Everything you need to know to cook sausages perfectly. We have a lot of recipe ideas, from casseroles and tray bakes to fry-ups.
Easy to cook and convenient to portion, sausages are a useful staple. They’re usually made with pork mince, but you can also get them with lamb, beef, chicken, soy, and plant-based meat. Salt is added for flavor and to help the meat stay fresh. Often, they will also have rusk in them. Rusk is like very fine, dry breadcrumbs and is used to help hold the ingredients together and keep the meat from drying out by soaking up the fat as it cooks. The filling is inside a thin, edible shell that is either made from animal intestine or plastic. There are times when the casings of the sausages are joined together. These are called links, and they can be cut with scissors before cooking to make them easier to turn. Advertisement.
Seasonings, spices and herbs are added to give the sausages extra flavour. To make new kinds, you can also add small pieces of cooked apple, caramelized onions, or other foods that go well with pork.
If youve cooked more sausages then you need, read our guide for how to use up leftover sausages.
Cooking up sausage from your local butcher can take your meals from boring to sensational. Unlike pre-cooked sausage you find in the grocery store, raw sausage from a butcher needs a little finesse to turn out perfectly juicy, flavorful and safe to eat. Follow these tips to learn how to cook fresh sausage to perfection.
Start with High Quality Sausage
The foundation of any great sausage dish starts with procuring high quality links or patties from a reputable butcher. Look for sausages made from premium cuts of meat like pork shoulder or boneless sirloin. The butcher should be grinding the meat and mixing in seasonings from scratch rather than using pre-made mixes. This attention to quality ingredients gives you unbeatable texture and flavor. Only work with fresh raw sausage within 2 days for safety.
Understand the Different Types
Fresh sausages come in a variety of styles:
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Italian – Features fennel, garlic parsley and other herbs.Flavorful addition to pastas and pizzas.
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Bratwurst – German style made with veal, pork or beef Pairs well with sauerkraut.
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Chorizo – Spicy Spanish-style sausage with paprika and garlic. Great in tacos.
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Breakfast – Made with sage and other breakfast-friendly spices. A morning staple.
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Merguez – North African lamb sausage boldly spiced with harissa. Fantastic in kebabs.
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Kielbasa – Eastern European smoked sausage perfect for soups.
Choose your sausage based on the flavor profile you want and how you plan to use it.
Poach First for Tenderness
The best way to cook a fresh sausage (and it won’t hurt a smoked sausage) is to poach it first. Start by getting a pan of salted water up to poaching temperature, so between 160°F and 190°F, uncovered. Add your sausages and cook thoroughly. For the size of our sausages, this takes about 25 minutes.
This gentle simmering cooks the sausage evenly throughout without overcooking the exterior. The poaching liquid keeps the interior moist and tender.
Pan Fry for Crispiness
Once poached, you can finish the sausages by pan frying in a skillet to get a nice crispy browned exterior. Add just a teaspoon of oil to the hot pan and brown the links on both sides. Take care not to overcook them.
Pan frying after poaching gives you the textural contrast of a crisp casing and tender interior. Skip the poaching and just pan fry if you prefer a firmer sausage.
Grill ‘Em Up
Fresh sausages also benefit from time on the grill. Poach or simmer sausages first until nearly cooked through then finish them on a hot grill to char the outside. Grill sausage directly over the heat but keep a close eye to prevent burning. Move links away from direct flames if flare-ups occur.
The smoky flavor and attractive grill marks take the sausages to the next level. Brush with your favorite BBQ sauce or rub during the last few minutes on the grill.
Bake in the Oven
You can also bake fresh sausages to excellence. Line a sheet pan with foil and arrange the sausages on top. Bake at 400°F for 15-25 minutes based on thickness, flipping halfway through. The dry environment of the oven means you may need to coat or brush the sausages with oil first to prevent drying out.
Baking is great when making a big batch. Spread them out so they get even heating. Throw some roasted veggies on another sheet pan in the oven at the same time for a complete meal.
