I Tested 3 Ways of Cooking Sausage—Here’s the Winner

Sausage is a favorite among meat lovers for its versatility, rich flavors, and satisfying nature. It’s a classic at summer barbecues, though it’s perfect all year long. With so many different types of sausage available, choosing the best cooking method can be tricky. I took it upon myself to test cooking smoked sausage three ways: in the oven, on the grill, and on the stovetop. Here are the mouth-watering results.

The Best Way to Cook Sausage

1. Cooking Sausage in the Oven

Since my smoked sausage came fully cooked in the package, the goal was simply to heat it through and achieve that perfect crispy texture. I wasn’t too optimistic about this method, as it was the easiest, least hands-on approach.

While some meats do better with minimal interference during cooking, sausage needs regular turning and flipping to ensure even browning. Opening the oven too often to check on the crispiness and sizzle can actually hinder the process, as every time the oven door opens, it loses 25 degrees of heat. This leads to an unstable temperature and uneven cooking. I decided to trust the process and let the sausage cook, hoping for the best by the end.

Approach

To cook sausage in the oven, here’s what I did:

1. I preheated a conventional oven to 350°F and lightly coated a nonstick baking sheet with canola oil.
2. I cooked the sausage for five minutes on each side, checking it after a total of 10 minutes.
3. The casing didn’t achieve the crispiness I was hoping for, so I returned the sausage to the oven for another minute on each side. Though the crunch remained lackluster, this seemed like a better option than overcooking it.

Outcome

Maybe a higher temperature could have formed a better crust, but I worried that too much time in a hot oven would dry out the sausage. The final result was moist but lacked some of the signature qualities of this smoked sausage: a strong smoky flavor and a crisp casing. This method, however, was great for easy clean-up (no oil splatters!).

2. Grilling Sausage

I was pleasantly surprised by how simple it was to grill sausage. I used a Weber propane grill, which quickly eased my concerns about charcoal mess, waiting for coals to heat up, and dealing with controlling the flames.

Grilling Process

Here’s how I grilled smoked sausage without the hassle of charcoal:

1. After preheating the grill for five minutes, I positioned the sausage in the center of the grill on the lowest rack. I began with medium-high heat, but the flames flared up briefly, causing a few small breaks in the casing.
2. I lowered the heat to medium for more even cooking. I cooked the sausage for exactly six minutes per side (use a timer!) and rotated it once to get those perfect, grill-marked stripes.
3. I used 18-inch stainless steel tongs, which felt oversized but were just the right tool for flipping the sausage without breaking it. After exactly 12 minutes, I took the sausage off the grill.

Outcome

Grilling the sausage really enhanced the rich, smoky flavors of the meat. It was juicy, hot, and had that delightful campfire taste (in the best possible way). However, grilling did come with a few challenges, like occasional flare-ups that caused the casing to split easily and resulted in uneven charring.

If you’re stuck with a tricky charcoal grill, lack the patience for flare-ups, or don’t have a grill at all, this might not be the best method for you. But, if you’re a grill expert hosting a tailgate or whipping up tasty appetizers, I highly recommend this method. In terms of flavor and texture, grilled sausage is a crowd-pleaser.

3. Pan-Frying Sausage

Pan-frying sausage on the stovetop felt like the most practical method for preparing sausage for a quick, everyday meal. The packaging suggested two options: either slicing the sausage into 1-inch medallions or cutting the rope in half for a more even crisp.

Cooking Process

To ensure a fair comparison with the other methods, I decided to pan-fry the entire sausage rope. Here's how I did it:

1. First, I heated a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and added the sausage, cooking it for five minutes.
2. I noticed the heat was too high, causing the sausage to burn too quickly, so I lowered it to medium and added a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to prevent burning.
3. Using silicone-covered tongs, I flipped the sausage with ease, avoiding any damage to the pan. The oil not only protected the pan but also helped achieve a wonderfully crispy crust on the sausage.

Curious to try the brand's recommended method, I decided to open another package of smoked sausage and begin slicing and frying it into medallions.

1. I used a similar method as before: a nonstick pan, medium heat, and a bit of vegetable oil.
2. Since I was working with smaller pieces, I reduced the cooking time to three minutes on the first side and two minutes on the second side.
3. The sizzle of the oil was promising, and when I flipped the pieces, the golden-brown crust told me we were on the right track. This method had the shortest cook time and produced consistently crispy, tender bites of sausage.

Outcome

Pan-frying turned out to be an easy and tasty way to cook sausage. It’s perfect when you want something flavorful without the hassle of grilling. While the smoky flavor wasn’t as intense as with grilling, the sausage stayed juicy, tender, and crispy. The medallions made for a perfect bite-sized snack and would be even better with a side of honey mustard dipping sauce.

The Final Verdict

If you have access to a grill and the determination to use it year-round (or don’t mind grilling in a heavy coat), this method is perfect. Though the final result was less visually appealing due to a split casing and uneven grill marks, it was undoubtedly the most flavorful smoked sausage.

If you know your grill’s hot spots and can achieve a more consistent crispy crust than I did, you’ll succeed. Even with a slight casing split, high-quality smoked sausage is so juicy that it’s difficult to dry out.

If grilling isn’t an option, pan-frying your smoked sausage on the stove is a great alternative, still giving you a juicy, crispy result with far less effort.