Sausages are the perfect food for any meal, snack, or event. They’re delicious and can be cooked in multiple ways too. So whether you love Italian sausage, breakfast sausage, hot links, or Chinese sausage, you can cook them by frying them, grilling them, baking them, and even microwaving them! Read below to learn more about how to cook sausages in the microwave oven and various tips, tricks, and guidelines to keep in mind while microwaving sausages.
Can you cook sausage in the microwave? Sausages can be cooked just fine in the microwave oven. If you cook sausage in the microwave, it will not turn a dark brown color or get a nice crispy texture that it would have if you fried or grilled it, but it will still be perfectly safe to eat, warm, and tasty. There are various scenarios where you might want to use the microwave, such as wanting to cook a quick meal when you’re short on time or wanting to cook with minimal mess.
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How do you cook sausage in the microwave?
Follow the instructions below to microwave your sausages the right way:
- If you’re trying to microwave multiple sausages and they’re joined together as links, slice the links apart before putting them in the microwave.
2) Using a fork, poke a hole into each of the sausages.
3) While placing your sausages in the microwave, lay them flat in a single layer on a microwave-safe plate at a little distance from one another. Make sure you haven’t piled them on top of each other or overlapped them at all. Also make sure they are covered in some sort of kitchen towel or napkin.
4) Now, turn on the microwave! Keep the power around 800 watts (usually the high setting) You want the sausages to be cooked evenly from both sides, so make sure to turn them midday through cooking. First, microwave them for about 1.5 minutes. Then turn off the microwave, turn the sausages over, and microwave again for 1½ minutes.
5) Once microwaved, you’ll notice that the sausage casings or skins have peeled off. You can just pick them off the sausages and discard them.
6) Drain your sausages to remove the liquid content. You can do this by laying them on sheets of paper towel too. Then they’re ready to eat!
You’ll notice that after microwaving, your sausages changed in color from light pink to a brownish shade, which is basically a sign that you microwaved your sausages the right way.
Why do you need to separate sausages before microwaving them?
You can cook sausages in the microwave without separating them, but separating the sausages into individual pieces decreases the cooking time and also makes them able to cook more evenly. It also helps you when you want to turn the sausages over while microwaving them, as turning over large, connected sausage links is a little trickier.
How do you know if your sausages are microwaved enough?
A very simple way to know if your sausages are cooked enough or undercooked is to cut them at the center. A cooked sausage usually seems ‘firmer’ and is supposed to have a brown color – if it’s pink color, it means the sausage is undercooked and should be microwaved. This is true even if the sausage is a little pink. In addition, you will need more cooking time the more sausages you put in the microwave and for larger links.
You can also check that the sausage is done by using a food or meat thermometer. The sausage should reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Why do sausages explode in the microwave?
Sausages explode when there’s not enough ‘ventilation’ for the heated water content within the sausage. The microwave heats the water in the sausage to the point where it becomes steam. The steam has to escape, and to do that, it needs certain perforations or holes to come out. The lack of those holes increases the pressure to the extent that the sausage just ‘explodes’ or pops.
To prevent this from happening, simply poke a few holes in your sausages using a fork prior to microwaving them so the hot air has enough places to escape. Also make sure to keep your sausages wrapped in a paper towel so in case an explosion does happen, your microwave doesn’t get greasy or dirty as a result.
Can you brown your sausages after microwaving them?
Yes, you definitely can! Microwaving your sausages will not give them dark brown skin, but you can easily brown them in a frying pan or on a hot grill for a bit after microwaving them.
Is microwaving the best way to cook sausages?
Microwaving is the quickest way and easiest way to cook your sausages when you’re low on time, but it won’t give you as much of a rich, juicy flavor or the same texture that you would get if you cooked them using other methods such as deep frying, grilling, or baking. That being said, different people may prefer their sausages prepared in different ways, so this is largely a matter of preference.
What other ways can you cook sausages?
There are many ways to cook sausages:
- pan frying
- grilling
- deep frying
- baking
- boiling
- microwaving
- stir frying
- broiling
There are even more recipes with sausages, so you can find the method and flavor you love the most. If you want the healthiest cooking options, you might want to bake, boil, or microwave sausages.
You can also cook them in the air fryer. These tend to be healthier than sausages cooked in oil such as when frying.
Can you eat undercooked sausage?
The last thing you want to do is eat undercooked pork sausage or semi-raw breakfast sausage. This can lead to health issues such as food poisoning as uncooked sausages may contain harmful bacteria.
You’ll want to cook your sausage until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit and the internal color is no longer pink. This is the best way to ensure raw sausages are fully cooked.
If you’ve cut the sausage at all or sliced it into pieces, you should be able to see if there are any pink parts left. If you’ve started eating the sausage and have an inkling that it is undercooked, stop eating it and cook until it reaches a safe color and internal temperature. You may be able to tell because undercooked sausages are poorer in taste and may have a different texture than firm fully cooked sausages.
Do you have to defrost your sausage before cooking it?
You should defrost sausage before you cook it in the microwave or using any other cooking method. If you cook sausage while still frozen, it will take longer to cook and the internal temperature may not get hot enough to ward off the growth and consumption of harmful bacteria.
Can you defrost your sausage in the microwave?
Yes! Most microwaves have a defrost setting, which is basically a recommended temperature setting to thaw a sausage or any other kind of meat to where it can be cooked either by further microwaving or another method. Microwaving is the fastest way to defrost sausages, though it can mar the overall quality and flavor of the sausages. And you have to be careful not to actually cook the sausages during the defrosting process.
To defrost sausage in the microwave, place the sausages on a microwaveable plate and set the cooking time by weight or a careful few minutes. Check the sausages regularly every minute or so after that until they are defrosted. The sausage should be soft now that it’s no longer frozen but not excessively hot or browned or else you’ll know it’s cooking.
What are some other ways to defrost sausage?
Another method for thawing frozen sausages is to place them in the refrigerator. Keep the sausages in their plastic pouch or put them in plastic wrap. Then leave them in the refrigerator overnight. Check on them in the morning. You may find they are still somewhat frozen and need a few more hours to completely defrost.
The third way to defrost your sausage is to use cold water. Ensure the sausage is wrapped and then place it in a bowl or pan of water for about thirty minutes. Ensure that the water is cold, not warm or hot. It might seem logical to use warm or hot water to speed up the process, but this will make the sausage vulnerable to bacterial growth.
Also ensure you don’t store or attempt to defrost sausage or any other kind of frozen meat at room temperature. This causes harmful bacteria growth that will make them unsafe for consumption.
Wrap up
Whether you love sausage patties, Polish sausages, or hot dogs, a good method to cook them quickly and easily is to microwave them. Just be sure to use a microwave-safe dish, poke some small holes into the casing, place sausage pieces so they’re not overlapping, and cook them on the high power. Turn sausage midway through the cooking process.
Enjoy your meal!