Savory, satisfying, and juicy smoked sausage is an ideal addition to pasta, casseroles, and stews. Make extra for the freezer because these guys are great make-ahead and weekly meal prep ingredients.
I cheated and picked up uncooked Italian sausage at the store, but making sausage from scratch is also fun. We’ve smoked my turkey breakfast sausage and upped the smoky flavor in kielbasa on the pellet grill.
Replacing the classic hot dogs at our last cookout with smoked sausage was a win, and I may never go back. The kids, of course, love the dogs, but I’m hooked on the intense flavor in sausage.
Making Your Own Sausage
For hot Italian sausage, mix ¾-1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons lightly toasted fennel seeds, 1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, ¾-1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic paste per pound of very cold ground pork. If you want it sweet, replace the hot pepper flakes with sugar.
Don’t worry about having special sausage-making equipment because there are some easy hacks. Use a clean kitchen funnel with a nozzle that’s about ⅛ inch smaller than the casing. The average hog casing runs ¾-1 inch wide.
You could also cut the top off a plastic water bottle for a DIY funnel. Thread the casing onto the nozzle, push small amounts of meat through with the handle of a wooden spoon until the casing is full but not stuffed, then tie a knot at both ends.
How to Smoke Sausage
Preheat the smoker, and using store-bought or homemade sausage, poke a few holes in the casing so it doesn’t split or score it for visual appeal. Smoke and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- Sausage with a 20% fat ratio is as lean as you want to go, while 25% is average. If making sausage with lean wild game, like venison, adding 25-30% pork fat to the meat will keep the sausage from drying out.
- If grinding your own meat, make sure it’s as cold as possible so the fat doesn’t go soft too soon. You can even add a little ice when grinding to keep the texture right.
- Cooking time can vary for different types and sizes of the sausage, smoker temperature, and weather. They can take from 1-3 hours to cook through, so an instant-read thermometer is a useful tool. A safe internal temperature is 160°F (70°C) for beef, lamb, and pork and 165°F (75°C) for poultry.
Make-Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
You can smoke the sausage ahead of time and keep it tightly wrapped in the fridge for 2-3 days or 3-4 months in the freezer.
Leftovers are awesome in pastas, soups, fried rice, breakfast casseroles, and hash. Add protein to cabbage, potatoes, and gumbo for an extra twist.
More Incredibly Easy Sausage Recipes to Try
By Imma