and onions are the perfect lunch starring air fryer kielbasa.
How to Air Fry Frozen Kielbasa
If you are going to cook your kielbasa from frozen then you will probably need to cook it whole completely, or if you want it sliced, cook it for 4 minutes whole, then pull it out of the air fryer and slice it, then place it back in the air fryer basket. Cooking time will be longer when cooking from frozen. After slicing, cook for an additional 15 minutes at 400.
Don’t have an air fryer yet? Check out our list of the best non toxic air fryers for 2024.
What Do You Serve with Kielbasa?
For a traditional polish meal serve Kielbasa with pierogies and cabbage.
Try our instant pot cabbage recipe for a delicious vegetable side to serve with your air fryer kielbasa.
Kielbasa also goes great with potatoes.
How long does kielbasa take in the air fryer?
Cook kielbasa in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 10 minutes for crispy slices.
Is kielbasa already cooked?
Most kielbasa available in American supermarkets is fully cooked.
Do you cook Turkey Kielbasa Differently?
No, turkey kielbasa is cooked exactly the same as traditional kielbasa in the air fryer. Turkey Kielbasa has less fat than traditional kielbasa sausage rope so it cooks a little cleaner in the air fryer. I still recommend using an air fryer basket liner when cooking sausage in the air fryer because it lets out a lot of juice and then you don’t have to clean your air fryer basket as often.
The Best Non-Toxic Air Fryer
If you don’t already have an air fryer, check out our non-toxic air fryer article where we review all the best non-toxic air fryers available today.
Our Favorite Air Fryer Recipes
Other Air Fryer Sausage Recipes
Spicy Italian Sausage Air Fryer Recipe
Air Fryer Hot Dogs
Air Fryer Bratwurst
Crispy Air Fried Kielbasa Slices with Spicy Mustard Dip
Polish Sausage on the Blackstone Grill
More Air Fryer Recipes
Some other recipes that will go great with your air fryer kielbasa are:
Crispy Herbed Air Fryer Potato Wedges
Air Fryer Fresh Cut French Fries
Protecting and Cleaning your Air Fryer Basket
Let’s face it. Cleaning most air fryer baskets can be challenging! This is something I procrastinate almost as much as cleaning the microwave. But, since learning about air fryer basket liners I have saved myself a lot of air fryer basket cleaning. I highly recommend these! You can get them on amazon.com or Walmart.com and they are very affordable. They look similar to a coffee filter, are safe to use in your air fryer and come in many different shapes and sizes to fit your air fryer basket perfectly.
Step by Step Instructions to Air Fry Kielbasa
Step 1: Slice Kielbasa into 1/2 inch pieces
Step 2: Place sliced Kielbasa in air fryer basket.
Cook at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Closer to 10 minutes if you like it crispy.
Step 3: Remove from air fryer basket and serve immediately. Serve with spicy mustard as a dipping sauce for a tasty appetizer or along side scrambled eggs with cheese at breakfast time.
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