How to Cook Breakfast Sausage Links on the Stove Top

Lazy weekends busy weekdays are perfect for these delicious sausages and once you know how to cook breakfast sausage links on the stove top, you’ll be enjoying them all the time. WARNING, you can’t eat just one!

A hearty breakfast is the best part of the day, right? This easy recipe with even easier clean-up is the best method of cooking sausages whether its your first time or if you’ve done it a million times.

It’s just a few simple steps as I’ve outlined below and this easy meal is in the books with you enjoying breakfast with your family instead of slaving over the stove. These are terrific with our family favorite Sausage Gravy.

Why This Recipe Works

• Easy to make with a short cooking time
• No need to form patties, simply put them in the pan in a single layer and cook them
• You’ll know how to cook them and how long!

Here’s How You Do It

What Different Types of Sausages Does This Recipe Work For

This recipe is written for little breakfast sausages, but will work for cooking raw sausages of different types. 

Type of Sausage that this recipe will work for: 

• Chicken Sausage
• Pork Sausages
• Italian Sausage
• Turkey Sausage
• Homemade Sausages of Ground pork, other ground meat
• Fresh Sausage Links

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What is the Best Way to Cook Breakfast Sausage Links?

My favorite way is to cook them in a frying pan. You can also cook them in the oven on a parchment paper or aluminum foil lined shallow baking pan (similar to how to cook sausage patties in the oven). Either way gives the sausage a nice crispy outside texture and you can drain them on paper towels. 

How Do You Cook Raw Sausage Links for The Best Results? 

Add a little oil in a pan or baking sheet, and cook the sausage until there is no more pink color and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees as measured by a meat thermometer.

How Do You Cook These in a Cast Iron Skillet

Yes! Heat up a little oil in a cast iron skillet, and cook the sausage until there is no more pink color and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.

How Do You Know a Sausage is Cooked? 

You know that the sausage is fully cooked when there is no more pink color, and the internal temperature is 160 degrees. 

Is a Little Pink in a Sausage OK? 

No, sausage should be completely cooked through and should be at an internal temperature of 160 degrees to be safe to eat.

What Happens If You Eat Undercooked Sausage? 

Undercooked sausage can carry food borne pathogens that can lead to food poisoning.

Where’s the Best Place to Buy These? 

You can purchase yours at the local grocery store, but honestly, the price at Sams Club (and probably costco is about half the grocery price). 

The Easiest Way to Store Sausages if You Have a Lot of Sausage Left Over

A great way to store cook sausage is to place sausages in an airtight container like a freezer bag or gladware type container for an easy breakfast. 

How to Rewarm after Cooking Breakfast Sausage Links

The hands-off method and easy way to reheat these leftover sausages for juicy sausages is to place on a sheet pan and place in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. 

Alternatively, you can reheat using this easy air fryer recipe by heating on 400 for a couple of minutes. Give a few extra minutes for thicker sausages. 

Other Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Tips and Tricks

• Don’t move the sausage links until they are ready while cooking. If you try to force them they might break apart. They will move freely when they have cooked enough to move. 
• Cook on medium heat to prevent grease splatter. It would be faster to cook on high heat but higher heat causes grease to splatter everywhere. It makes a giant mess and you could burn yourself.
• Letting the grease drain off the sausage is very important. This makes the sausage much more palatable.
• Make sure that you are cooking the sausage links to the proper temperature. Here’s a great guide from the USDA. 

Watch Me Make These Sausages on the Stovetop

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How to Cook Breakfast Sausage Links

Lazy weekend mornings and punched up busy week day mornings are BOTH perfect for this herby pork taste and once you know how to cook breakfast sausage links, you’ll be enjoying them all the time. WARNING, you can’t eat just one!

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: how to cook sausage links

Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time: 11 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Wendi Spraker

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 4 sausage links

Instructions

• Place a 9-10” frying pan onto the stove top and set the eye on medium heat. Pour in the vegetable Oil and allow the pan to come to temp. The pan is at the right temperature when the oil appears to glisten and shimmer on the surface.
• Add the sausage links to the frying pan and cook until there is no longer pink in the sausage link. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain for 2 minutes before serving. Serve hot.

Notes

• The links tear easily, allow them to stay in one place for at least 3 minutes once you put them in the pan before you attempt to roll them to the other side. This allows the skin to cook and release from the pan. (or use a non stick pan).
• If you feel your link is not cooking as quickly as you like, sprinkle a small amount of water onto the hot pan (no more than 1 tsp) and quickly cover the links with a pan lid. This will steam the link and cause it to cook more quickly. WARNING: sprinkling the water on the pan will cause spatter. Do not burn yourself,.
• Plan for 3-4 links per person.
• When cooking sausage links, do not crowd the pan because then the links will steam rather than fry.
• If you are cooking a large number of links, set the oven on the lowest possible setting and put the links onto a paper towel lined oven proof tray once they are cooked to keep them warm.
• Usually you do not have to add salt and pepper to sausage links because they are already filled with enough, but you be the judge of that.

Substitutions:

• It’s fine to substitute some other kind of oil, just choose something with an acceptable smoke point. Butter doesn’t work well for this recipe. Olive oil is fine.
• If you are using vegetarian sausage links, you’ll want to use the water sprinkling method mentioned above.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

How to Cook Breakfast Sausage Links

Amount Per Serving

Calories 182 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Saturated Fat 9g45%

Cholesterol 29mg10%

Sodium 254mg11%

Potassium 99mg3%

Protein 6g12%

Vitamin A 30IU1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This article first appeared on the pages of Loaves and Dishes on February 21, 2020 and has been updated with new information, tips and tricks, frequently asked questions and more information in the recipe card.

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Matthew 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.