How to Cook Breakfast Sausage In 5 Easy Ways
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Learning how to cook breakfast sausage links will help you start your day on a scrumptious note. It’s a hearty meal you can serve on a Saturday morning or a special holiday breakfast.
However, cooking breakfast sausage can be daunting, especially if you don’t have much time or have never done it before. But no worries, I’ll share with you different ways to cook breakfast sausage so you can still make your mornings memorable.
5 Ways to Cook Breakfast Sausage
Breakfast sausage is easy to cook once you know what you’re doing. You can bake it, cook it in an air fryer, and even microwave it. Whether you’re crunched for time or new in the kitchen, here are some cooking methods to prepare a breakfast sausage meal for your family in minutes.
Then, serve it up with eggs and a fresh Café Romano. If you’re feeling the winter season, go for a holiday coffee drink or homemade Christmas coffee blend instead. Have some leftover sausage? Put them in proper storage in the fridge. Use your sausages for dinner by pairing with roasted potatoes or putting over pasta.
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage In the Oven
Cooking breakfast sausage in the oven is my favorite way to prepare breakfast, especially when I have a large party to cook for. I usually use this method during the holiday season, and the sausages always come out juicy and golden, which goes well with pepper gravy. Whether or not you also have a crowd to feed, you can use this method for a quick and easy breakfast preparation.
If you want to cook breakfast sausage in the oven, here are the things you’ll need:
- Your favorite sausage links
- Baking sheet or shallow baking pan
- Cooling rack
- Parchment paper or aluminum foil
- Tongs
- Instant-read meat thermometer
For this method, here’s what you need to do:
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- While waiting, line your baking sheet or shallow baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil so your sausages don’t stick to the pan.
- Put the sausages on the lined tray in one layer. Make sure that the sausages aren’t touching each other so they will cook evenly.
- Place sausage in the oven and wait for around 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the thickness of your sausages. For even browning, turn them over halfway through the cooking process using tongs.
- Ensure the sausage is at the correct internal temperature using a meat thermometer. 160F is the recommended temperature for ground pork, pork sausages, and other meats to ensure food safety in the United States.
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage In an Air Fryer
Knowing how to cook breakfast sausage in an air fryer is an essential skill for busy moms. The air fryer is the best way to cook food when you’re looking for an easier clean-up method. I like making McDonald’s copycat pancakes on the stove while my sausage goes in the air fryer.
Here’s how you can do it:
- Line your air fryer with parchment paper. Poke a few holes in the parchment paper to improve the circulation under the sausages and air fryer basket.
- Line the sausages in a single layer and set the air fryer at 360F.
- Cook the sausages for about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your sausages. I suggest cooking for about 14 minutes for thicker sausages for best results. Make sure to check them after 10 minutes to keep them from burning.
- Let your air fryer breakfast sausage links cool for a couple of minutes and serve.
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage In a Skillet Pan
You don’t always need fancy kitchen tools or appliances to make cooking easier. Sometimes, you only need your trusted frying pan for cooking sausage links for breakfast. Pair your skillet sausage with toast or some fluffy buttermilk biscuits for a hearty way to start your day!
Here’s a list of materials you need to cook breakfast sausage in a pan:
- Your preferred type of sausage
- Cooking oil
- Tongs or spatula
- Paper towels, optional
This is how I cooked delicious breakfast sausage before I had an air fryer. The process is simple:
- Heat a little oil in your nonstick skillet pan.
- Place the sausages and cook the first side until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn it over using tongs or a spatula and continue for an equal amount of cooking time on the second side. The sausage should not be pink when you cut it open.
- This is an optional step, but I like to place cooked sausages on a plate lined with paper towels. The towels will absorb excess oil and preserve the crisp texture.
- Serve your cooked sausage on a separate dish or as is, and enjoy.
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage From Frozen
Picture this: you’re already short on time and must make a quick but hearty breakfast for your family. Then, you find out that your raw sausages are still in the refrigerator, frozen. What to do?
Don’t have time to thaw them? Don’t worry, frozen or not, it’s still easy. Here are some methods that you can use to achieve that delicious, juicy golden brown sausage.
If you’re cooking sausage using an oven, here’s what to do:
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Line your baking tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil and brush it lightly with oil.
