Baked Italian sausage is the easiest way to cook Italian sausage and the results are so delicious. Cooking sausages in the oven yields a beautiful crisp outside and a soft and tender inside. You can eat these baked sausages by themselves or with fagioli alluccelletto (Tuscan beans with tomatoes), Italian baked cannellini beans, white bean bruschetta, or a simple marinara sauce.
Keeping things simple is what we (and most Italians) are all about. There are many ways to cook Italian sausages but our favorite way is cooking them in the oven.
It only takes about 20 minutes to cook these baked sausages, and they are very easy to clean up afterward. We usually serve this with oven-roasted Italian beans, but it goes well with a lot of other things too.
Italian sausage is a staple in many households. It’s flavorful easy to cook, and versatile enough to be used in pastas sandwiches, pizzas, and more. While pan-frying is a quick cooking method, baking Italian sausage in the oven allows the meat to cook evenly while developing a coveted crispy exterior. If you’re wondering how long to cook Italian sausage in the oven, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to bake Italian sausage to perfection.
Choosing the Right Sausage
When baking Italian sausage, you first need to select the right variety. There are a few main types of Italian sausage to choose from:
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Mild – This classic Italian sausage has a subtle blend of fennel, garlic, and other herbs and spices It provides great flavor without too much heat
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Hot – Spicy Italian sausage packs some heat from chili flakes and other peppers Go for these links if you like things extra zesty.
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Sweet – As the name implies, sweet Italian sausage has a touch of sugar that balances the blend of herbs and spices. Sweet sausage tastes great in recipes where you want a subtle sweetness.
The cooking time can vary slightly depending on the type of sausage you select, with milder sausages usually requiring a little less time compared to spicier varieties. Choose your favorite flavor profile and adjust the baking time as needed.
Baking Prep
Prepping your Italian sausage for the oven is simple:
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Leave sausage links whole – Don’t slice the sausages. Leaving them whole ensures they retain moisture during baking.
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Use a baking sheet – Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. The raised edges help contain fat drippings.
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Space sausages apart– Leave at least 1 inch between sausages so air can circulate for even cooking.
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Don’t prick the sausages – Contrary to popular belief, pricking sausages before baking dries them out rather than preventing bursting. Keep them intact.
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Flip halfway through – Turning the sausages midway through baking allows both sides to brown evenly.
Oven Temperature
The ideal oven temperature for baking Italian sausage is 350°F to 400°F. This hot yet moderate heat helps the sausages develop a nice sear while fully cooking the interior.
Higher temperatures above 425°F can cause the exterior to over-brown before the inside cooks through. Lower temperatures below 325°F may lead to uneven cooking and not enough browning.
For most 1-inch thick Italian sausage links, baking at 375°F yields the best results. Adjust the temperature slightly up or down if working with thicker or thinner sausages.
How Long to Bake?
So how long should you bake Italian sausages to get them perfectly juicy and cooked through? Here are general guidelines:
- 1-inch thick mild sausages – Bake for 15-20 minutes
- 1-inch thick hot sausages – Bake for 17-22 minutes
- 1⁄2-inch thick sausages – Bake for 10-15 minutes
- Jumbo 2-inch thick sausages – Bake for 25-35 minutes
These time ranges account for flipping the sausages halfway through baking. Always use a meat thermometer to confirm they reach an internal temperature of 160°F when done.
If baking frozen sausage, extend the cooking time by 5-10 minutes. Frozen sausage may also release more fat during baking, so line your pan well.
Adding Flavor
One of the bonuses of baking Italian sausage is how easy it is to add extra flavor. Try these tasty mix-ins:
- Diced onions, peppers, mushrooms, or other veggies
- Sliced potatoes or squash
- Cherry tomatoes, halved
- Olives, chopped
- Fresh rosemary, oregano, or basil
- Minced garlic
- Chopped chili peppers
Simply scatter your desired ingredients around the sausages before baking. The extra flavor combinations are endless!
Serving Suggestions
Once you’ve mastered how long to bake Italian sausage to perfection, it’s time to serve it up. Here are some delicious ways to enjoy oven-baked sausage:
- Sandwiches – Add to hoagie rolls with sautéed peppers and onions.
- Pasta – Toss with your favorite noodles and tomato sauce.
- Pizza – Slice and add to homemade or store-bought pizza.
- Salads – Serve sliced on top of fresh greens or pasta salad.
- Breakfast – Pair with eggs, potatoes, biscuits, or gravy.
- Appetizers – Slice and serve with crackers, cheese, and olives.
- Main Dishes – Serve sausages with roasted veggies and rice or potatoes.
With the right prep, temperature, and cook time, you can easily bake flavorful, juicy Italian sausage in your oven. Adjust the seasonings and mix-ins to suit your taste. In about 20 minutes, you’ll have the perfect accompaniment for any meal.
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How To Cook Italian Sausages in the Oven
It’s important to make sure the oven is 400 degrees before cooking Italian sausage in it. If possible, I like to heat my oven for 10 minutes to make sure it’s heated all the way through.
Once the oven is hot, all that needs to be done to cook the Italian sausages is to line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and put the sausages on it.
You will bake the Italian sausages for about 20-25 minutes depending on the thickness of the sausage. Make sure to flip the sausages about halfway through the baking.
This ensures that all sides of the sausage get nice and caramelized during cooking.
Tips For Perfectly Cooked Sausage
Here is what I learned over the years cooking this type of sausage in the oven. From the best baking temperatures to what sausage looks like when perfectly cooked.
- Should you bake the sausage at a lower or higher temperature? I suggest baking it at 400 degrees because the high heat cooks it faster and makes the outside crisp while the inside stays soft and juicy. At 350 degrees and 375 degrees, I’ve tried baking them, but both make them dry because they need to be in the oven longer. When I tried it at higher temps, it burned them. 400 degrees is the magic number for baking them.
- Picture of a perfectly cooked sausage: When cooked at the right temperature (and flipped), baked sausages should have a slightly crisp outside with some wrinkles on the skin. When you cut them open, the inside should be very juicy and tender. If you cut into a cooked Italian sausage, you shouldn’t see pink. The sausages need a little more time to cook if there is pink inside. The U. S. D. A. says that Italian sausage is a ground meat and that it should be cooked until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. A meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer can be used to check this.
- Leftovers should be fully cooled before being put in a container or wrapped in aluminum foil and put in the fridge. To heat the sausages up again, wrap them in aluminum foil and put them in a 350-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are warm all the way through.
- Warm the oven up to 350 degrees before reheating the Italian sausages. Place sausages in aluminum foil and wrap tightly. For 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sausages are hot all the way through, put them in the oven.
No. This will allow the juices to escape during baking and dry out the sausages.
You can as long as you allow for a longer cooking time.
Putting them on a baking sheet in the middle of the oven is the best way to cook them. This allows the heat from the oven to evenly cook them.
If you use an instant-read or meat thermometer to check the temperature inside the sausage, it should be cooked until it reaches 160 degrees.
How To Cook Italian Sausage in the Oven
FAQ
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