Learn how to make baked Italian sausages with this simple guide. It’s a quick, easy, and flavorful cooking method that leaves you with hearty and juicy sausages in 30 minutes or less!
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When you’re craving perfectly cooked and ultra-juicy sausages, turn to the oven-baked method! This comprehensive guide teaches you how to cook sausage in the oven in 30 minutes or less. It’s a quick, simple, and hands-off cooking method that seals in the natural juices and works with almost every kind of sausage.
What kind of sausages are best for baking?
You can bake any type of sausage in the oven! I love this recipe with sweet Italian sausages because of their herbaceous and savory flavors. Spicy Italian sausages work just as well if you like a kick of heat! Both are delicious in sausage buns with condiments or sliced and mixed into Italian-inspired meals, like pasta and Sunday gravy, tortellini lasagna, and pumpkin pasta.
But this recipe isn’t only for Italian sausages! It works with practically any kind of sausage links you already love or have on hand, such as:
- Chicken sausages
- Bratwurst
- Mexican chorizo
- Kielbasa
- Cajun sausages
- Breakfast sausages
- Smoked sausages
The only type of sausage that cannot be cooked in the oven is ground sausage. Instead, save the ground sausage for soups and stews, like Zuppa Toscana and this Hearty Italian Lentil Sausage Soup!
How to cook sausage in the oven
Baking sausages in the oven couldn’t be easier. This is all you need to do:
- Arrange the sausage links in a single layer on a foil or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake until the sausages are juicy and cooked through, flipping halfway through.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips and tricks
- For a crispier exterior, finish the sausages under the broiler during the last 5 minutes of baking.
- Always line your baking pan with foil or parchment paper. The lining makes cleaning up the sausage grease so much easier!
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the sausages are cooked all the way through. Italian sausages are safe to eat when their internal temperature reaches 160ºF. Chicken or turkey sausages should be cooked to 165ºF.
Serving suggestions
Baked Italian sausages are a fantastic summer dinner or add-in to other recipes! These are just a few delicious ways to enjoy them:
- Enjoy them in most of these 35+ BEST Italian Sausage Recipes!
- In sausage buns with grilled peppers, onions, and your favorite condiments.
- Sliced and topped on pasta with marinara sauce.
- In creamy or cheesy pasta dishes, like this Fennel Pasta and Cheesy Brussel Sprout Pasta.
- Make a sheet pan dinner by roasting the sausages with a medley of vegetables, like bell peppers, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, or zucchini.
- Swap the beef in these Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches for roasted and sliced sausages.
- Use the slices instead of meatballs in a quick and easy batch of Italian Wedding Soup.
- Add the baked Italian sausages to an extra meaty batch of lasagna soup.
- Paired with Italian appetizers and sides, like Prosciutto Wrapped Avocado Bites, Italian White Beans, Caprese salad, or Olive Tapenade.
- Slice and dip the sausages in a tasty sauce. My Spicy Mustard Sauce and White BBQ Sauce would be fantastic choices!
- For a simple dinner with easy sides, like my Arugula Salad, Caesar Salad, Roasted Broccoli, and garlic bread.
FAQs
One package of Italian sausages should only take between 20 to 25 minutes to roast in the oven. Smaller links, like breakfast sausages, will take even less time.
You can definitely cook frozen sausages in the oven, but it’s best to thaw them in the fridge before baking for even cooking.
No! Piercing the sausage skin with a knife or fork will cause the natural meaty juices to leak even more as they bake, which could leave you with dry sausages.
Wine pairings for oven-baked sausages
Stick to these wine pairings when serving your Italian-baked sausages:
- The earthy flavors in Italian sausage pair perfectly with medium-bodied, rustic wines, like Chianti, Cotes du Rhone, and Sangiovese.
More helpful how-to guides
Did you bake sausages in the oven?
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How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 package sweet Italian sausage (or other favorite sausages)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper, if desired.
- Arrange sausages on the baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping sausages halfway through.
- Remove from the oven and enjoy!
great idea instead of bbq-ing, and an inspiration for a summer sausage bake, in the oven instead, thank you!