- Remove the raw frozen sausages from the freezer bag and place them on the baking tray.
- Bake the sausages for around 10 minutes.
- Remove the tray from the oven and separate the sausages. Lightly brush them with oil and rearrange them on the tray, leaving enough space between them.
- Cook sausage for another 15 to 20 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time.
When using an air fryer, here’s what you can do:
- Preheat your air fryer to 360 to 390F, depending on the thickness of your sausages.
- This is optional, but you can line your air fryer basket with parchment paper first. Then, place the frozen sausages.
- Air fry them for about 12 to 14 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time.
For cooking frozen breakfast sausages in a pan, here’s the secret:
- Place the frozen sausages in a saucepan or small pot.
- Cover with enough water over medium heat and slowly bring it to a boil.
- Then, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for around 15 minutes and they should be cooked.
- At this time, they are ready to eat. However, because they are lacking a crispy finish, I fry them in a pan for a few minutes before serving.
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage In a Microwave
Cooking breakfast sausage in a microwave will also save you tons of time. What I like about this method is that there’s less mess than cooking them in the pan. You don’t have to worry about grease splattering everywhere in your cooking area. Plus, the best part is the minimal cook time.
For cooking breakfast sausage in the microwave, you’re going to need these materials:
- Microwave-safe plate
- Fork
- Microwave lid, optional
If you want to give this method a try, here’s what to do:
- Arrange your sausages on a microwave-safe plate so they don’t touch each other.
- Prick each sausage a few times with a fork to prevent them from bursting.
- Cover the plate with an optional lid and microwave on high for around two to five minutes, depending on the number of sausages you’re cooking. Don’t forget to turn them over halfway through cooking.
In Conclusion
As the saying goes, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” What better way to kickstart your day than with a hearty plate of breakfast sausage? Pair them with waffles, a 4-ingredient banana bread, or whatever other everyday breakfast ideas. You can’t go wrong if there’s sausage on the plate.
By learning how to cook breakfast sausage in different ways, you can add a nice protein-packed twist to your special breakfast, even on a lazy weekend morning. Try different methods of cooking breakfast sausage to find the one that you and your family like the most.
If you found this article helpful, pin this in your bookmarks and come back to eat when you’re ready to cook some sausages. Share it with your family and friends so that they, too, can learn how to cook breakfast sausage in various ways and enjoy hearty breakfasts!
How to Cook Breakfast Sausage in a Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage links
- ½ tablespoon cooking oil
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in your skillet pan.
- Place the sausages and cook the first side until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn it over using tongs or a spatula and continue for an equal amount of cooking time on the second side. The sausage should not be pink when you cut it open.
- This is an optional step, but I like to place cooked sausages on a plate lined with paper towels. The towels will absorb excess oil and preserve the crisp texture.
- Serve your cooked sausage on a separate dish or as is, and enjoy.
I normally make the sausage in the oven next to the bacon but I had never thought about the air fryer.
An easy option for sure. Thanks for checking out our post, Sean.
This is such a great post. I often cook sausages in the oven or a skillet but have never done them in the airfryer or microwave. Have to try those methods too!
Glad to hear you found it useful. Let us know how those methods work out for you, Jacqueline.
Wow, this is fantastic. Great ways to prepare your breakfast sausage. Going to try the different ways and see which one we like best! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Loreto – let us know which ends up being your favorite.
I have only ever made breakfast sausage in a skillet, but I really want to try the air fryer method. I’ve ben using it more and more lately and really love the results!
I love it too, such a handy tool. The sausage comes out great!
I have never tried sausage in the oven or the air fryer. This is a must try!! thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome, Leslie. Hope the air fryer is a win for you.
This was a great read. It made me want to try all the different ways. First up, cook them in the oven.
I agree. The oven method is great for large groups. Thanks for the comment, Elaine.
I used other cooking methods too sometimes and always came back to the skillet method, they are the best! Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for trying them all, Yu.
I’m a big fan of breakfast sausages and patties too. We used to pan fry but now that we have an air fryer we find it the most convenient method.
So convenient! Thanks for your comment, Bernice.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me to prepare breakfast sausage in the oven. I gave it a try recently because I have extended family staying with me and need to make a lot more food in less time. Worked great!
Glad you found it easy, Renee. Thanks for your readership 🙂