This easy recipe for Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Veggies is sure to become a weeknight classic (or a meal prep staple)! Featuring juicy chicken sausage, bright bell peppers, and tender zucchini, it's the best way to sneak extra veggies into your meals.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to eating dinner at home is TIME! After rushing home after a long day at work, it can be hard to put something together that the whole family can enjoy. That's one of the reasons we love air fryer meals so much.
This easy chicken sausage and veggies recipe is made in the air fryer, has lots of veggies, and is quick to pull together.
We love to serve it with rice (microwave works fine in a pinch) or instant pot baby potatoes for a filling meal that even picky eaters will enjoy.
Why You'll Love It:
- Quick and easy. If you're looking for recipes that the entire family will love on a busy weeknight, look no further!
- An easy way to serve veggies. Lightly browned and perfectly seasoned, the air fryer brings out their natural sweetness, making it appealing even to picky eaters.
- Great for Meal Prep: It's packed with veggies and protein, making for the perfect healthy lunch that lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Serve it with rice or sweet potatoes for added carbs.
You Will Need:
- Chicken sausages: We strongly recommend that you use seasoned or flavored chicken sausages. In testing, we primarily used mild Italian, although it tastes great with chicken apple sausage or feta and spinach, too. The most important thing is that it isn't just plain ground chicken. If you prefer, you can use cooked chicken sausages instead of uncooked - it turns out perfectly delicious that way!
- Veggies: We use tender veggies like bell peppers, zucchini, and red onion. If you wish, you can swap in the veggies of your choice. If using firm or starchy veggies, you may need to cook them for longer, so keep that in mind.
- Olive oil: This helps the seasoning adhere, ensuring that the veggies brown - not burn. Avocado oil can be substituted if you prefer.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried basil (optional), salt, and pepper.
- Parmesan (optional): We love to add a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese for a little salty, nutty deliciousness, but it's perfectly fine without it.
How to Make Sausage and Veggies in an Air Fryer
This is one of our favorite air fryer recipes for last-minute dinners!
But the best part? It's great for meal prep - just stash it in an airtight container, reheat, and serve with a yummy carb source like Instant Pot rice or sweet potatoes.
- Step one: Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or avocado oil) and all of the seasonings to a large bowl. Stir well to make a thin paste.
- Step two: Add the chopped vegetables and sliced chicken sausages to the bowl. Fold them in gently until everything is evenly coated in a thin layer of the seasoned oil.
- Step three: Transfer half of the mixture to an air fryer basket that has been preheated to 400ºF (200ºC).
- Step four: Cook for 8-11 minutes, or until the sausage is browned and reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC).
- Repeat this process with the remaining half of the uncooked vegetables and sausage. Garnish with shredded parmesan cheese before serving (if desired).
What Can I Serve It With?
This air fryer chicken sausage recipe is great as a light meal, but we love it all the more when it's served with a carb source like cooked white rice, brown rice, baby potatoes, or sweet potatoes.
It also tastes great when served with pasta and marinara sauce - maybe a bit unexpected, but totally delicious!
For a low carb option, try cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
Substitutions and Variations
Sausage: This recipe can be made with nearly any type of sausage! We used uncooked chicken sausage, but pre-cooked sausages, turkey sausages, regular pork Italian sausage, leftover chicken sausages, or even kielbasa can be used! Ensure that they are cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC).
Other veggies: Because the goal was a quick meal, we used tender vegetables to keep the cooking time short. If you don't mind waiting a little longer, your options are basically endless! You can try other tender veggies like green beans or cherry tomatoes, or starches like sweet potatoes and baby potatoes.
Different flavors: We used a basic mix of seasonings and Italian sausage, but feel free to experiment with your favorite seasoning blends and sausage flavors. Make a spicy Cajun version by using andouille sausage and Cajun seasoning, or a Mediterranean version by using spinach and feta sausage and a dash of oregano.
Expert Tips
- Work in batches. We tested this in many ways and determined that the best results were obtained when it was cooked in two batches. This ensures all of the veggies and sausage can lie in a single layer, allowing them to cook evenly (and develop some browned edges). The vegetables all have a high water content, which creates a lot of steam. Cooking it all in one batch prevents the steam from escaping effectively and can cause it to become soggy - and we don't want that!
- Use a serrated knife. Chicken sausages are soft, and so it's best to use a serrated knife to ensure they maintain their general shape. Slice them slowly, working back and forth and supporting the whole sausage with a gloved hand as you go.
- Remove seeds. We recommend buying small, tender zucchini. If yours is on the medium to large side, you can scoop out the fluffy pulp and seeds in the middle. This tends to give better results during the cooking process.
More Easy Dinner Recipes:
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Air Fryer Chicken Sausage and Veggies
Ingredients
- 4 chicken sausages cut into rounds ½ - ¾ inches thick (seasoned*)
- 2 bell peppers chopped (I used one orange and one red)
- 1 small zucchini cut into half moons
- 1 medium red onion peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese (optional)
Seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and all of the seasonings to a large bowl. Stir well to form a thin paste.
- Transfer the chopped vegetables and sliced chicken sausages to the bowl. Gently fold them together until evenly coated in the seasoned oil.
- Preheat your air fryer basket to 400ºF (200ºC) for at least 3 minutes, or according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Transfer half of the vegetable and sausage mixture to the air fryer, spreading it out in an even layer.
- Cook for 8-11 minutes, or until the sausage pieces are browned and reach a minimum internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC).
- Transfer the cooked sausage and vegetables to a serving bowl and cook a second batch with the remaining half.
- If desired, sprinkle with shredded parmesan cheese before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dorothy Bigelow says
Super flavorful and super easy. We love it because it can be pulled together after a busy day and help us avoid the call of the drive-thru.