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Oven Baked Italian Sausage is an uncomplicated and tasty recipe for preparing fresh Italian sausages that are perfect in a sub, as a standalone dish, or as a complement to pasta or tomato sauce. Roasting Italian sausage is a mess-free way to yield a beautifully crisp outside and soft, tender inside with little effort in less than 30 minutes!
There are few Italian-American ingredients that are as iconic and delicious as Italian sausage (a.k.a., salsiccia or sawseech).
Chicken cutlets and Steak Pizzaiola are also Italian American staple that everyone loves!
Whether you love to enjoy sausage with peppers and onions in a sub, covered with a rich tomato sauce and some melted mozzarella, with pasta, or nestled in a big pile of mashed potatoes, there’s no arguing that Italian sausage is some of the best comfort food out there.
While there are several ways to cook Italian sausages, this Oven Baked recipe is a quick and easy, hands-off cooking method that seals in the natural juices and works with almost every kind of sausage.
Sweet vs. Hot Italian Sausage
The type of sausage that we are referring to here is fresh pork sausage that is made with Italian seasonings. “Hot” Italian sausage has red pepper flakes added, whereas “sweet” does not contain any hot pepper. Italian sausage may or may not contain whole fennel seeds as well.
There is another form of Italian sausage called Italian ring sausage, or chevalatta. It is made with a sheep casing and is, therefore, much thinner than traditional Italian sausage. It’s often seasoned with parsley and Pecorino Romano cheese and is generally only found at Italian butchers and shops. This type of sausage can be baked according to the recipe below, but will take less time since it is so much smaller.
For more about all the different types of Italian sausage, click here.
I love to bake Italian sausage for a last minute dinner–a great reason to always have some on hand in the freezer! In a pinch, you can use it in lots of recipes, such as Artichoke Sausage Pasta with Lemon and Basil, to really cut down on cooking time.
Try my Homemade Pan-Fried Italian Meatball recipe. Pair it with this Oven Baked Sausage in a big pot of Tomato Sauce for a delicious and aromatic dinner!
Ingredients for Oven Baked Italian Sausage
Cooking Italian sausage in the oven only calls for a few sausage links, a sheet pan, some parchment paper (or aluminum foil) and, optionally, a light spray of olive oil.
- Sausage: This is all you really need! I call for 2 pounds of Italian sausage in the recipe below, which will roughly feed eight people, depending on what else is served. In general, there are 4 to 5 links of sausage per pound.
- Use hot or sweet, traditional pork sausage for this recipe, or sausage made with chicken or turkey.
- If the sausage is in one big roll and not links, slice it into links about 4” long (or as long or short as you want).
- Olive oil (optional): I like to spray the sausage with a small amount of oil before baking as it creates a more caramelized finished product. But, this is completely optional.
How to Cook Italian Sausage in the Oven, Step-by-Step!
This sausage recipe couldn’t be easier (and mess-free)! Once the oven is pre-heated, baking the Italian sausages is as easy as prepping a sheet pan with parchment paper and adding the sausages to it. Here is how you can easily roast Italian sausages in the oven:
- Preheat oven to 400F degrees and arrange a rack in the center of the oven. Then, line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- PRO-TIP: If the sausage is in one big roll/rope and not links, slice it into links about 4” long (or as long or short as you want). Also, don’t pierce the skin before baking! If you do, all the good stuff will run out.
- Arrange the sausage links in a single layer on the parchment-lined baking sheet with a small amount of space in between each link.
- PRO-TIP: If desired, spray the links lightly with some olive oil. This will help to create a more well-browned sausage.
- Place the sausage in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Then, flip the sausages over and roast another 10-15 minutes. This ensures that both top and bottom of the sausage get caramelized during the cooking process.
- PRO-TIP: At this point, the sausage will be cooked, but you can also double check, if you would like, using a stem thermometer inserted into the center of one of the sausage links. The sausage is finished cooking when its internal temperature reaches 160˚F (for pork sausages) or 165˚F (for turkey or chicken sausages).
- PRO-TIP: If you prefer extra crispy skin, consider finishing off the sausages under the broiler on low setting for a couple of minutes. Watch them carefully so that they do not burn!
- Remove the sausage links from the oven, use tongs to transfer them to a serving platter, and serve immediately. That’s it!
- PRO-TIP: To store leftovers, cool the Italian sausage completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them in a freezer container for up to 3 months. The sausage does not need to be completely thawed before reheating.
More Sausage Recipes
If you love Italian sausage, here are a few more recipes to try out:
- Rigatoni Boscaiola–a hearty, quick-cooking pasta dish with the flavor of a long-cooked ragu
- Sheet Pan Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel–the Italian-inspired side that you didn’t know was missing from your table
- Sausage Stuffed Cubanelle Peppers– classic comfort food with a wonderful depth of flavor
- Stuffing with Sausage and Mushrooms–try it once and you’ll be hooked!
How Long to Bake Sausages in the Oven?
