Cooking Italian sausage in the Instant Pot is a quick and mess-free method—perfect for preparing sausage links on their own, or for when you need them in other pressure cooker recipes like soup.
Cooking Italian Sausage in an Instant Pot is brilliant!
At first might seem like pan frying sausage, baking them, or even air frying Italian sausages are quicker and easier methods than cooking them in a pressure cooker.
But actually, cooking Italian sausage in an Instant Pot is super smart...because the grease doesn't splatter during searing due to the high sides and you get the most tender sausages when they're cooked under pressure.
Searing the sausage with a quick sauté before pressure cooking gives it that grilled or pan-fried look and flavor—I'd go as far as saying no one will even know these weren't cooked on a grill!
After we perfected cooking brats in an Instant Pot many years ago, which quickly became our favorite way to cook them, we knew pressure cooking Italian sausages would be a winner too!
Ingredient you'll need
- olive oil or any type of neutral cooking oil. We don't recommend butter since it can burn (unless you mix it 50/50 with oil).
- Italian sausage -Any brand of raw Italian pork sausages will work in this recipe whether they're mild, sweet, or spicy. Raw chicken Italian sausage links will work, too.
- liquid-Half of the broth can be substituted with red wine, or you cook the sausage in water, beef broth, or vegetable broth.
Optional addition: add vegetables to the pot like sliced onions and bell peppers.
Equipment
A Pressure Cooker - This is the Instant Pot model that we used.
How long do you cook Italian sausage in a pressure cooker?
Step 1. Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to Saute High. Once the pan is Hot, add the oil to the pan.
Step 2. Brown the whole Italian sausage links on both sides, about 2-3 minutes each. Brown these in two batches if needed. Remove the sausages from the Instant Pot and set them aside on a plate. Scrape up any browned bits and stir the liquid at the bottom of the pot.
Step 3. Place a rack on the bottom of the pot, and pour the broth, water, cider or even juice into the bottom of the pot. Set all of the sausage links on top of the rack.
Step 4. Put the lid on the pot. Set the Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your model) and cook for 6 minutes. Once done, do a Natural Release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure.
Serve with your favorite Italian sausage sides or use these in a pressure cooker recipe. Enjoy!
Helpful tips
- Saute in batches of 2-3 sausages each to allow each sausage ample space.
- After sauteing, there may be bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add broth to deglaze the pot by scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon.
- For best results, use a digital meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165F.
FAQs
To cook ground Italian sausage in an Instant Pot, start with either ground Italian sausage or remove the casing from Italian sausage links. Heat your Instant Pot on Saute and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When warm, add the ground sausage meat and brown for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until cooked through. Use the fully-cooked ground sausage in other pressure cooker recipes like Instant Pot Italian tortellini soup or as a substitution for ground beef.
Yes, you can cook frozen Italian sausage in an Instant Pot using the same steps and methods as listed above. Simply brown your frozen sausage and then pressure cook for 2 additional minutes (8 minutes total).
Italian sausage pairs well with hoagie rolls (and serve them like a sandwich), or you can make sausage peppers and onions for a classic combination, or you can serve a side dish like sauteed or roasted vegetables, pasta, rice, or a simple salad.
More Italian Sausage Recipes
- Stuffed Sausage
- Italian Sausage Bake
- Air Fryer Italian Sausage
- Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers
- Cooking Italian Sausage in the Oven
- Instant Pot Sausage and Peppers
- How to Cook Italian Sausages on the Stove
- Boiled Sausage
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Recipe
Instant Pot Italian Sausages
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 Italian sausage mild or spicy (raw)
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Turn on the Instant Pot and set it to Saute High.
- Brown the whole Italian sausage links lightly in the olive oil on both sides, about 2-3 minutes each. Brown these in two batches, depending on how many sausages you're cooking and the size of your pressure cooker.
- Remove all of the Italian sausages from the Instant Pot and set them aside on a plate.
- Place a rack on the bottom, and pour the chicken broth into the bottom of the pot. Set all of the sausage links on top of the rack.
- Set the Instant Pot to Manual or Pressure Cook (depending on your model) and cook for 6 minutes. Once done, do a Natural Release for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure. Enjoy!
Rose says
Please can you tell me why recipe’s ask for oil to be put in the instant pot when browning fatty meat such as sausage and/or hamburger? I’m curious since the meats are not lean and have plenty of their own grease.
Thank you in advance.
Rose
WholeLottaYum says
I always add a touch of oil since everything seems to stick in the Instant Pot on Saute unless it's nice and greased.