The Ultimate Sausage Cooking Test: Frying Pan, Air Fryer, or Oven?

Life would be a little poorer without sausages. There is nothing nicer than bangers and mash, preferably with lots of gravy, or nestled between slices of bread with plenty of ketchup. But what is the best way to cook them so they are deliciously juicy and crisp on the outside? While a frying pan is traditional, many chefs and butchers favour using an oven. Others prefer the speed and efficiency of an air fryer, although cleaning the sticky fat and juices afterwards can be quite a challenge. Lifestyle reporter, Angela Patrone, decided to try all three methods and give the cooked sausages a mark out of ten.

Frying Pan Method

Angela turned on the hob to a medium-low heat and gave the pan a light spritz with olive oil. Once it was hot enough, she popped in the sausages, making sure they were not touching, as they can stick together, reports the Express. She let the sausages cook completely on one side before turning them over, resisting the urge to roll them about, fearing it could disrupt the cooking process. However, they took much longer than she expected and it was about 25 to 30 minutes before they were properly cooked.

Verdict: Angela said: "When the sausages were done, I was left with a cooker covered in grease, a burnt pan and sausages that were unevenly cooked and charred in most places. The sausages did have a nice crisp to them and were slightly juicy, but the charred taste was quite overpowering." Score: 4 out of 10.

Air Fryer Method

In contrast to the frying pan method, cooking sausages in the air fryer is hands-free and relatively quick – hence its popularity. Angela gave them the lightest spray of olive oil spray before popping them in for 23 minutes at 180C. She deliberately avoided pricking the sausages, to prevent the juices escaping and gave the basket a good shake midway through to avoid them sticking. The result was impressive – brown and crispy on the outside and decently juicy in the middle.

Verdict: She said: "Once the time was up, the sausages looked pretty evenly cooked, so much more than when cooked on the hob. When tasting the sausages, I found them to be juicy and far less greasy as the air fryer basket allows the fat to drain away." Score: 9 out of 10.

Oven Method

Angela heated her fan oven to 180C, lined a baking tray with foil and added the sausages. They took just over 30 minutes to cook, turning the tray halfway through to make sure they were evenly done. While she has never cooked sausages in the oven before, after testing this method, that is going to change. Taking them out of the oven, she immediately noticed that they looked evenly cooked, more so than the ones cooked in the air fryer.

Verdict: "While this is the longest method to cook sausages, it is also the one that makes them the juiciest. Inside was juicy and delicious, and the skin had a nice crisp that was not too tough. Plus, cooking sausages this way requires minimal clean-up afterwards. All I had to do was throw the foil in the bin and give the tray a quick rinse." Score: 10 out of 10.