How to Tell if Sausage Is Cooked (+4 Easy Cooking Methods)

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Summer is a fun time to grill, barbecue with friends and family.

But how do you tell if your sausage is ready or not?

Want to know how to tell if sausage is cooked? You can tell if a sausage is cooked if you insert a thermometer and its read at least 160°F.

Keep reading to see how you can serve your guests and family safe sausages. 

Minimal Internal Temperature for Sausages

Type Sausage Meat	Minimum Internal Temperature
Pork sausage	160°F
Beef sausage	160°F
Pork and beef sausage	160°F
Turkey sausage	165°F
Deer sausage	165°F
Chicken sausage	165°F

How to Tell if Sausages Are Ready With a Thermometer

Check the temperature by sticking the thermometer by 1/2 an inch into the thickest part and ends of the meat.

Wait for 3 seconds and read the temp.

Avoid piercing the casings of the sausage to prevent it from drying up. Instead, insert the tip of the thermometer into the small openings on the sides of the meat.

If the internal temperature is at least 160 °F (70°C) for lamb, pork sausages, or beef, it’s ready.

And if the temp is 165°F(74°C) for poultry sausages, turkey, game, and wild flow sausages then it’s ready to eat. These are great examples of delicate meat.

How to Tell if Sausages Are Ready Without a Thermometer

If you don’t have a thermometer, cook your sausages to a golden brown color and then cut them across. 

The sausages are ready if they’re firm, with a clear juice and taupe color. If they’re soft, with a pink color and a bloody runny liquid, they may be raw.

You can use this technique if you don’t have a thermometer to check if your grilled, oven-roasted, or pan-fried sausages are ready. 

Remember pathogens, in raw or undercooked meat can lead to illness.

The USDA recommends that each different type of sausage cook to a minimum internal temperature of 160°F

What Color Should Cooked Sausages Be?

You may be wondering whether eating a slightly pink sausage is okay.

Beef sausage and other varieties of sausage are not processed the same way.

And some have a pink or reddish-pink color.

For example, ground breakfast sausage, saveloy sausage, or pork sausage has a reddish color after cooking. Chicken and turkey sausages present a light reddish-pink color after cooking.

If the meat is ready, the color should not worry you. But if you suspect spoiled sausage, you must take caution and discard it.

And if the juices running from the sausage are clear, then the meat is ready. Bear in mind that sausages contain colorants and other ingredients like salt, colored spices, and paprika. These ingredients cause you to doubt if your meat is ready.

To ensure that pork sausages and all sausages, in general, are ready, cook at the right temperature. Undercooked meat can be a source of parasites like roundworms and tapeworms. 

Can You Cut Up or Prick Sausages Before Cooking?

Cutting or pricking sausages before or during the cooking process depends on your preference.

For example, people who prick sausages in several spots or cut across believe they cook fast.

Others believe that this technique allows steam, fat, and juices to escape. And causes the sausages to dry out.

The best approach is to cooking sausage is by using medium-slow and low heat. This approach prevents skin rapture and burn-up. And results in a golden brown sausage, that’s succulent and flavourful. 

How to Cook Sausages

There are several ways you can cook your sausages to ensure that they cook through.

When you grill or roast sausage under high temperatures, they turn black, burnt, and remain raw inside.

But you can put a stop to serving undercooked sausages by cooking your meats under medium heat slow heat.

Grilling

Grilling is my favorite way of cooking sausages.

These methods use high-temperature.

To Grill Sausages 

Place them on a hot grill and cook for 8–12 minutes. Keep turning them over to ensure they are firm with a brown crisp color.

To Broil

Place your sausages in a broiler pan and place the pan in the oven. Set its function to broil. Broil the sausages for 5 minutes. Open the oven and turn them, cook for an extra 5 minutes until done.

Boiling

Boiling is an easy way to cook sausages. This method ensures that your sausages cook all the way through.

To boil sausages:

Place the sausage links in a pot of boiling water and allow them to cook for 30 minutes. If you have pre-cooked sausages, then simmer them for 10 minutes. After boiling, sizzle them in oil in a hot frying pan to a crispy brown color. Sit down and enjoy!

Deep Frying

Deep frying is a cooking method of placing food in hot fat to fry.

To deep-fry sausages: 

 First prepare your egg wash by combining beaten eggs with cream, water, or milk. Bread your sausages and dip in an egg wash. Remove them from the egg wash and coat them with breadcrumbs.

It’s good to cook your food with healthy oils like coconut, avocado, or olive oil. These oils are healthy, less processed, and have moderate to high smoke than other oils.

Add the oil into a deep fryer or deep pan and heat the oil to 375°F (190°C). Fry and turn the sausages for 5 minutes or until cooked.

This method ensures your sausages cook through. The only problem is it can lead to you increasing the total amount of calories you consume per day.

So, if you’re losing weight or trying to stay healthy, then avoid eating deep-fried foods in general.

Panfrying

You can pan or stir-fry your sausages under high temperatures in a skillet, pot, or wok. Before cooking, keep them at room temperature for a few minutes.

To Pan Sausages

Use healthy cooking oils like olive coconut and avocado oils. Fry them on a stovetop until golden brown with little oil for 10 to 15 minutes. And cut them in the center to see if they are ready.

When you see a pink and runny juice, cook them more to ensure your meat cooks through.

Also, reduce the cooking time by slicing or butterflying the sausage before cooking.

Baking

Baking is a method of cooking crispy, golden brown sausages. What’s more, you can cook large quantities of food if you’re hosting guests.

Plus it can be a healthier method of cooking. If our looking for a leaner sausage you should consider turkey sausages over pork sausages. Turkery sausage contains less fat.

To Bake

Preheat to a minimum oven temperature of 355°F (180°C) and place the sausages in a pan. Bake small sausages for 15–20 minutes and 30–40 minutes for large pieces of sausage. Keep turning them to ensure they brown and cook all around.

To prevent the meat from drying out, boil it first to reduce the cooking time. Boiling ensures it remains juicy after cooking.

Follow these instructions to determine and tell if your sausage is ready for service. These tricks need little time and effort for the best results.

Smoke On!

Charlie

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