“What temperature should sausage be cooked to?” – not everyone knows the answer to this question. Different internal temperatures are required to cook different kinds of food, and sausage makes no exception. Raw or undercooked sausages are not only less tasty, but they can also result in serious health problems related to foodborne diseases. No worries, your sausages will be completely safe to eat when you cook them to the minimum serving temperature recommended by the specialists.
What temperature should sausage be cooked to?
There are several ways to know if the sausages are cooked through or not:
Check the texture and color
When sausages are done cooking, their surface will turn to golden brown, with a pale brown color inside. You’ll know the meat is not ready to serve when it’s still pink and has bloody juices. If your sausages are undercooked, cook them for 3 – 5 more minutes and then check again.
If you feel unsure about the doneness of the sausages, simply make a cut into one of them. The texture and color of the sausage will tell you if it’s undercooked or not.
Check the internal temp with a meat thermometer
USDA has given guidelines about safe minimum internal temperature of food. According to the guidelines, sausages should be cooked to a temperature range of 160°F to 165°F (or 70°C to 74°C). The internal temperature varies based on the meat type that the sausages contain. The minimum internal temperature for beef, pork, pork and beef sausages is 160-degrees F. While chicken, game, turkey and wild fowl sausages require an internal temp of 165-degrees F.
If the sausage’s internal temperature remains in this range for more than 30 seconds, it means that they’re ready to be served. On the other hand, you should cook the sausages for another few more minutes if the internal temp is lower.
USDA also recommends checking the internal temperature of the sausages with an instant-read thermometer for accurate results. But where should you insert the thermometer into the sausages? In order to avoid dried out sausages, it’s best to pierce the tip of the thermometer into one of the twisted ends of the sausages.
Different ways to cook sausages to the right internal temperature
Boiled sausages
Boiling is the easiest cooking method, however boiled sausages don’t have as crispy and brown exterior as you might want. Furthermore, only boil sausage links and not sausage patties.
To boil sausages, first prepare a pot of boiling water, then place the sausages into the pot. Let the sausages simmer for about 10 minutes (for pre-cooked sausages) or up to 30 minutes (for raw sausages). Follow the right cooking time and you won’t have to worry about what temperature should sausage be cooked to.
Grilled and broiled sausages
Both grilling and broiling involve high cooking temperatures. However, for grilling the heat source is placed below the sausages, while broiling requires the heat source to be above the food. You should also know that these cooking methods can form some harmful compounds, such as PAHs, Has or AGEs.
Grilling: Place the sausages on the grill grates and grill them for around 8 to 12 minutes. Flip them around every few minutes to make sure that they’re evenly cooked.
Broiling: In the oven, arrange your sausages on a broiler pan and switch to the broil function. After the first 5 minutes of cooking, turn them around and cook for 5 more minutes.
Stir fried and pan fried sausages
Pan frying or stir frying sausages require the use of pot, wok or skillet. When stir frying the sausages, you need to stir or flip the sausages constantly as they cook. However, stirring constantly is not necessary for pan fried sausages.
To make stir fried or pan fried sausages, just cook them on the stovetop until both sides of the sausages are browned. The whole process will take about 10 to 15 minutes depending on their size. You can replace normal cooking oil with avocado, olive or coconut oil for a healthier dish.
Deep fried sausages
Before deep frying the sausages, submerge them in an egg wash then cover them with batter or breadcrumb. Pour oil into your deep fryer and heat it up to 375-degrees F. Deep fry the sausages until they’re fully cooked (about 5 minutes).
Baked sausages
This method is recommended when you need to cook a large quantity of sausages. Preheat your oven to 355-degrees Farenheit, then arrange the sausages on a baking pan.If you’re using a convection oven, the temperature should be reduced by 25°F (or 4°C). Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes if the sausages are small in size. Extend the cooking time to 30 to 40 minutes if you bake larger ones.
If you have the sausage links: Set your oven at 350°F, the sausage links should be cooked for at least 25 minutes. Don’t forget to turn each one of them around at the 10-minute mark. For larger links, cooking time can be extended to at least 1 hour.
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Hopefully this article has provided you with the proper answer to “what temperature should sausage be cooked to”. Don’t be hesitant to share your cooking experience with Bourbon O, as it might be helpful to so many other homecooks.
