How to Grill Sausage

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

If you're tired of grilled sausages that are burnt on the outside but raw inside, perfect your grilling game. Set yourself up for success by preheating a gas or charcoal grill before placing the sausages over direct heat. Turn them frequently as they cook and move them to a cooler side of the grill as needed. For a flavorful meal, grill Italian sausages along with sliced peppers and onions. The sausage will be crisp on the outside and bursting with clear juices from the inside.

Ingredients

Classic Grilled Sausage

Your choice of sausages
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of oil

Serving size varies

Grilled Italian Sausage with Peppers

4 mild or spicy Italian sausages
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt
1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground pepper

Makes 4 sausages

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Classic Grilled Sausages

1
Set up your grill for a two-zone fire. If you're using a gas grill, turn the burners on 1 side to high and the burners on the other side to low. For a charcoal grill, fill a chimney with charcoal briquettes and light them. Once the briquettes are hot and lightly ashy, dump them on 1 half of the grill.^{[1]
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- Leave the other half of the charcoal grill free of coals in order to create a cooler side.
2
Grease the grate and preheat the grill for 5 minutes. Put the grilling grate in place and dip a paper towel in vegetable oil. Brush the oil over the grate and put the lid on the grill. Heat the grill for about 5 minutes before you put the sausages on it. ^{[2]
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Did You Know? Preheating the grill will help the sausages brown as soon as you place them on the grill grate.

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3
Arrange the sausages on the grill. Lay as many sausages as you want to cook on the grill so they're at least ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) apart. Put the sausages on the hot side of the grill. If you're grilling different types of sausages, consider grouping them on the grill so you know what types they are.^{[3]
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- If you're using a charcoal grill, put the sausages on the side of the grill that's over the briquettes.
4
Cover and grill the sausages for 8 to 10 minutes. Lift the lid off occasionally and use tongs to flip the sausages over. This will ensure that the sausages cook evenly and don't brown too much on 1 side.^{[4]
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- If the sausages are browning too quickly, move them to the cooler side of the grill so they can finish cooking over indirect heat.
5
Test the sausages to see if they've reached 160 °F (71 °C). Open the lid of the grill and insert an instant-read meat thermometer into the end of a sausage. Push it in towards the center of the sausage. The temperature should reach 160 °F (71 °C) before you take the sausages off of the grill.^{[5]
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- The sausages will continue to cook for a few minutes after you take them off of the grill.
6
Serve the grilled sausages with condiments. Set out a variety of dipping sauces, buns, and salads to serve with the sausages. For example, put out mustard dipping sauce, toasted hoagies, and German potato salad for a classic Oktoberfest meal.^{[6]
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- Refrigerate leftover grilled sausages in an airtight container for up to 3 or 4 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Making Grilled Italian Sausage with Peppers

1
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Turn the burners on a gas grill to medium. If you're using a charcoal grill, fill a chimney with briquettes and light them. Dump the hot briquettes on one half of the grill.^{[7]
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- Dumping the briquettes on one half of the grill will make a two-zone fire. This will give you an indirect source of heat when you grill the sausages.
2
Cut the peppers and onions into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) slices. Trim the stems from 1 red bell pepper, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 yellow onion. Peel the onion. Then use a sharp knife to slice each of the vegetables into ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) strips.^{[8]
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- If you prefer, use orange or green bell peppers instead of the red or yellow bell peppers. Keep in mind that red or orange peppers have a sweeter flavor than green or yellow bell peppers.
3
Toss the sliced vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Transfer the sliced peppers and onion to a bowl. Drizzle 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive oil and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) of salt and 1/2 teaspoon (1 g) of ground pepper over them. Use a spoon to mix the vegetables until they're coated with the oil and seasoning. Then put them into a grill basket.^{[9]
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- The oil will prevent the vegetables from sticking to the grill basket as they cook.
4
Place 4 Italian sausages and the vegetables on the preheated grill. Leave at least ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of space between each sausage. If you're using a charcoal grill, put the sausages directly over the hot briquettes. Set the grill basket filled with seasoned peppers on the grill as well. ^{[10]
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Tip: If you're grilling for a group, consider cooking some mild and spicy sausages so your guests will have choices.
5
Cover and grill the sausages and vegetables for 10 to 14 minutes. Stir the vegetables occasionally as they grill and remove them once they're tender. Remove the lid and use tongs to flip the sausages over once they're halfway cooked. This will ensure that the sausages grill evenly on both sides.^{[11]
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- The vegetables should finish grilling a few minutes before the sausages are done.
6
Insert a thermometer to see if the sausages have reached 160 °F (71 °C). Insert an instant-read meat thermometer into 1 end of a sausage. Push the thermometer in towards the middle of the sausage to see if the sausage has cooked enough.^{[12]
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- If the sausages haven't reached 160 °F (71 °C), toss them back on the grill and check them again in about 2 minutes.
7
Serve the grilled Italian sausages with peppers. Transfer the sausages to a platter and remove the basket of grilled vegetables if you haven't already. Serve the sausages while they're hot or cover them loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil until you're ready to serve.^{[13]
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- Set out buns for guests to stuff the sausages and top with the peppers.
- To store leftover sausages, put them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 or 4 days.

Community Q&A

Question

What temperature do I need to grill sausage?

Community Answer

Cook the sausage to 160 degrees, to ensure no bacteria is left.
Question

How long does it take to cook hot sausage on the grill?

Community Answer

It depends on the heat and the thickness of the sausage.
Question

Is it necessary to wash the sausage links before cooking?

Community Answer

Cooking (baking, broiling, boiling, and grilling) to the right temperature kills the bacteria, so washing food is not necessary.

Warnings

Refrigerate leftover grilled sausage within 2 hours after cooking. Cooked sausage should be eaten within 3 to 4 days or frozen if you need to store it longer.

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Always wash your hands with hot water and soap after handling raw sausage and before touching other foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, that you plan to eat raw.

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Thaw frozen sausage slowly in the refrigerator or defrost in the microwave. Never thaw raw meat at room temperature.

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