Air Fryer Sausage Balls are an easy appetizer that's loaded with flavor. All you need are five simple ingredients and 13 quick minutes of cook time to create these cheesy sausage balls.
I'm always looking for that perfect appetizer for parties. The first time that I made this air fryer sausage balls recipe, I knew I'd knocked it out of the park. This has become one of our favorite air fryer recipes. Every bite was loaded with delicious ground pork sausage and shredded cheese that before I knew it, the plate was empty. That is the best part of feeding others for any home cook.
Bite-sized sausage balls can easily be made any time of the day, but these really are the perfect finger food. Homemade delicious sausage balls are wonderful for parties, get-togethers, or as a hearty appetizer for the big game.
For more delicious recipes, try our Air Fryer Paneer and Air Fryer Frozen Wings.
Ingredients
Ground sausage: The great thing about this sausage recipe is that you can use all flavors and types. Italian sausage would be a good flavor and I think that hot sausage or another spicy sausage would be good too, as long as you like a bit of heat.
Cornbread crumbs: You'll see a lot of air fryer sausage balls (and ones made in the oven, too) as have a cup of Bisquick biscuit mix as their mixture of choice. I prefer using cornbread because it adds a little hint of sweetness. For a keto diet option simply sub in this almond flour cornbread. For gluten free use a gluten free cornbread.
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: The flavor of cheddar cheese is so good with the sausage and cornbread.
Cream cheese: Adding in the cream cheese works as a good binding agent and keeps the sausage balls from drying out while cooking.
Egg: Great for holding all the ingredients together and adding a boost of protein.
How To Cook Air Fryer Sausage Balls
Step One: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Step Two: Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and mix. Since this recipe is so easy to do, you don't need a mixer or a meathook attachment.
Step Three: Once mixed, form the sausage ball mixture into small balls and add to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Make the balls about 1-2 inches in diameter. Use a spoon to scoop out and try and keep them all the same size. Set them on parchment paper until you have them all made and ready to put into the air fryer.
Step Four: Spray the basket with olive oil spray or use parchment paper liners. Add the sausage cheese balls to the air fryer basket in a single layer. Make sure there is space and that the air fryer meatballs are not touching one another.
Step Five: Cook in the air fryer until golden brown and the pork has an internal temperature of 160 on a meat thermometer. You can use tongs to turn them halfway through if you want but I don't bother.
Top Tip
You can make up a bowl of sausage mixture and cover the plastic wrap the day before cooking. Store in the fridge and then scoop and cook to order.
Variations
- Spices - Adding in a bit of black pepper is a fast and easy way to enhance the flavor but don't forget that you can also add garlic powder and onion powder as well. For a bit of heat add red pepper flakes.
- Ground Pork - If you use ground pork instead of ground sausage you will need to add a pinch of salt.
- Cornbread crumbs - Try using leftover Air Fryer Cornbread, Cornbread Casserole, or even Smoked Cornbread as the crumbs.
Try Air Fryer Sausage next time you want to cook whole links.
Common Questions
You can serve this sausage appetizer up as is or pair it with a fun dipping sauce like ranch, BBQ sauce, or even a melted queso dip.
The easiest way to test the doneness of a recipe is to use a meat thermometer. Grab a cooked sausage ball and insert the meat thermometer. If pork roasts read 145 degrees or more, that means that the pork is cooked and safe to eat. Ground pork should be cooked a little longer. I like these to reach 160.
Typically, this means that you didn't add enough cornbread or cream cheese to the mixture. Make sure that the measurements are exact.
This easy recipe reheats very well so I often make a double batch. If you're lucky enough to have a few remaining, all you need to do is reheat them in the microwave. You can also use your air fryer to reheat but just be careful that you're not overcooking them.
The key to keeping these sausage balls as fresh as possible for as long as possible is keeping them in the fridge in an airtight container.
You can also freeze them in batches as well. Add uncooked sausage balls to the freezer before you bake them (and then cook from frozen). Or freeze after you bake them and warm up as needed. Both methods work. Store them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
Recipe
Air Fryer Sausage Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb loose ground sausage
- 1 cup cornbread crumbs
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 oz cream cheese
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 400 and spray the basket with cooking spray.
- Mix together the ingredients. Form into 24 balls. Place into a single layer in the air fryer. You may need to cook them in 2 batches.
- Air fry for 13 minutes until golden brown, firm, and 160 when checked with an internal thermometer.
Notes
Nutrition
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Originally Published February 1, 2022. Revised and Republished June 17, 2025.
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