3 Easy Ways to Cook Sausage from Frozen

Sausage is a great option for quick dinners–but what if it’s time to cook, and you realize you forgot to thaw it? Good news: You have several options for cooking sausage from frozen that are fast and easy, and you don’t have to sacrifice flavor.

What are sausage links vs. block sausage?

ButcherBox offers a variety of sausages in both link and block form. Links are individual portions wrapped in a natural pork casing. Blocks contain the seasoned meat in a 1-pound package without any casing.

With links, you usually cook them in the casing and serve whole, or cook, then slice. With block sausage, you can cook it and break up the meat into crumbles, or form it into patties or meatballs before cooking.

How to cook frozen sausage links in the oven

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF; line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Remove the sausage from the packaging and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully separate the sausages from each other and turn the links over. Bake for 10 minutes.
• Turn the links over again and bake until a meat thermometer stuck into the middle of a sausage reads 160ºF, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

How to cook frozen sausage links in a saucepan and skillet

• Remove the sausage from the packaging and place in a large saucepan. Cover with water by at least 1 inch. Place over medium heat; bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sausages are cooked through (a meat thermometer stuck into the middle of a sausage should read 160ºF), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain.
• Warm 2 teaspoons of high-heat cooking fat (such as avocado oil) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook, turning a few times, until golden brown on the outside, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, you can slice the sausage and cook the slices in the skillet.)

How to cook frozen block 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.
• Break up the sausage further with the wooden spoon and face any remaining raw pieces up. Cook 5 minutes longer. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board and chop. (NOTE: If there are any raw pieces left, cook them for 5 minutes longer.)

Meal ideas for sausage

Once your sausage is done, you can enjoy it as is with a vegetable side, or try one of these tasty recipes:

• Spicy Pasta with Sausage, Beans and Cherry Tomatoes
• Breakfast Sausage Scramble with Spring Onions
• ButcherBox Sausage and Apple Stuffing
• Chorizo and Vegetable Rice Bowls with Lime Crema