You may not realize how little time it takes when planning how to reheat sausage balls. Less than eight seconds in the microwave each, or about five minutes in the air fryer for fingertip-warm reheated sausage balls that are ready to eat.
Sausage balls are easy to make and easy to reheat. For a while there I was making them once a month because they last for days in the refrigerator and even longer when I freeze a batch and take them out a few at a time.
Some days I mix it up and create Pizza Sausage Balls with oregano, basil, and bits of pepperoni; and sometimes I add extra sage and garlic. Other times I add more cheese but less spice. Regardless of my recipe, I can never eat them all at once, even though fresh out of the oven is the BEST.
It’s a perfect brunch finger food, great for meal prep if you’re planning your breakfasts ahead, and fab at parties too, because you can make a lot at once ahead of time and they are hearty and tasty.
They are excellent because you can make them ahead and still reheat sausage balls a few at a time for a small batch, or all of them when serving a big group.
The secret to adding back that oven-fresh crispness is to do a small batch of heating up sausage balls in the air fryer.
Pro Tip: Don’t overheat baked goods. Because they aren’t very dense, flour-based foods tend to heat up fast and unevenly, which can make the edges dry and hard.
The methods that I use are easy and you only have to try the methods once to actually understand the process.
Reheat sausage balls a few at a time in the toaster oven or air fryer, or place them all on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven.
A typical batch is usually 24 sausage balls with a standard chub of breakfast sausage, so if you are making them for a standard household, you probably aren’t eating them all at once.
I’ve been doing it for years now and it has made my life so much easier. I just make a big batch of sausage balls and then freeze them.
And whenever you feel like having them, thaw them for 15 minutes on the counter, thaw in the fridge for an hour, or put them straight in the oven using any of the methods below.
It is best to not reheat sausage balls twice or they become chewy and not very tasty.
How Long Can Sausage Balls Sit Out?
If you want to store the sausage balls for later use, it’s best not to keep them out for long. Two hours is the limit as they can go bad, especially if your house is over 75°F.
Tips on Storing Sausage Balls
• It’s important that you let the sausage balls cool down before storing them.
• An airtight container works well if you plan to use the leftover sausage balls in the refrigerator within 3-4 days.
• Make sure you use a zip-lock bag if you want to store them in the freezer. Freeze them if you don’t want to use them within a week. Storing them in the freezer will keep them for up to 6 months. If you pull them out and they taste “off” they are probably frost-bitten and should be tossed.
• Remember, you deserve good food that is tasty.
How to Reheat Sausage Balls
If you want to learn how to reheat sausage balls, let me tell you that it isn’t difficult at all; however, you need to follow the steps to make sure that they turn out as good as new.
If you have frozen the sausage balls, make sure you take them out and let them defrost naturally. This can take a couple of hours so it’s better to plan beforehand.
Also, reheating reheated sausage balls is not going to be a very tasty experience, so I’d suggest only reheat them once.
How to Reheat Sausage Balls in the Air Fryer
This is my favorite way to reheat almost anything, but particularly for sausage balls. Reheating sausage balls in the air fryer takes a little longer than a microwave but not as long as an oven.
The hot air revives the crispy outside, and it’s easier to check on them to make sure that they aren’t burning or drying out.
Please, for my sake, only reheat the number of sausage balls you plan to eat at a time.
Heat your air fryer to 375F. Place balls on the tray in a single layer.
Heat for 4 minutes. Pause the air fryer. Turn with tongs, or just toss the basket, so the balls turn. You should be seeing a bit of sizzling action.
Start air fryer again and reheat for two minutes.
Remove sausage balls with tongs to a paper plate or napkin. Enjoy!
How to Reheat Sausage Balls in the Oven
I like this method the best as the sausage balls taste as good as new. I just preheat the oven at 400oF and place the defrosted sausage balls in. I bake them for about 8-10 minutes but always keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t overbake.
Once the 10 minutes are up, I take them out and make sure they’ve heated properly. If not, I just pop them in for another 2 minutes and they come out looking freshly baked.
Pro tip: Defrost the sausage balls before you put them in the oven for the best results!
How to Reheat Sausage Balls in the Microwave
Another way to reheat sausage balls is to microwave them.
For best results, reheat sausage balls in the microwave THREE AT A TIME OR LESS.
The more you add to the plate, the more likely heating up sausage balls will reheat unevenly and create hot or tough/dry spots.
For a single serving: Very lightly moisten a paper towel or large napkin with water and wrap one or two sausage balls in it.
Heat for 5 seconds in the microwave. Turn the towel packet over and heat for another 5 seconds.
For several servings: Dampen a kitchen hand towel and cover a microwave-safe plate of several sausage balls. Place the dish in the microwave, and heat for 15 seconds.
Turn the sausage balls with tongs, and reheat for 10 seconds.
It’s the moisture in the damp towel that keeps them from drying out as they heat up.
The Bottom Line
I’ve learned the hard way what happens to sausage balls that have been overheated in the microwave. Follow our secret to perfectly reheated food every time: CTT – Cover, Turn, Test, Repeat.
The toaster oven or conventional oven are far more forgiving and your sausage balls will crisp up again. They can still dry out so keep an eye on them.
Never made sausage balls before? Try our easy proven recipe here!
You can do this. Be well, friends.
How to Reheat Sausage Balls in the Air Fryer
Leftover sausage balls are a wonder to behold. Reheat them for a great snack, but eat them right away and don’t reheat the same ball twice.
Ingredients
- Air fryer
- Cooked and thawed sausage balls
- Paper plate or napkin
- Tongs
Instructions
- Heat air fryer to 375F
- Place cooked, thawed sausage balls on air fryer tray in a single layer.
- Heat for 4 minutes.
- Pause air fryer and turn sausage balls with tongs.
- Restart air fryer and heat for 2 more minutes.
- Remove sausage balls with tongs.
- Place on napkin or plate.
- Enjoy!
- Pro Tip: Reheating sausage balls that have already been reheated and cooled are probably not going to be very good. Just reheat your cooked sausage balls once for the tastiest experience.
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