Air Fryer Recipe
Sticky Sausages
A delicious and easy-to-make sticky sausages recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 8 pork sausages
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (356°F), which should take about 3-5 minutes.
- Mix together the honey, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and minced garlic in a small bowl to create the sticky glaze.
- Place the sausages into the air fryer basket, ensuring they are not touching to allow even cooking.
- Cook the sausages for 10 minutes, turning them halfway through to ensure an even cook on all sides.
- After 10 minutes, pause the air fryer and carefully brush the sticky glaze mixture over the sausages.
- Continue to cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sausages are golden brown and cooked through.
- Once done, remove from the air fryer and let them rest for a couple of minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste before serving.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air fryer convection dries the sausage skins while rendered fat bastes the surface; adding the honey-soy glaze late prevents the sugars burning before the meat is cooked. Soy and mustard add salt and acidity, which balance the sweetness and help the glaze cling rather than slide off.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4-6 litre basket holding 8 standard sausages in one spaced layer; in a single-drawer model, place them across the airflow and shake/turn halfway, while in a dual-zone fryer split between drawers and start checking 2 minutes earlier as smaller loads brown faster.
Common pitfalls
- Glaze turning black in patches before the sausages are cooked? The sugars went on too early or the fryer runs hot; wipe off burnt spots, drop to 170°C and finish until the centre reaches 75°C.
- Sausages pale and wet-looking at minute 10? They are too close together or sitting in pooled fat; drain the basket if needed, leave gaps and cook 3-5 minutes longer before glazing.
- Skins splitting and losing juices? The heat is too fierce for thin sausages or they were pricked; reduce to 170°C and turn more gently, then glaze only for the final 4-5 minutes.
- Glaze sliding off instead of becoming sticky? The sausage surface is greasy or damp; blot lightly with kitchen paper before brushing and cook another 1-2 minutes to tack up the coating.
Variations & substitutions
- Use Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages for a herby result; thicker links may need 2-4 extra minutes before glazing.
- Swap honey for maple syrup for a softer, less floral sweetness; it browns quickly, so check the final glazing stage after 3 minutes.
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free version; it is often saltier, so skip extra seasoning until serving.
- Add a pinch of chilli flakes or smoked paprika to the glaze; the sugars still brown at the same rate, but the spices can darken quickly so avoid exceeding 180°C.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled sausages in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat in the air fryer at 170°C for 4-6 minutes until piping hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
