Sausage is a beloved pizza topping. The seasoned meat adds hearty flavor and texture that complements cheese and sauce perfectly. But an important question arises when making homemade pizza – should you precook sausage before topping your pie? Or is it safe to use raw?
The answer isn’t quite as straightforward as you may think. While raw sausage does require special handling, it can be added directly to pizza with great results as long as you follow a few guidelines. In this article, we’ll cover whether or not raw sausage can go on pizza, tips for cooking it properly, and how to tell when it’s done.
Is Raw Sausage Safe on Pizza?
Raw sausage, just like any raw meat, contains bacteria that can cause foodborne illness. So eating fully uncooked sausage comes with safety risks. However, pizza reaches high enough temperatures to cook raw sausage thoroughly and destroy harmful pathogens.
As long as your pizza reaches 160°F in the center, the sausage will become safe to eat. Pizza oven temperatures typically range from 500-800°F. At these high heats, sausage can fully cook in the short pizza bake time.
So you can place raw sausage on pizza without worries as long as you ensure it cooks through. Monitor thickness and doneness and test internal temperature if concerned. As long as pathogens are killed by proper cooking, raw sausage poses no safety issues on pizza.
Tips for Cooking Raw Sausage on Pizza
Follow these tips to safely and properly cook raw sausage as a pizza topping
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Cut sausage into small pieces. Whole sausage links or large chunks may not fully cook through. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces or crumble sausage before topping pizza This exposes more surface area to the oven heat
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Don’t overload the pie. Too much sausage may steam versus bake, keeping the interior undercooked. Use a lighter hand when sprinkling sausage so it cooks through.
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Partially precook. For extra assurance, you can parcook sausage before adding to pizza. Pan fry until no longer pink but not fully cooked. This head start helps it finish safely in the oven.
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Add toppings strategically. Place sausage chunks on top of cheese or veggies. This lifts it closer to the intense oven heat rather than nestling below other toppings.
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Use a pizza stone. Pizzas bake best directly on hot pizza stones. The stone crisps the crust while transferring heat efficiently to toppings.
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Bake at high heat. Crank your oven as hot as possible, ideally around 500°F. The blistering temperature will properly cook the sausage.
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Rotate frequently. Turn the pizza every 2-3 minutes to prevent hot spots. This helps the sausage cook evenly.
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Check temperature. Use an instant read thermometer to test sausage, especially if very thick. It should reach 160°F minimum.
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Cut and inspect. After baking, slice pizza and check that sausage pieces are fully cooked through without pink centers.
How to Tell When Sausage is Cooked Through
It can be tricky to tell if sausage fully cooked atop pizza. Here are some surefire ways to check:
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Internal temperature. Stick an instant read thermometer into sausage pieces. They should reach 160°F.
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Color. Fully cooked sausage browns and crisps on the edges. Uncooked sausage looks moist and pink/red.
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Texture. Properly cooked sausage firms up and becomes opaque versus soft and mushy when raw.
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Cut through. Slice sausage open and inspect the interior. It should be browned throughout, not pink.
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Leakage. Raw sausage releases juices and oils when cooking. Check that liquids run clear rather than pink or red.
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Time. If following recipe instructions in a hot oven, sausage should fully cook in 10-15 minutes.
Trust the thermometer reading over visuals when uncertain. Even sausage that looks done may still harbor raw spots deep inside. Reach 160°F and you can be positive that your sausage is safe to eat on pizza.
Troubleshooting Raw Sausage on Pizza
Having trouble getting your raw sausage to come out right on homemade pizza? Here are some common issues and how to solve them:
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Undercooked centers: Use smaller pieces, cook at higher heat, rotate more frequently, and monitor doneness closely.
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Chewy texture: Overcrowding traps steam and prevents crisping. Leave space between pieces and use a light hand with toppings.
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Greasy pizza: Blot raw sausage with paper towels before topping to reduce excessive grease.
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Burnt bottom: Elevate pizza and use a stone for better heat circulation. Rotate frequently as well.
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Takes too long: Partially precooking sausage gives it a head start so it finishes faster in oven.
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Lacking flavor: Salt and season raw sausage before putting on pizza for fuller flavor.
Ready-to-Use Precooked Sausage for Pizza
If you want to skip the hassle of cooking raw sausage on pizza, look for precooked or cured sausage options at your grocery store. These convenient products allow you to top pizza with sausage that’s ready to heat and eat:
- Pepperoni
- Hard salami
- Genoa salami
- Capicola
- Pancetta
- Prosciutto
- Cooked Italian sausage
- Kielbasa
- Bratwurst
- Chorizo
- Andouille sausage
- Smoked sausage
Precooked or cured sausages add great flavor without prep. Just slice and place them on pizza—no precooking required. Their firm texture holds up well during baking.
For an easier sausage pizza, stock up on ready-to-use sliced sausage from the deli section. Just open the package and top away.
The Takeaway on Raw Sausage Pizza
While raw sausage requires some special handling, it can absolutely be used as a pizza topping. The key is cutting it into small pieces, not overloading, and baking at high heat to ensure the sausage cooks fully. Monitor thickness, color, temperature, and texture to guarantee safety.
Precooking isn’t required if you follow proper protocol. But for more convenience, use precooked or cured sausage. Either way, sausage adds hearty richness and spice to pizza that’s hard to beat. Just make sure you handle the raw variety carefully.
With the guidance above, you can confidently place raw sausage on pizza for mouthwatering homemade pies. Trust your thermometer, rotate frequently, and bake until sizzling hot. In no time, you’ll become a pro at cooking sausage from scratch on pizza. Time to fire up the oven and enjoy this classic pairing!
k
Recipe: Easy Sausage Pizza
FAQ
Is it OK to eat sausage raw?
Should you put cooked or raw meat on pizza?
What kind of sausage do you put on pizza?
Can you cut up raw sausage before cooking?
Do they use raw sausage on pizza?
They have been around for 50 years and still today they use raw sausage on all of the pizzas. They are one of the highest-grossing independent pizzerias in the nation, by the way. Let’s look at how and why I actually use several different sausage types in my shops.
Is sausage casing healthier option to eat?
Cellulose casings and some natural casings are perfectly fine to eat. Sausage casings are used to hold and shape filling inside so that it can be cooked. There are natural sausage casings and synthetic varieties, and most of them are edible. The healthiest way to cook them is by boiling or baking. Sausages provide high levels of vitamin B12 and iron, both of which are essential for healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin production.
Do you pre Cook sausage on a pizza?
Previously, anytime I made pizza with sausage on top, I would pre-cook the sausage. No more. Kenji stressed the importance of using raw sausage and the flavor it would bring to the pie. I haven’t thought much about this previously, I’ve always been conscience of serving my guests raw sausage.
Can you put raw meat in pizza dough?
Since most homemade pizza recipes call for a preheated oven ranging from 475 F to 500 F, you might find it intuitive to put your raw meat toppings in with your pizza dough. But will that yield the best results for your meat lover’s pie? Raw meats like sausage should always be cooked before they’re added to the pizza (via Kitchn ).