Sausage is easy to defrost on the stove, and it only takes 15 minutes to get the casings nice and browned and the insides fully cooked.
Did you know that sausages can be cooked and defrosted at the same time on the stove? Don’t worry if you forgot to take them out of the freezer ahead of time. I’ve got the info you need right here.
Turkey sausage makes a quick, flavorful addition to many dishes. While you can thaw it overnight in the fridge, with a few simple tricks, you can skip that step and cook frozen raw turkey sausage straight from the freezer.
Follow this guide to easily prepare delicious turkey sausage recipes without waiting for it to defrost!
Why Cook Frozen?
Cooking frozen turkey sausage offers several advantages:
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Convenience – No need to remember to thaw it in advance or wait hours for it to defrost Just grab and cook!
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Speed – It cooks up fast, ready in 10-15 minutes in most cases
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Flavor – Turkey sausage has tons of taste from herbs and spices.
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Versatility – Use in breakfast hashes, pasta, soups, etc.
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Nutrition – Turkey sausage is lean and packed with protein.
With a few handy tips, you can skip thawing and go right to cooking frozen turkey sausage.
How to Cook Frozen Turkey Sausage
Follow these simple methods to cook frozen raw turkey sausage to perfection every time.
On the Stovetop
Pan-frying allows you to cook up just what you need quickly.
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Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
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Add the frozen sausage. Cook about 7-9 minutes per side until nicely browned.
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Use a meat thermometer to check doneness. Cook to 160°F internal temp.
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Break up any clumps as it cooks using a spatula.
In the Oven
Baking lets you cook a big batch all at once for meal prepping.
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Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Arrange sausages on sheet without crowding.
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Bake 15-20 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
In the Slow Cooker
Let the slow cooker do both the thawing and cooking!
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Add frozen sausage to slow cooker. Cook 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
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Shred with two forks once fully cooked.
On the Grill
Get delicious smoky flavor by grilling.
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Preheat grill to medium heat. Lightly oil grates.
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Place frozen sausage on grill. Cook 8-12 minutes per side.
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Check temperature and cook until 160°F internally.
Handy Turkey Sausage Cooking Tips
Follow these tips for perfect results when cooking frozen raw turkey sausage:
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Don’t crowd – Leave space between sausages for even cooking.
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Use a meat thermometer – Ensures proper doneness.
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Brown well – Good browning adds lots of flavor.
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Add seasonings – Enhance flavor with herbs, spices, sauces.
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Cook thoroughly – Cook to safe internal temp of 160°F minimum.
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Freeze extras – Fully cooked sausage freezes well.
Quick & Easy Turkey Sausage Recipes
With frozen turkey sausage on hand, you can make many fast and tasty meals:
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Breakfast sandwiches – Cook sausage patties and serve on biscuits or bagels.
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Sausage gravy – Make a delicious gravy with crumbled cooked sausage.
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Pizza – Top pizza dough with sauce, veggies and sliced sausage.
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Pasta – Toss cooked sausage with pasta, olive oil, and Parmesan.
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Soup – Add cooked sausage to bean, vegetable, or minestrone soups.
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Hash – Cook potatoes and veggies, then mix in sausage.
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Quesadillas – Fill tortillas with cheese and cooked sausage.
Thanks to this simple guide, you can now skip thawing and cook flavorful turkey sausage recipes straight from the freezer. Give it a try today!
Podcast Episode About Making Sausages from Frozen
Press the play button below to hear me briefly talk about how to make sausages from frozen and some other great tips:
Tips for Cooking Sausages From Frozen
It’s easy to thaw sausages on the stove, and they’re ready to cook in less than 15 minutes. That sounds easy enough, right?.
Remove Packaging: You have to remove all plastic, styrofoam and also the absorbent matt, if present. If any of that is stuck, run cool water over the package until you can break-free it.
Use A Large Enough Pan: We’re dealing with a “brick” of sausages, and you need them to all cook evenly. Make sure they fit. A 12-inch stainless steel or non-stick pan works well.
Use Liquid: Add the frozen sausages along with stock or water to the pan. This will help transfer the heat more quickly and will get your sausages more evenly thawed too.
Cook Covered, At First: Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for five minutes. This gets everything steaming and thawing.
Remove The Lid: When you remove the lid, the sausages will be fully thawed and partially cooked. They will look kind of gray, but not for long. Let any extra water evaporate. When the pan looks almost dry, there are a few different ways to keep cooking the sausages, which I’ll talk about next.
There are a few different ways that you can get the sausages brown after the initial steaming step.
- As directed in the recipe, add some oil to the pan and brown the sausages in the pan for eight to ten minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of one of the sausages reads 165°F.
- You can also put the sausages in the oven to finish cooking, with or without other things, like these Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies.
- The sausages can also be sliced, browned in a pan with oil, and then added to other recipes to finish cooking, such as tomato sauce.
- It will take about 10 minutes of cooking at 400F until the sausages are browned and fully cooked. Also, keep in mind that you can cook frozen sausages in the air fryer, even if they were frozen on a tray together.
As was already said, you can also cook frozen sausages in the air fryer without the first step of steaming them. It’s really easy and only takes one step to get them well-browned and crisp on the outside.
The sausages can be kept in the fridge for up to five days. You can eat them by themselves or mix them with other foods for dinners all week. Try them in these recipes:
How to Cook Sausages in a Pan
FAQ
How to cook turkey sausage from frozen?
How to cook frozen raw sausage?
How to heat up frozen turkey sausage?
Should frozen sausage be thawed before cooking?
How do you thaw frozen sausage?
Use Liquid: Add the frozen sausages along with stock or water to the pan. This will help transfer the heat more quickly and will get your sausages more evenly thawed too. Cook Covered, At First: Cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for five minutes. This gets everything steaming and thawing.
How do you cook frozen sausages in the oven?
Put on the frozen sausages. Cook on one side for 3 minutes until they have a nice crispy exterior. Flip them over and cook for 3 minutes more. Cooking frozen sausages in the oven takes just minutes to prepare and doesn’t require any special skills or cooking knowledge. Follow these simple steps to cook your favorite sausage with ease.
Can you cook frozen sausage in a frying pan?
Frying in a frying pan is one of the four ways how to cook frozen sausage, and it can be done by following these steps: Heat your pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter, cooking oil, or bacon fat to the pan. Put sausage in the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes on each side.
How do you cook frozen sausage on a grill?
Another way is by grilling it in a pan or BBQ which gives it an extra crispy outside layer. Preheat the pan or BBQ (medium heat) and then brush some olive oil or melted butter onto the grill. Put on the frozen sausages. Cook on one side for 3 minutes until they have a nice crispy exterior. Flip them over and cook for 3 minutes more.
How do you cook sausage in a frying pan?
Heat your pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter, cooking oil, or bacon fat to the pan. Put sausage in the pan and cook for 3 – 4 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat by half (this will prevent the sausage from burning). Keep turning the sausage and cook again for the same amount of time or until cooked through.
How do you cook sausage in an air fryer?
Preheat the air fryer on 400ºF for 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the packaging. Place the block of sausage in the air fryer; cook for 5 minutes. Turn the block over; cook 5 minutes longer. Break up the block of sausage as much as you can with a wooden spoon and turn the pieces so the raw side is facing up. Cook for 5 minutes.