What Can I Use Instead of Sausage Casing? 7 Excellent Alternatives

Sausage casings are traditionally used to encase ground meat mixtures to form sausages. However, you may want to make sausage without the casing for various reasons Fortunately, there are several excellent casing alternatives to consider.

Why Make Sausage Without a Casing?

Here are some common reasons for wanting to make casingless sausage

You want a softer texture without the “snap” of a casing. Some people find natural casings too chewy.
You are looking for a quick, convenient option Stuffing sausage into a casing can be time-consuming
You want to form sausage into a shape not easily achievable with casings, like patties or meatballs.
You are making a sausage to be used as an ingredient, like in lasagna, and don’t need it in link form.
You want to grill or pan-fry sausage and find that casings often split and unwrap during cooking.
You want to avoid the extra cost of buying casings.

7 Great Alternatives to Sausage Casings

Plastic wrap or bags: One of the simplest options is to form ground sausage meat into rolls using plastic wrap or resealable plastic bags. Twist the ends to shape into links. The plastic helps the sausage hold its shape during cooking but peels off easily after.
Muffin tins: For sausage patties, line muffin tins with parchment paper and press sausage meat into the cups. The tins provide uniform shaping. Pop the cooked sausage patties out of the tins after baking.
Aluminum foil: Make foil packets by placing sausage meat on foil, folding over, and crimping the edges to seal. This allows steaming and retains moisture as the sausage cooks.
Banana or grape leaves: Use leaves as edible wrappings to protect and add flavor as sausage cooks over a grill or in an oven. Soak leaves first to soften. Place sausage at one end, roll, and tie closed.
Corn husks: Traditionally used for tamales, soaked and pliable corn husks can wrap ground sausage to form a protective barrier during cooking.
Collagen sheets: Sausage meat pressed between layers of collagen sheets hold everything together. Use binding twine to tie off links. The collagen tenderizes during cooking.
Plant-based casings: For vegan and vegetarian sausages, options like alginate casing offer plant-based alternatives to create cased sausages.

Tips for Making Sausage Without Casings

Use binders like breadcrumbs or eggs to help sausage hold its shape without casing.
Chill sausage mixtures thoroughly before shaping. Cold meat is easier to form and will hold shape better.
Work quickly during shaping to prevent meat from warming and becoming too soft.
For rolls, flatten sausage into rectangular sheets before rolling up.

-Tighten plastic wrap, foil, or other wrappings well so that sausage holds its shape.

Turn sausages rolled in leaves, collard greens, or paper frequently during cooking.
Allow thinner sausage shapes to rest after cooking so they firm up and hold shape better.

The Takeaway

While casings are traditional, you have many casing-free options for preparing sausages. Shaping ground meat in plastic, leaves, muffin tins, or collagen sheets offers alternatives that can actually make sausage making easier and more creative. With some binding and proper shaping technique, you can produce sausages with great texture and flavor even without casings. Experiment with these casing-free ideas to find your favorite for making easy homemade sausages.

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Synthetic Casings

Artificial sausage casings can be made from plastic, collagen, and cellulose, and they might not always be safe to eat. Skin coverings made from collagen have been around the longest. They are made from animal collagen, mostly from cow and pig hides. Sometimes the bones and tendons are included, and the casings can also be made from poultry and fish. Collin casings are a cheap option that are easier to use than natural casings and give you more control over the sausage’s weight and size.

Viscose is a material made of cellulose from wood pulp or cotton linters (the fibers that stick to the cotton seeds after the cotton has been separated from them). It is used to make cellulose casings. These casings are strong and sheer, and permeable to smoke; they are peeled off after cooking. Plastic casings are not edible, and since they are impermeable, they are used for non-smoked, high-yield products.

Some fake cases need to be soaked in hot water before they can be used, and they need to be poked with a knife before they can be stuffed to get rid of any air pockets. The advantages of using synthetic casings are their strength and uniformity.

Natural Casings

In the past, around 4,000 BC, cooked meat was stuffed into the stomach of a goat to make natural casings. Today, natural casings are made from the submucosa, a layer of a farm animal’s intestine that contains naturally occurring collagen. The intestines mainly come from pigs, cattle, goats, sheep, and sometimes a horse. This way of wrapping sausage in a skin has been around for hundreds of years, though cleaning the intestines by hand is no longer necessary because of machines. It is the only way to wrap organic sausages.

The benefits of the natural casing are flavor and visual appeal. The natural casing lets the meat breathe, which gives the sausage a deeper flavor and richness. The flavors from smoking and cooking can seep into the casing and into the meat. Since the casings are all-natural, the sausages are very natural looking, being somewhat irregular in shape and size.

Meat Fact Friday: Collagen Casings

FAQ

What can I use as a substitute for sausage casings?

If you do not use casings at all, you can still form links by rolling up the mixture in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerating until firm. You will need to add a binder (bread crumbs, soy protein concentrate, etc.) to the sausage mix, normally 5% to 10% of the mix, to keep the meat from separating during cooking.

Do you need sausage casing to make sausage?

Sausage casings are an essential part of making sausage. After all, when we have a look at what sausages are made of, we have, of course, the stuffing with the meat, the sausage seasoning, and the meat casing. After all, a sausage isn’t a sausage without something to stuff it in.

Can you cook sausage without casing?

While most sausage lovers will cook a sausage in its casing, there are times when the casings can be removed. Removing a sausage casing gives you access to the deliciousness inside, allowing you to use the filling for other recipe ideas.

What can be used as a binder for sausage?

Many sausages use a binder – usually wheat crumb, or for gluten-free – potato starch. We prefer to use only meat and spices but if you want a binder you can use breadcrumbs (about 3 tablespoons/lb meat).

What are the best sausage casing alternatives?

If you don’t see the natural or synthetic casings as the best fit for your sausages, you may want to consider the sausage casing alternatives I’ve presented in this article. Collagen, plastic, or vegetarian casing may work better for you. It’s time to pick your favorite!

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.

Can you use plastic wrap instead of a casing for sausage?

Now I’m going to explain how to use plastic wrap instead of a casing for shaping your sausages. But don’t worry, you won’t be cooking your sausage in the plastic wrap! Cut two large pieces of plastic wrap. You need the pieces to be 6 inches longer than your desired sausage length.

Do you need a sausage casing?

A lot goes into the making of a good sausage and it all comes down to using a good sausage casing. Using the right casings gives homemade sausage the correct bite and ensures that the sausage cooks evenly and completely. Today, we will discuss two options for sausage casings: traditional natural casings and artificial collagen casings.