The recipe below calls for a 400ºF temperature. However, here is a quick guide for baking Italian sausages in the oven at different temperatures:
- At 350ºF: about 30 minutes
- At 375ºF: 25-30 minutes
- At 400ºF (as in recipe below): 20-25 minutes
- At 425ºF: 15-20 minutes
Have Italian sausage leftover? Make this Creamy Potato Soup with Italian Sausage–hearty and delicious!
Serving Suggestions and Storage
I love serving Oven Baked Italian Sausages with a side of Greens and Beans or tomato sauce for dipping. And, there are so many more ways to enjoy them. Either serve them whole or sliced up. Here are a few serving accompaniments and ideas:
- As a side to a simple pasta with garlic and oil or fresh tomato sauce;
- Paired with Tuscan Panzanella Salad, Green Beans in Tomato Sauce or Italian Green Beans with Potatoes;
- On a long sub roll with Sautéed Broccoli Rabe, Fried Sweet Peppers or Roasted Hot Peppers (or all three!);
- On a bed of Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and
- With a simple mixed green salad in a light wine vinaigrette.
And, I almost always love to drizzled Italian sausage with some homemade spicy pepper oil for a little heat!
To store leftovers, cool the Italian sausage completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them in a freezer container for up to 3 months. The sausage does not need to be completely thawed before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about how to cook Italian sausage in the oven:
Please don’t! If you do this, much of the flavor and juiciness of the sausage will run out and you will not have the moistest sausage possible.
Having said this, do whatever you feel comfortable with.
To be 100% sure that the sausage has cooked enough, use a stem thermometer inserted into one of the links to take its internal temperature. The sausage is finished cooking when it has reached an internal temperature of 160˚F (for pork sausage) or 165˚F (for chicken or turkey sausage). These US-specific internal temperatures are considered “safe” according to the USDA food safety guidelines.
Yes, absolutely. Nearly any type of sausage can be baked in the oven using this method. The only thing that my vary from one type of sausage to another is the amount of time that it takes to fully cook.
And, this recipe will work for both hot or sweet Italian sausage made with pork, turkey or chicken.
Yes, and it is not necessary to defrost the frozen, raw sausages first. It will take longer to cook a frozen sausage than the amount of time listed in the recipe below, however. It may take 10-15 minutes or more longer, depending on your oven.
If your frozen sausages are stuck together in one big clump, take them out of the oven after 10 to 15 minutes and separate them so that they are not touching each other. Then, return them to the oven to continue baking.
Definitely! Combine this Oven Baked Italian Sausage with any of the following to create one of the most iconic Italian-American dishes: store-bought roasted peppers cut into strips, sautéed or roasted peppers and onions or fried peppers. Alternatively, add some thinly sliced onions and bell peppers to the sheet pan and cook them along with the sausage.
Sausage and peppers is generally made with sweet peppers, but it can also be made with hot peppers if you dare!
Kitchen Tools for Oven Baked Italian Sausage
To make this roasted Italian sausage recipe, you’ll need the following:
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying Mangia With Michele and all of my Italian recipes!
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Oven Baked Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Italian sausage links
- Olive oil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F and arrange a rack in the center of the oven. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- Arrange the sausage links in a single layer on the parchment-lined sheet pan with a small amount of space in between each link. If desired, spray the links lightly with some olive oil. This will help to create a more well-browned sausage.
- Place the sausage in the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Then, flip the sausages over and roast another 10-15 minutes. This ensures that both top and bottom of the sausage get caramelized during the cooking process.
- At this point, the sausage will be cooked, but you can also double check, if you would like, using a stem thermometer inserted into the center of one of the sausage links. The sausage is finished cooking when it has reached an internal temperature of 160˚F (for pork sausages) or 165˚F (for turkey or chicken sausages).
- Remove the sausage links from the oven, use tongs to transfer them to a serving platter, and serve immediately. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- If the sausage is in one big roll/ropes and not links, slice it into links about 4” long (or as long or short as you want).
- Don’t pierce the skin before baking! If you do, all the good stuff will run out.
- If you prefer extra crispy skin, consider finishing off the sausages under the broiler on low setting for a couple of minutes. Watch them carefully so that they do not burn!
- This recipe will work for both hot or sweet Italian sausage made with pork, turkey or chicken.
- If the sausages are frozen, you do not need to defrost them before baking. However, it will take longer to cook a frozen sausage than the amount of time listed in the recipe. It may take 10-15 minutes or more longer, depending on your oven. If your frozen sausages are stuck together in one big clump, take them out of the oven after 10 to 15 minutes and separate them so that they are not touching each other. Then, return them to the oven to continue baking.
- To store leftovers, cool the Italian sausage completely, then refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze them in a freezer container for up to 3 months. The sausage does not need to be completely thawed before reheating.
Thank you for this recipe. I always cook my Italian sausages in a skillet, but was Blessed with a large package of sweet sausage links that I needed to cook and freeze. it smells so good in my home.!
Barbyr.
This sausage came out perfect with this cooking method! I made a batch and added it to my Sunday gravy. Thanks!
Easy and great info here. I’ll be baking all of my sausages going forward!