6 Tips to Grill Sausage for Juicier Flavor
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You would think that sausages are a pretty straightforward food. But in reality, they are some of the most frequently botched items at a barbecue. Most individuals take it for granted that you can simply toss the sausage onto high heat and flip it a couple of times and then you're finished. Sometimes this will work, but a lot of the time you'll end up with an undercooked center due to a hot exterior; or you'll split the casing and lose all the juices; or worse, the sausage appears to be finished and is really undercooked.
There are several reasons that this happens. First, sausages are not solid pieces of meat. They have been stuffed and seasoned and often include fat as well as water content. These components behave differently when exposed to heat. Therefore, sausages require much more control than many other foods.
Once you learn to control heat and internal temperatures, you will find that sausages are some of the least difficult foods to cook correctly.
Six Useful Tips to Grill Sausage
Do Not Cook Sausages on Direct, Hot Heat
This is by far the number one error made when grilling sausage. Direct, hot heat cooks the outside rapidly before the interior has a chance to finish. As a result, you wind up with charred casings and inconsistent doneness. Additionally, the hotter heat significantly raises the likelihood of the casing tearing apart causing the flavors and juices to be lost.
As such, begin to grill sausage at a lower heat or away from the flames. In doing so, you allow the sausage to cook evenly from the inside to the outside before moving to a hotter flame for the last part of cooking if desired.
Measure Your Way to Perfection
Sausages are deceiving.
Many sausages appear to be completely cooked on the surface long before their insides are done. Furthermore, attempting to cut open the sausage to check its status only serves to release additional juices, drying the sausage further.
Utilizing a food thermometer like the TempPro TP19H Instant-Read Meat Thermometer puts an end to that problem. With ±0.9°F of accuracy and fast read times, you can obtain an immediate internal temperature reading of the sausage without damaging it. This way, you can cook with confidence rather than guesswork.
Be Aware of the Correct Internal Temperature for Your Sausage
Achieving the correct internal temperature is crucial to both the quality of flavor and to the overall safety of your sausage.
For the majority of sausages, the recommended internal temperature is:
• 160°F for pork and beef sausages
• 165°F for poultry sausages
Cooking below these ranges may create a risk of foodborne illness, whereas cooking beyond these limits can cause the sausage to dry out.
The rapid and accurate read times provided by the TempPro TP19H provide the ability to reach this temperature precisely without overcooking.
Avoid Excessive Flipping
Excessive flipping of the sausage interferes with the cooking process. Each time you flip the sausage, you remove heat from the meat, thereby slowing the rate of browning. Additionally, excessive flipping inhibits the development of a proper texture to the casing.
Allow the sausage to rest long enough to cook evenly on each side prior to turning. Using controlled flipping results in a better browned appearance, improved texture and greater consistency.
Do Not Pierce The Casing
It may seem logical to pierce the casing to prevent the sausage from bursting, but in fact, it creates more problems than it resolves.
Piercing the casing releases the fat and juices within the sausage, which are important to the flavor. Once the juices are gone, the sausage is no longer moist and flavorful. If you utilize sufficient heat to achieve the appropriate internal temperature, the casing should not burst.
Utilize a Properly Designed Thermometer for Speed And Accuracy
Since sausages cook rapidly, timing is an essential component. If your instant-read meat thermometer takes too long to deliver a reading, the sausage will continue to cook while waiting for you to obtain a reading. If you do not realize this, you will end up cooking the sausage past the optimal internal temperature.
The TempPro TP19H offers the solution with:
• Rapid and accurate readings in seconds
• Bright backlight for easier visibility
• Foldable probe for rapid deployment and storage
• Wide temperature range for multiple cooking applications
The TempPro TP19H was designed for the challenges of outdoor grilling as well as indoor cooking.
Why Grilled Sausages Taste Better When You Stop Guessing
Grilling, for the most part, involves using a combination of timing and visual clues. Occasionally, this method produces successful results. However, more often than not, it results in inconsistent outcomes. It is the unpredictability of grilling that creates the perception of unreliability.
When you begin to base your grilling on temperature, all becomes predictable.
• You know when the sausage is cooked
• You know it's safe to eat
• You know it will be juicy instead of dry
That transition removes the uncertainty associated with grilling and produces consistent results every time.
FAQ about Grilling Sausage
Q1. What is the best temperature for sausages?
160°F for pork and beef, and 165°F for poultry sausages.
Q2. Why do sausages split on the grill?
Usually because the heat is too high, causing the casing to burst.
Q3. Do I need a cooking thermometer for sausages?
It’s not required, but it’s the most reliable way to ensure they are fully cooked without drying out.
Q4. Should I pierce sausages before grilling?
No. Piercing releases juices and reduces flavor.
Q5. What is the biggest mistake when grilling sausages?
Using high heat and guessing doneness instead of controlling temperature.
Final Thoughts
Sausages do not require extensive grilling methods. All they require is control. When you maintain control of heat and temperature, you preserve the juices, protect the casing and bring out the entire flavor. When you cease to guess and begin to measure, sausage grilling becomes a simple, repeatable and reliable activity.
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