Boiled Sausage Recipe (Boiling Italian Sausage)

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With boiled sausage, you will be ready to create a dinner to impress - in under 30-minutes! We are using chicken stock and Italian sausage, but the possibilities are endless with this quick and easy WHOLE LOTTA YUM meal-prep recipe.

boiled sausage in a pot with chicken broth before cooking

Boiling Italian Sausage

The very first question you might even have is CAN you boil Italian sausage? And, second, WHY would you even want to?

The answer to the first question is yes, you can definitely make boiled sausages using either a dutch oven or deep skillet. The process is quick and easy.

The answer to the second question is simply that many people prefer to boil Italian sausages before grilling or pan-frying them to cook the insides before they finish them off and get their sausages browned and crisp to their liking.

And if you're wondering if our boiled sausage recipe is only for uncooked Italian sausages, have no worries because this exact same method works for boiling brats or other types of uncooked sausage that are similar in size.

After browning the boiled sausage either on the grill or in a pan, serve them with salad, on a bun, or with a side of cooked peppers and onions or roasted vegetables.

Why You'll Love This!

Boiling Italian sausages before grilling or frying is a fantastic way to lock in the flavor of the sausage or add additional flavors to the meat.
Keep it simple by creating boiled sausages in chicken broth or infuse your sausage with a classic flavor by boiling in beer.
Boiled Italian sausage is always a great dinner option for those following gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, or keto lifestyles!
A great option for meal-prepping, boiled sausage can stay in your fridge for several days before you grill or fry them.
This whole recipe needs just two ingredients

Looking for more Italian sausage recipes? Look no further than our Italian sausage bake, Italian sausage in the oven, crockpot sausage and peppers, and air fryer Italian sausage!

Ingredient Notes

Your favorite brand of Italian sausages and chicken broth are all you need to create this amazing boiled sausage dinner.

learn how to boil italian sausage before grilling or pan frying

Italian sausage - raw
chicken broth

Variations

Italian sausage - Our boiled sausage recipe works with any major brand or flavor of uncooked sausage including spicy or bratwurst.
Chicken broth - We do prefer chicken broth, but water can be used as well. If you are looking to create a beer brat or beer sausage, use your favorite brand of beer.

Diet Adaptions

Most brands of Italian sausages are compliant with keto, low-carb, and gluten-free lifestyles. However, we do recommend you read the ingredients lists and labels to verify the brand you are choosing works with your dietary restrictions or preferences.

Step by Step Instructions

boiled italian sausage in a dutch oven with chicken broth and herbs

Add your broth and sausages, simmer, and that's it. Creating boiled sausage is super easy!

Prep Ingredients

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add the raw Italian sausages to the bottom of the pot.

Cover the sausage with water or chicken broth to just cover them completely.

Boil

Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a slow boil.

Simmer the sausage for 10 minutes.

***NOTE: The sausages will be mostly cooked but not ready to serve at this point. Do not consume undercooked meat.

Finish

Remove the Italian sausage from the liquid and either grill them until they're browned to your liking or you can pan fry them on the stovetop.

To pan-fry the boiled sausage, add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook them for 3 minutes on each side, or until they're browned to your liking.

Check for doneness by using a digital meat thermometer. Italian sausages should be cooked to at least 160F.

Serve the boiled Italian sausage with your favorite sides. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips

While everyone calls it boiled sausage, technically you are simmering them. With a boil you keep the heat high, but a simmer is a slower boil that is gentler.
Do not prick the sausages before cooking them. This is an old myth and pricking the sausage causes it to lose moisture and flavor.
Water can be used to boil your sausage but we do recommend either chicken broth or beer for the best flavor.
To ensure your boiled sausage is cooked completely, finish them off by either grilling until browned or pan-frying for 3-minutes per side.
Sausage is technically cooked after 160F but they're often not browned enough at that temperature. Sausage holds its texture and flavor well up to 180-190F so don't worry they got overcooked if the final temp is higher than 160F.

boiling sausage close up is a great way to keep them juicy before browning

Common Questions

What to Serve with Sausages?

After you finish browning your boiled sausage, either on the grill or in a pan on the stove, serve them with a side salad, on a bun, or with a side of cooked peppers and onions or roasted vegetables.

Do You Need to Boil Sausage Before Grilling?

Technically no, you can grill your sausages without boiling them. Boiling sausages prior to cooking is a personal preference. Many people do prefer to boil sausages to keep them juicy and make sure they're cooked through prior to serving. However, you can just grill them from raw as long as they reach at least 160F.

How Long Does Cooked Sausage Keep?

You can store boiled sausage in the fridge for up to 4 days making this a great option for meal prep!

More Italian Sausage Recipes

Looking for more sausage recipes?

Boiled Sausage

Yield: 5 sausages

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Learn how to boil sausage like Italian sausages so that your uncooked sausage turns out cooked through and tender every time! After boiling the sausages, pan fry or grill them until browned to perfection!

Ingredients

1 pack Italian sausages, uncooked (5 sausages, weight 1.3 lb)
32 oz water or chicken broth

Instructions

In a deep skillet or Dutch oven, add the raw Italian sausages to the bottom of the pot. Cover the sausage with water or chicken broth to just cover them completely.
Over medium heat, bring the liquid to a slow boil and simmer the sausage for 10 minutes. They'll mostly be cooked through at this point but won't be completely cooked.
Remove the Italian sausage from the liquid and either grill them until they're browned to your liking or you can pan fry them on the stovetop.
To pan-fry the boiled sausage, add a little olive oil to a skillet and cook them for 3 minutes on each side, or until they're browned to your liking. Enjoy!

Notes

Do not prick the sausages before cooking them, this is an old myth and pricking the sausage causes it to lose moisture and flavor.

Any sort of uncooked sausage will work for this recipe, whether it's Italian sausage, chicken Italian sausage or uncooked bratwurst. If you're boiling brats, beer can be substituted for the liquid.

While we used chicken broth, water works just as well and can be used instead.

Sausage is technically cooked after 160F but they're often not browned enough at that temperature, sausages hold their texture and flavor well up to 180-190F so don't worry they got overcooked if the final temp is higher than 160F.

Serve the boiled sausage after (pan-frying or grilling) with salad, serve them on a bun, or serve with a side of cooked peppers and onions.

Boiled Sausage (Italian Sausage)