The Secret To Perfectly Cooked Breakfast Sausages Is This Handy Kitchen Gadget

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When it comes to making the perfect breakfast spread, there are almost always meats involved. Maybe you love crispy bacon or a regional favorite like pork roll or scrapple. But breakfast sausage is one of those meats that should always be on the menu, mostly for its salty, savory flavor that sometimes has a hint of sweetness — especially if you add the right seasonings. Plus, its round shape sets it apart from some other breakfast meats and makes it easier to incorporate into sandwiches (at least in the case of the patties). To cook this meat perfectly, consider using a meat thermometer, which goes beyond just ensuring the sausages are browned and crispy on the outside.

Depending on the sausage you buy, it might already be fully cooked. If this is the case, it will usually say so on the front of the package, so without that clear label, it's best to assume that it isn't cooked. In the directions, the meat may also say what temperature it must be cooked to — another indicator that it isn't fully cooked. The USDA recommends cooking pork to 160 degrees Fahrenheit; for easy reading and to make sure the sausage doesn't get overcooked, a digital thermometer like the ThermoMonster might be helpful.

If you're looking for a crispy texture on the outside, then pan-frying your breakfast sausage is great idea. You shouldn't even need any extra oil if you're using a nonstick pan because the sausage has enough fat that will render as it cooks, ensuring it doesn't stick. However, depending on your stovetop, the sausages could cook unevenly if they're sitting in different parts of the pan.

If you want to make sure the sausage is cooked evenly, placing it on a wire rack and baking it in the oven might be the better idea. This way, you only have to take the temperature of one sausage to know if all of them are cooked. The same rule applies for the air fryer, which will cook the sausages evenly while also giving them a similar crispy exterior to what you'd get from pan-frying. Depending on how you're serving the sausage, you can also chop it up to help it cook more quickly. If you're adding the sausage to a breakfast bake, there's no need to cook it ahead of time so long as the entire bake will get cooked at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. And if you want to recreate a McDonald's breakfast sandwich, sear the sausage patties for a little extra crisp.