There’s nothing better than a sausage sandwich, and this version, smothered in chimichurri and inspired by Argentinian choripán, will not disappoint!
My Argentinian friends introduced me to this delicious sandwich at one of their backyard parties. It’s typically grilled and served on a crusty baguette, and the sausage is usually chorizo, a mild (not smoked) pork or beef link similar to a sweet Italian sausage, seasoned with only paprika. Here, I used leaner Italian chicken sausage. What really makes this sandwich so delicious is the herby chimichurri. It’s the type of sauce that makes just about everything taste better!
When I make this air fryer sandwich with sausage as a main dish, I like to balance it out with a salad. A garden salad, tomato salad, or even some savory sweet potato wedges would be a great addition here.–Gina Homolka
Air Fryer Sausage Sandwich FAQs
True, authentic choripán sausages are made with beef and pork, and contain more fat and calories than the poultry version used below. We think the “skinny” version is pretty darn spectacular, and we didn’t miss the extra fat or calories at all.
Your kitchen, your choice. We don’t judge if you want to use shortcuts because let’s face it, sometimes we all need a timesaver. BUT – we think the fresh flavor of homemade chimichurri is a game-changer in recipes such as this one, where it can be allowed to elevate a relatively simple sausage to superstar level. You can use premade the first go ’round if you’re in a bind, but we suggest trying this sandwich with homemade chimichurri when you have time. Also, chopping fresh parsley will make your kitchen smell like a dream.
Air Fryer Sausage Sandwich
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chimichurri
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves (no stems), finely chopped (no stems)
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon water
For the sandwiches
- Four (2.8-ounce) uncooked sweet Italian chicken sausage links
- 8 ounces whole wheat baguette or Italian bread, cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
Make the chimichurri
- In a medium bowl, combine the red onion, vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to mellow out the raw onion.
- Add the garlic, parsley, pepper flakes, and water and whisk together.
Make the sandwiches
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C).
- Place the sausages in the air fryer basket and cook until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the center, 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a cutting board and slice the sausages lengthwise. Do not turn off the air fryer.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you prefer more browning on your sausages, slice lengthwise before air frying. Note that the cook time will be reduced to about 10 minutes.
- Working in batches if needed, place the bread pieces in the air fryer until warmed through, about 30 seconds. Slice each piece of bread open.
- Spread 1 tablespoon chimichurri on the bottom of each bread slice, top with one sausage each, then another 1/2 tablespoon chimichurri. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I love chimichurri and this one was perfect! Normally I wouldn’t choose a poultry sausage as I find they lack the wow of pork and beef sausages. This air fryer sandwich recipe adds just the right “zing” so I can enjoy a lower fat sausage such as chicken or turkey.
My sausages were a chicken and turkey mix. Although they weighed a bit more at 100 grams each, the extra weight came from length, not width. I don’t believe this affected the cooking time. Mine did take 15 minutes to cook to an internal temperature of 162°F.
So fast. So simple. So delicious. Four generous servings of perfect sausage to bread to sauce ratio and with an inch of sausage overhang. Served ours with cherry tomato salad. Yum!
This air fryer sausage sandwich recipe gets a huge thumbs up for taste, simplicity, speed, and easy clean up! Who knew an air fryer could deliver a fully cooked sausage with a snappy skin that you don’t need to hover over while cooking? I may never cook sausage any other way. The only thing I did miss was a sear on the slices, so next time I may finish the sliced sausage up in a pan, but then again maybe not. This sandwich was super tasty and came together from start to finish in about 25 minutes!
This air fryer sausage sandwich is a quick and easy fix when your time is short. I absolutely love the flavor of chimichurri, but had only tried it on grilled meat like steak or chicken, or in a bean salad.
I split the sausage lengthwise prior to placing it in the air fryer to get plenty of delicious brown crispiness rather than slicing it afterward. I also realized that I forgot the bread at the grocery, so I served the sausage and sauce on a toasted English muffin. Don’t judge, it was delicious, the nooks and crannies were the perfect complement to hold the chimichurri. Even though it certainly isn’t authentic, I may continue to use them instead of a crusty bread. I despise when all the goodness of a sandwich squishes out because the bread is too tough to bite through.
We had these for dinner last night and they were delicious. So simple and easy! I used Shadybrook Farms sweet Italian turkey sausage and sliced them open down the middle so they’d cook faster. The chimichurri was excellent, but I think these would also work well with some pizza sauce and provolone on top. I’ll definitely be making these again.
Great suggestions, Amy. Do let us know how they turn out with your modifications.
Our new oven/range has a no preheat air fryer feature. Will the recipes in this book transfer from counter top models to a full size oven? All air fryer cookbooks are seemingly are written for counter top fryers. Thx
We haven’t tested this recipe in a full size oven with an air fryer feature, lowandslow. I suspect with a larger appliance it will take more time to cook but otherwise you should be successful. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.