How to Cook Sausages: The Complete Guide for Beginners

Did you know that people have been enjoying sausages since 589 BC?

Since then, people have been coming up with all different sausage recipes and ways to cook sausages to bring out as much of the meat’s flavour as possible. If you don’t know how to cook sausages or don’t know the best way of cooking sausages to bring out the best flavours, don’t worry because you’re in the right place to learn.

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Keep reading and learn more about the different ways of cooking sausages below.

All About Cooking Sausages on a Pan

When it comes to learning how to cook a sausage, cooking it in a pan is perhaps the easiest and most classic way. To cook in this way, you will need to get a few sausage cooking utensils on hand. Of course, you will need a pan, preferably a non-stick pan.

However, using a cast-iron pan can also be a good decision. The flavours from the cast iron can bleed into the sausages and provide them with an extra layer of flavour. Once you have your pan, you’ll need to get some high-quality olive oil.

You can opt for less-refined olive oil, but it might overpower the more delicate flavours of the sausages. Finally, you will want to keep a pair of tongs on hand so you can easily grab and flip the sausages when necessary. To start cooking sausages on the pan, add some olive oil to your pan and wait for it to heat up.

The last thing you’ll want to do is put the sausages in the oil too early before the oil has had a chance to heat up. If you do this, the sausages might become too greasy and mushy which, of course, will ruin any sausage. It will only take a minute or two before the olive oil is hot enough.

You will know that it’s hot enough when the oil has a slight sheen on its surface. Keep in mind that you don’t need to add too much oil since sausages already have quite a lot of fat in them on their own. Then, add the sausages to the pan.

What You Need to Know

The sausages should sizzle as soon as they hit the oil. Be sure that none of the sausages touches each other as they cook as they could end up sticking together. Besides that, keeping them separated will ensure that they get an even seer on all sides.

But what if you need to cook a lot of sausages at one time? In this case, you will need to fry a few sausages at a time and work in batches. While this may take a while, it will ensure that the sausages turn out well.

Let the sausages cook completely on one side before flipping them over. You won’t want to repeatedly flip the sausages or prod them as this could interfere with the cooking process. Also, flipping the sausages only a couple of times will ensure that the sausages get a great sear.

To make sure that the sausages are done cooking, cut one of them in half on a plate. The inside should not have any pink in the middle and instead should be brown. If you need to cook the sausages fast, you can butterfly them before adding them to the pan, but keep in mind this will cause the sausages to lose some of their fat and moisture.

Cooking Sausages on the Grill

Cooking sausages on grills are another classic cooking method and it is ideal for any type of sausages you may be dealing with. When it comes to sausage cooking methods, grilling is a method that will take some time and patience. To start, you will need to wait for your grill to heat up.

If you have a propane grill, this may not take very long. However, if you have a grill that requires charcoal or wood, you may need to wait several minutes before the grill is hot enough to cook anything. If you are using charcoal, you should be able to tell when the coals are hot enough just by looking at them.

They should be covered in a layer of ash and have a red or orange glow to them. Be sure to push the coals over to one side of the grill. This will ensure that one side of the grill is hot enough for cooking while the other side is “cool” enough to keep the sausages warm even after they’re done cooking.

To start, place the sausages all in a row on the grill once the grill is hot enough. The sausages should sizzle as soon as they hit the grates. If they don’t sizzle, wait a few more minutes for your grill to heat up.

The Details

After a minute or two, turn the sausages over to the other side. You should see distinct grill marks on the cooked side and the sausage should have a golden-brown or dark brown appearance, although the colour may vary depending on what sausages you’re cooking. Once you turn the sausages, you’ll only need to cook the second side for about a minute.

This will give the sausages a good sear, but the insides will not be cooked yet. To do this, you will need to move the sausages to the “cold” side of the grill. This side will not be hot enough to sear the sausages but it will be hot enough to cook the inside of the sausages.

This is important because if you keep cooking the sausages on the hot side, you’ll end up burning the outside before the insides are cooked. Once you move the sausages to the other side of the grill, they will need to keep cooking for around 10 minutes or so. You can check whether or not the sausages are done by cutting through one of them.

There should be no pink in the middle and the liquid the sausage releases should be clear.

Boiling the Sausages

Boiling a sausage will make the sausage look quite different compared to fried or grilled sausages. Boiling will not create a sear on the surface of the sausages, so it can be hard to tell whether or not the sausages are done if you’re not experienced with this method. To start, get a pot and fill it with liquid.

You can use regular tap water to boil your sausages, but this can render the meat a bit flavourless. To add a bit more flavour, try boiling the sausages in chicken or vegetable stock or even water mixed with wine. Boiling may not be the ideal cooking method for all sausages.

Instead, boiling is best for sausages that contain very finely ground meat. Be sure that the water is at a high boil before you add the sausages, otherwise, the sausages may get soggy if the water isn’t hot enough yet. Then, reduce the heat so that the boil isn’t as aggressive.

The cooking time will depend on what kind of sausages you’re dealing with. If the sausages are already cooked, you may only need to boil them for a few minutes. This will ensure that the insides are hot and delicious.

If the sausages are not cooked, you will need to cook them for a longer period of time, usually around a half hour. After some time, take the sausages out and press on them to see if they’re done. If they’re cooked, they should be firm to the touch.

All About Boiling Sausages

You can also try cutting one of them in half. Again, the inside of the sausage should not contain any pink. Instead, it should be brown all the way through.

Once the sausages are done cooking, they will be ready to eat. As mentioned before, boiling sausages isn’t ideal if you want the sausages to have a lot of flavour. However, there is a simple way to add more flavour to boiled sausages: fry them.

Dry the boiled sausages and then put them in a pan of hot oil. Since they are already cooked, you won’t need to fry them for very long. The olive oil or butter you use will give the sausage a nice seer and it will provide the meat with more flavour.

You can also throw in a few spices or onions and garlic if you want.

How to Cook Sausages Like a Pro

If you want to learn how to cook sausages, there are many methods you can try. Grilling and frying sausages can make the sausages pop with flavour. Boiling sausages is a faster method but you will have to part with some of the flavour unless you fry them after boiling them.

If you’re in the market for sausages shop our selection, including square sausage, today.