How to tell if sausage is cooked and done? You need to check the sausage internal temperature and even the sausage color. Let’s see everything you need to know in this article.
Sausages are easy meals to make, and they should be done within a few minutes. However, many people struggle with knowing whether the sausages are ready for eating. Well, knowing whether they are ready should not be so much of a big deal if you constantly make them.
You want to ensure that your sausage cooks well and maintains its flavor. This article will give you five simple ways you can use to determine whether the sausage is cooked. Keep reading!
What Temperature Should Sausage Be Cooked to?
While there are tons of methods you can use to cook delicious sausages, all should ensure that they are well cooked. Overcooked sausages will taste weird, and most will not have their characteristic flavor.
On the other hand, undercooked ones are harmful to your body. For this reason, it is important to determine its temperature.
The temperature that the sausages reach will guide you on whether you need to cook them for a few more minutes. To determine whether they are well-cooked and safe for eating, you should check the internal temperature. A meat thermometer should help you with this.
The ideal temperature
Usually, the ideal temperature should be about 160 ºF, which equate to about 71 degrees Celcius. If the temperature goes below this, then you will have undercooked it. Going above this is overcooking it; therefore, you need also to use a timer to determine how long it should cook.
When they exceed the 160 ºF range, it makes the fat inside it melt and will start dripping out. Your sausage will lose its taste and be dry. If the temperature is below the range, you may notice some pink color indicating that it is not yet done.
Some sausages may have a crunchy, golden-brown look indicating they are ready. Well, this may not be the case. You will only be sure that they are well-done if you check their inner temperature.
The ideal cooking time
The sausages should be ready within 20 to 30 minutes if you are using the oven since you have to cook both sides.
When using the stove, 10 to 15 minutes are enough. In both cases, check the inner temperature to guide you whether they are ready.
Using the temperature to determine whether the sausages are cooked may prove quite hectic to some.
For this reason, it is better first to boil the sausages before grilling, frying, or baking them. Once you boil them, they will be almost ready pretty much so it will take a few minutes in the oven or the stove. Also, boiling them helps in bringing their temperatures up faster.
What Temperature is Sausage Done?
Checking the change in color in sausage, both the inside and the outside, is one way to determine whether it is done. But this is not effective, like when you check their temperature.
Normally, the sausage will be done at a temperature ranging between 155 to 165 ºF, about 68 to 74 ºC.
This temperature will apply to different types of sausages. For instance, the pork and beef sausage will be done at 155 ºF. On the other hand, chicken and turkey sausages will be ready for eating at 165 ºF.
How fast the sausages reach this temperature depends on the cooking method. But normally, they will get here within 20 minutes.
Once you notice that the sausages turn color, use the meat thermometer to determine whether they are done. Otherwise, you may end up eating undercooked sausages, which is harmful to your health. In most cases, you should also not let the sausages reach the 165 mark since past this they may overcook.
By the time the internal temperature is at 160 ºF, it is already done.
Even with this recommended temperature, you can still consume it at a lower temperature by pasteurizing it. Normally you use the sous vide cooking method. With this method, the sausages will be fit for eating even at 140 ºF, but you have to bake or pan-fry them for about 12 minutes.
How to tell if Sausage is Cooked? 5 Ways
Telling that sausage is cooked is not as easy as just looking at it. Even though this is a viable way to tell this, it is not always accurate. In some cases, you will overcook it simply because you do not like eating raw ones, but in the process, spoil the flavor and make it dry.
You want to ensure that the texture in your sausage is right. Also, you do not want to mess up with the flavor and maintain its juices. Here are five ways to guide you In determining whether the sausage is cooked.
1) Check the Temperature
The most accurate way that you can use to determine whether your sausage is ready is by checking its temperature. So, make it a habit to have a meat temperature nearby when cooking. After cooking for about 10 minutes, stick the meat thermometer in the sausage.
The ideal temperature should be about 160 ºF, especially for pork and beef sausages. For the chicken ones, you can wait until the internal temperature is about 165 ºF.
2) Checking the inside
If you do not have the thermometer, you should opt to check the inside of the sausage. In this case, you can either poke it with a fork or cut a small slice at the edge. Raw sausages are usually pink, so if you notice any traces of this color inside it, know the sausage is not ready.
Also, when the sausage is well-cooked, it will be firm and will be pretty clear. If you notice that it is still brittle, it is yet to cook well. Moreover, it should not be runny; otherwise, it means that it has overcooked.
3) Look at the color change.
Another ideal way to determine whether the sausage is cooked is by checking for any changes in the color. You should ensure that you cook the sausages until they turn golden brown. This color should persist on both sides.
So, if you do not want to prick the inside, wait until the color changes to this, and it is best if it looks like they are almost burning. This way, you are sure they are well-done.
4) Check the Texture
The texture of the sausage will tell you if it is cooked or not. When you touch the sausage, it will be quite firm, even on the inside. If you notice that it’s a bit brittle, allow it to cook for a few more minutes.
5) Boil the sausages before cooking
Boiling will be a great alternative if you do not have a thermometer and still do not trust that the sausages are well-done by checking some aspects.
Pre-boiling, the sausages ensure that they are well cooked even before you pan-fry them. Once they are boiled, you will only have them in the pan or oven for a few minutes, and they will be ready for serving.
The Ideal Internal Temperature for Cooked Sausage
The ideal internal temperature for the sausages should be about 160 ºF. It may be a little bit higher or lower than this, but this depends on the kind of sausage you are cooking. But at this temperature, you can be sure that it is ready for eating.
If you choose to add maybe some more minutes to it, then you might end up ruining the whole lot. A high temperature will make the fats inside it melt down.
So you are left with a dry sausage with no flavor. Choosing to go below the 160 ºF may undercook it, and you will know this if it has some pink color in it. If the sausage is well done, its juices will be clear, not pink.
Some meats will be good even when there are medium or medium-well done. But for sausages, you cannot eat them until they are well done. It means that you have to wait until they are about 75 or 72 degrees Celcius to serve them.
It will take more than 15 minutes to get the sausages to their ideal internal temperature if you are cooking them via the oven.
And actually, you still have to preheat it before adjusting it to the baking temperature. When using the stove or pan-frying them, expect them to be ready and have reached this temperature within 10 minutes.
What Does Cooked Sausage Look Like?
A cooked sausage will be golden brown on the outside. For others, they will look like they are almost burnt. On the inside, it will be clear, and the juices it produces when you press it should also be clear.
If you notice any traces of pink inside it, then it is not yet done. Also, if you look and touch the sausages, they should be firm. The inside should also not be runny. To make it easy for you when checking whether the sausages are ready, you can slice them.
Final Words
For your sausage to turn out well and tasty, you need to cook it up to the ideal temperature and time. The period it will take before it reaches this temperature and becomes well-cooked will depend on the cooking method you choose to use.
You will know whether it is ready for serving by checking the internal temperature, you can also check the inside and ensure it is not pink, and for the outside, it needs to be golden-brown.
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