How to Cook Sausage (Stove, Grill, or Oven)

Whether you’re searing bratwurst in a skillet, grilling kielbasa, or roasting hot Italian sausage links for an easy sheet-pan dinner, the goal is the same: deeply browned on the outside, juicy in the center, and never dry. The best method for cooking sausage depends on time, place, and personal preferences, but a few simple techniques will help you nail it every time.

Our favorite sausage recipes all have one thing in common: They cook the sausages evenly before the casing has a chance to burn or split. On the stove, that means a quick simmer before searing. On the grill, it means using both direct and indirect heat. In the oven, steady ambient heat cooks the sausage through while the exterior gradually browns.

• Fresh vs. fully-cooked sausage
• How to cook sausage on the stove
• How to grill sausage
• How to cook sausage in the oven
• How to cook frozen sausage
• Sausage FAQs

Fresh vs. fully-cooked sausage

Fresh sausage is sold raw and must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature before eating (160°F for pork, beef, and lamb sausage, and 165°F for poultry sausage, according to USDA guidance).

Fully-cooked sausages—including smoked and cured sausages like hot dogs, kielbasa, and many packaged bratwursts—are cooked during production, making them a convenient option for quick weeknight meals. You simply need to heat them through and brown the exterior before serving. A few minutes in a skillet or on the grill is usually all it takes to warm them through the center and brown the surface.

Not sure which you bought? Look for the words “raw” or “must be cooked” on fresh sausage labels and “fully cooked” or ”ready to eat” on cooked sausages. When in doubt, follow the manufacturer’s cooking instructions.

Check out our taste test for the best store-bought breakfast sausage →

How to cook sausage on the stove

For fresh sausage, this is one of the most reliable methods. Simmering isn’t strictly necessary, but it helps the meat cook evenly without drying it out or causing the casing to split.

Place the sausages in a large skillet or saucepan and add enough cold water to just cover them. Set the pan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a gentle simmer—not a rolling boil. Once the water reaches a simmer (6 to 8 minutes), remove the pan from the heat and transfer the sausages to a plate.

At this point, the sausages should be fully cooked but still pale. If you’re using an instant-read thermometer, it should register 160°F for pork sausage or 165°F for poultry sausage. Slightly lower is fine if you plan to continue cooking them; the internal temperature will continue to rise when you go to brown the casing.

Coat the bottom of a skillet with a neutral oil (vegetable oil, safflower oil, etc.). Place the pan over high heat and wait until the oil shimmers and you start to see slight wisps of smoke. Using tongs, lay the sausages into the skillet away from you (to avoid hot splattering oil) and cook, turning occasionally, until the casings are deeply browned and crisp. Since the sausages are already cooked through, this should only take a few minutes per side.

Making sausage sandwiches? Split the links lengthwise before searing to maximize crispy edges. Otherwise, leave them whole or slice them into coins for pasta, soups, grain bowls, or skillet dinners.

How to grill sausage

Fresh sausage grills best over two-zone heat: direct heat for browning, indirect heat for gentle cooking. Unlike cooking in a skillet, there’s no need to simmer the sausages first—the indirect side of the grill provides the same gentle heat while adding smoky flavor.

Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat. For a charcoal grill, bank the coals to one side. For a gas grill, leave one or two burners off. Lightly oil the grate.

Grill the sausages over direct heat until browned all over, about 3 minutes per side. Move them to the cooler side of the grill and continue cooking, turning occasionally, until they’re cooked through, 8 to 15 minutes more depending on the size of the links. An instant-read thermometer should read 160°F for pork, beef, and lamb sausage or 165°F for poultry sausage.

Fully cooked sausages, like kielbasa and many hot-dog-style bratwurst, can go straight over medium-high heat until they’re warmed through and browned. For extra crispy edges, butterfly them before grilling.

How to cook sausage in the oven

Roasting sausage is an easy, mostly hands-off option, especially when you’re cooking dinner on a sheet pan.

Heat oven to 425°F. Arrange fresh sausages on a parchment-lined baking sheet or nestle them among vegetables for an all-in-one meal—the rendered fat will help caramelize vegetables like fennel, onions, peppers, squash, and potatoes as they roast. Cook until the sausages are browned and bounce back when lightly pressed, 15 to 20 minutes for small sausage links or 25 to 30 minutes for larger ones, then verify doneness with an instant-read thermometer.

How to cook frozen sausage

Forgot to thaw the sausage? You’ve got options:

Heat oven to 375°. Start frozen sausages at a slightly lower temperature; using too high a heat would brown them while leaving the centers frozen.

Arrange frozen sausages on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until they’re mostly cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their size. Increase oven temperature to 425°F to crisp the casings. Continue roasting until the sausages are deeply browned, and an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F for pork, beef, or lamb sausage or 165°F for poultry sausage.

Fresh sausages don’t cook evenly on the grill straight from the freezer, so it’s best to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator first. If you didn’t plan ahead, poach them instead.

Place the frozen sausages in a saucepan, cover with at least 1" cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook until a paring knife slides easily into the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the sausages to a paper towel–lined plate and pat dry. Grill sausages over direct heat until browned all over, then move them to indirect heat, if necessary, to finish cooking, just as you would with fresh sausage.

Sausage cooking FAQs

Is it better to boil or fry sausage?

Rather than boiling, gently simmer fresh sausages until they’re cooked through, then finish them in a hot skillet or on the grill. Simmering cooks the meat evenly, while the final sear creates a crisp, browned exterior.

Can you cook sausage entirely in a skillet?

Yes. You can cook fresh sausage entirely in a skillet over medium-low heat, turning frequently. The simmer-then-sear method is simply more forgiving and produces consistently juicy results.

How do you grill sausage without burning it?

Use both direct and indirect heat. Brown the sausages over direct heat first, then move them to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking. This prevents the casing from scorching before the center is cooked through.

Why did my sausage casing split?

Sausage casings usually split when they're exposed to high heat too quickly. Starting fresh sausages over gentle heat—or moving them to indirect heat after browning on the grill—helps the meat cook evenly while keeping the casing intact.

Should you pierce sausage before cooking?

No. Poking holes in the casing allows the juices and rendered fat to leak out, causing flare-ups on the grill or more violent oil splatters on the stove. Either way, you’ll end up with a drier sausage. Unless a recipe specifically tells you to prick or split the casing, leave it intact while the sausage cooks.

Can you cook sausage from frozen?

Yes. Frozen sausages can be roasted directly from the freezer or gently poached before grilling. Both methods take longer than cooking thawed sausage, but they’ll still turn out juicy if you finish them over a higher heat to brown the casing.

How do you know when sausage is done?

The most reliable way is with an instant-read thermometer. Fresh pork, beef, and lamb sausage should reach 160°F; fresh poultry sausage should reach 165°F. Because some varieties of sausage can remain pink even when fully cooked, the color of the meat isn’t a reliable indicator of doneness.

Thermoworks Sizzle Instant-Read Thermometer

Thermoworks

Amazon

Editor’s note: This story was first published in February 2018 with the title How to Cook Sausages So They’re Not Weirdly Raw Inside (or Burnt), featuring reporting by Alex Delany. It has been expanded for style and content.