How to Cook Sausages

Renowned for their convenience and great taste, sausages are a household staple and family favourite in most homes across the UK. Thought to have been created over 5,000 years ago in Sumeria (modern day Iraq), sausages have been around a seriously long time and are not showing any signs of dipping in popularity. In fact, according to Statista, data for 2019/20 shows that an average of 52g of pork sausage was purchased per person, per week in the UK alone – and considering the number of vegetarians and vegans – that’s a lot.

Whether you’d like to know how long to cook sausages in the oven for, or how to fry sausages, this guide tells you how to cook your sausages to perfection. Plus, if you’re in need of some mealtime inspiration, take a look at some tasty sausage recipes too – including a spectacular herby pork ragu sausage pasta recipe which you can also order as part of your HelloFresh recipe box subscription.

What are sausages made of?

Regular sausages are typically made from ground meat, including pork, beef or poultry, alongside spices, herbs, salt and other flavourings, usually held together by a thin skin. However, vegetarian sausages are often made of quorn; a mixture of naturally fermented protein, vegetable oils, onion and flavouring.

What are the different types of sausage?

Sausages come in many guises; in fact, there are hundreds of sausage varieties. What follows are some of the most common types of sausage you’ll be able to readily find in the UK:

• Chipolata
• Chorizo
• Cumberland sausage
• Bratwurst
• Cumberland sausage
• Gloucester sausage
• Lincolnshire sausage
• Quorn
• Traditional pork
• Saveloy

Popular sausage snacks in the UK

– Sausage rolls
Sausage rolls have become a bit of a British institution, although the tradition of wrapping meat in pastry is believed to date back to Ancient Greek times. Sausage rolls have grown in popularity in the UK rapidly in recent years, since launching in London in the early 1800s’ as a cheap street food snack. Not only are sausage rolls popular at buffets, but they can be found freshly cooked in high street bakeries up and down the country, cementing their place firmly as one of the nation’s favourite snacks.

– Pigs in blankets
Pigs in blankets are a seasonal treat in the UK, most commonly found accompanying a traditional Christmas meal. These small but mighty sausage snacks have stolen the nation’s hearts, ranked 12th in a recent YouGov poll, as one of our most popular British delicacies. Pigs in blankets are so called because they are made from pig meat (sausages) and appear to be wrapped in a blanket, which is the bacon.

How to cook sausages

The most common methods for cooking sausages are pan-frying or cooking in the oven. Here are the best ways of cooking sausages for optimum results.

1. How to cook sausages in the oven

Cooking sausages in the oven creates a lot less mess than frying on the hob, which is why it’s such a popular method of cooking. If you want to learn how to cook sausages in the oven and how long to cook sausages in the oven for, here’s how to get it right every time:

  – Preheat your oven to 190°C.
  – Pierce a little hole in each sausage to release any excess fat.
  – Cook the sausages on a baking tray in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until fully cooked, remembering to turn them halfway through to ensure they cook evenly.

2. How to fry sausages

Another popular method of cooking sausages is in a pan on the hob. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for how to fry sausages and how long to fry sausages for, and you can’t go far wrong:
  – Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan
  – Add the sausages to the pan and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until fully cooked, remembering to turn as they heat to ensure they cook evenly.
To be certain your sausages are ready to eat, you can invest in a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of your food. If the core temperature (where the sausage is thickest) is 60°C for 45 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes, 70°C for two minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds and 80°C for six seconds, then it has reached its perfect temperature and is ready to be eaten.

The best side dishes with sausages

• Creamy mustard mash
• Onion gravy
• Sautéed peppers and onions
• Potato gratin
• Grilled vegetables
• Bacon and mushroom sauce
• Rosemary and garlic potato wedges
• Mac and cheese

The best sausage recipes including sausage pasta recipes

Oregano and Cranberry Sausage Burger
Speedy Sausage Pasta Rigatoni
BBQ Sausage Skewers
Sausage and Cheddar Naanizza

If all this talk of sausages has got your taste buds tingling, make sure to check out these expertly curated sausage recipes for some mealtime inspiration.