The Best Smoked Sausage Recipe
Everything is better in the smoker and these smoked sausages are no exception! They’ll spend about 2-3 hours in the smoker and come out perfectly juicy and tender with a bit of a bite to the skin on the outside. If you’ve only had brats on the grill, I highly recommend trying them on the smoker next weekend!
You Will Love This
- It’s something a little different. While regular hot dogs, brats, or sausages might be a quick dinner at your house, I promise the extra time it takes to smoke these sausages is totally worth it! They soak up all the flavors of the wood chips and come out juicier than you can imagine!
- The best part about these smoked sausages is that they don’t require any prep! You literally just throw them right on the smoker and they’re good to go.
- If you loved this smoked sausage recipe, be sure to check out my easy smoked meatloaf, smoked mac and cheese, and my smoked baby back ribs.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sausage – I like to use a flavored bratwurst when I’m smoking sausage. I love jalapeno cheddar, cheese and bacon, or pepper jack brats. There’s a wide variety of sausages that will work for smoking.
Different Types of Sausage to Smoke
The best part about this recipe is that you can use any sausage you like! We typically use brats because they are easily available and we love to try all different kinds of flavored brats but you can also use:
- chorizo
- kielbasa
- Italian sausage
- turkey sausage
- pork sausage
- chicken sausage
- breakfast sausage
They key here is to use a sausage that is raw so that it absorbs the flavor as it smokes. Pre-cooked sausages aren’t going to absorb quite as much flavor although we do love to use all beef hot dogs and make smoked hot dogs too! They do absorb enough of the flavor to get a bit smoky but not too smoky that our kids won’t eat them.
Instructions
Heat wood pellet smoker to 225 degrees. Place sausages on the grill grates about an inch or so apart. Smoke for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Serve with your favorites like sour kraut and Dijon mustard on a whole wheat bun alongside air fryer tater tots.
Best Wood Pellets to Use
- When I make something like smoked mac and cheese I like to use a mild wood like apple or maple. But for these smoked sausage I prefer to use something with a bit more body like hickory or mesquite.
- If you’re looking for a hearty smoke flavor that isn’t too overpowering, you can also use a mix of apple and hickory or oak and mesquite.
- I like the depth of flavor that you get from combining a mild wood with a stronger wood but it’s totally up to you.
- This article talks a lot more in-depth about what types of wood to use and why if you want a little help deciding.
Tips
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to probe the thickest part of the sausage and ensure that it’s completely cooked through. It’s hard to test if smoked brats or sausages are done without actually taking the internal temperature of the meat. That is the easiest way to ensure that your sausage is done.
- Serve these smoked sausages with all your favorite toppings! We usually do smoked brats and serve them on whole wheat buns with tons of sour kraut and mustard. Feel free to add cheese, chili, ketchup, relish, onions, and anything else you love to serve with hotdogs and sausages!
Are you new to smoking?
Looking for an affordable smoker?
Not sure which wood pellet grill is best for your needs?
Click here to check out my full review of my favorite Z Grill wood pellet smoker! I’ll share with you everything I love about this grill and why you’ll want to add it to your backyard space right now!
FAQ
Smoked sausage is any sausage cooked or cured via indirect heat from aromatic wood pellets or wood chips burned to produce smoke, typically in a smoker or grill. This means that it’s fully cooked and has a smoky flavor.
Typically, yes. Smoking the sausage actually cooks the sausage so that it’s not only warmed through but cooked through as well. The smoked sausage just needs to be reheated or can even be eaten cold.
The hot-smoking process usually takes about 2 to 3 hours to cook the sausages all the way through. This will depend on how large your sausages are and how hot your smoker is.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
- Make-Ahead: I enjoy these smoked sausages straight from the smoker, but leftovers are delicious too so you can totally make them ahead of time!
- Storage: Store leftover sausages in a Ziploc bag or airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
- Reheating: Reheat sausages in a frying pan on the stovetop or on the grill until warmed through.
Ways to Use Leftover Smoked Sausage
I inevitably always cook too much food so if you’re like me and you find yourself with extra smoked sausage, add it to:
- eggs and toast for breakfast
- your favorite chili recipe
- creamy potato soup
- rich and creamy beer cheese soup
- pizza with beer crust
- charcuterie board
- vegetable stew
- cheesy green bean casserole
- creamy garlic pasta
- simple quiche recipe
- breakfast casserole
- roasted peppers and rice
Serve Smoked Sausage With
Make it a meal, but keep it simple by serving these smoked sausages alongside:
- air fryer asparagus
- oven baked French fries
- air fryer potato wedges
- smoked mac and cheese
- air fryer green beans
- roasted potato salad
- air fryer zucchini
- air fryer baked potatoes
More Easy Smoker Recipes
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Smoked Sausage
Everything is better in the smoker and these smoked sausages are no exception! They’ll spend about 2-3 hours in the smoker and come out perfectly juicy and tender with a bit of a bite to the skin on the outside. If you’ve only had brats on the grill, I highly recommend trying them on the smoker next weekend!
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 5 brats/sausages 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Pellet Grill
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 16 oz. your favorite sausages (I used jalapeno cheddar bratwurst)
Instructions
- Heat wood pellet smoker to 225 degrees.
- Place sausages on the grill rack about an inch or so apart.
- Smoke for 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Serve with your favorites like sour kraut and Dijon mustard on a whole wheat bun.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to probe the thickest part of the sausage and ensure that it’s completely cooked through. It’s hard to test if smoked brats or sausages are done without actually taking the internal temperature of the meat. That is the easiest way to ensure that your sausage is done.
- Serve these smoked sausages with all your favorite toppings! We usually do smoked brats and serve them on whole wheat buns with tons of sour kraut and mustard. Feel free to add cheese, chili, ketchup, relish, onions, and anything else you love to serve with hotdogs and sausages!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 283
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 719.1 mg
- Fat: 24.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5 g
- Trans Fat:
- Carbohydrates: 2.4 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 11.7 g
- Cholesterol: 62.9 mg
I tried these tonight for my first foray into smoking and they were delicious!
Smoked brats are the perfect way to start smoking!! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lynda!
A smoker is not a common household item. I am unfamiliar, although I have heard of it. I know you aren’t in the business of talking equipment but It would be helpful to have a picture of what one looks like and more information about using coals or wood, electric. If you want to take it further, information about how big they are or how much they cost. Can it be used outside in the winter, how do you tend it, what temp, etc.
That is a great point, BJK! Thank you for the feedback. I do have the smoker that I use linked in the recipe card, but I have a full review of my favorite smoker and I should include that link in all of my smoker recipes. I will get on that right now and hopefully that will help answer any questions you might have about using a smoker! Thanks again!
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