Know When They’re Done
Use these tips to identify when sausages are fully cooked:
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Internal temperature reaches 160°F.
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Meat is opaque throughout when cut into.
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Juices run clear not pink when pierced.
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Casing is browned and crispy.
Err on the side of slightly undercooked since they will continue cooking off heat.
Add Flavor With Sauce
Enhance that fresh sausage flavor with a sauce while cooking. Try:
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Beer – Use an ale or lager to simmer then glaze with during pan frying.
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BBQ Sauce – Sweet, smoky or spicy, paint it on near the end of grilling.
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Mustard – Coarse style mustards give great flavor when poaching.
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Tomato Sauce – Simmer Italian sausage in marinara to serve with pasta.
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Onions and Peppers – Caramelized veggies amp up the taste.
Sausage Meal Ideas
Looking for ways to use fresh sausage? These recipes highlight the flavor beautifully:
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Breakfast sandwiches and burritos
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Baked ziti or lasagna with Italian sausage
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Jambalaya or dirty rice with chorizo
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Smoked kielbasa and cabbage soup
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Grilled brats with sauerkraut
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Baked frittata or quiche with breakfast sausage
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Hearty sausage and mushroom pasta sauce
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Pizza topped with spicy Italian sausage
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Tacos with chipotle chorizo and pineapple salsa
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Merguez sausage kebabs with bell peppers and onion
Follow Proper Food Safety
When handling and cooking fresh sausage:
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Refrigerate sausage at 40°F or below until ready to cook.
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Freeze for longer storage up to 2-3 months.
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Thaw frozen sausage in the refrigerator not at room temp.
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Cook thoroughly to an internal temperature of 160°F.
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Serve immediately or refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Discard fully cooked leftovers after 3-4 days.
Following basic food safety helps reduce your risk of foodborne illnesses when cooking with fresh sausages.
Enjoy the Fresh Flavor
From the satisfying sizzle of pan-fried links to the smoky char of grilled sausage, fresh varieties from your local butcher elevate everyday meals. Handle raw sausage with care, cook it thoroughly, add creative flavors, and enjoy the homemade taste. With so many cooking methods to pick from, what sausage dish will you make tonight?
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How long to oven cook sausages
With oil on them and cooking in an oven that is already hot, it should take most sausages 20 to 25 minutes to be fully cooked. Make sure to turn the sausages a few times while cooking to ensure an even temperature distribution. After cooking, the outside should be golden brown and the inside should be pale brown. The meat shouldn’t be pink. See our recipe below for more details.
What is the best way to cook sausages?
The sausages taste good with the fat they have, but if you want to cut it down, baking them is the best way to do it. Prick them first with a skewer so more fat can drain out during cooking. Once they are baked, you can chop them up and simmer them in a sauce, stew, or even in the slow cooker. This will bring back some of the moisture that was lost during baking. You can also make them serve more people by cutting the sausages up and mixing them with other things.
People also like to grill or barbecue sausages, fry them on the stove or in an air fryer, or cook them in a pan.
How To Link / Tie Sausages – Butchery Tips
FAQ
Is it better to cook sausages in the oven or pan?
What’s the best way to cook fresh sausage?
Can you cut up raw sausage before cooking?
How do you cook ground sausage?
How to cook ground sausage: 1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Add loose (casings removed) or bulk sausage and chopped onions and garlic, if desired, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. 3. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling indulgent.
How do you cook sausage in a frying pan?
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place your sausages to the skillet and cook them for 5 minutes. Add half a cup of water to the skillet, then cook your sausages for another 7-15 minutes until they reach an internal temperature of 60 °F (71 °C). Heat 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
How do you cook sausage in the oven?
To cook sausage in the oven, here’s what I did: I preheated a conventional oven to 350°F and sprayed a nonstick baking sheet with canola oil. I started with five minutes on each side and checked it after a full 10 minutes of cooking.
How do you cook sausage ribs?
1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 2. Add loose (casings removed) or bulk sausage and chopped onions and garlic, if desired, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. 3. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling indulgent. Remove to a plate.