Smoked Italian Sausage
Smoked Italian Sausage is a simple recipe that will elevate your favorite Italian dinners. Made with fresh ground pork with tasty Italian spices and no fillers or preservatives.
Smoked Italian Sausage adds amazing flavor to so many dishes like classic spaghetti, pizza, soups and casseroles. Having it on hand in the freezer will make dinner a breeze.
Ingredients for Italian Sausage
- Pork Shoulder
- Vegetable Oil
- Brown Sugar
- Dried Minced Garlic
- Dried Onion Flakes
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Rosemary
- Dried Thyme
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Ground Sage
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What You’ll Need for Making Sausage Links
Step By Step Directions for Italian Sausage
- Cut pork shoulder into 2 inch chunks and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate while you set up the grinder and mix the spices.
- Mix brown sugar, herbs and spices together in a bowl.
- Grind pork using the large grinder plate.
- Add vegetable oil and spices to the ground pork and mix well using your hands.
- Grind pork once more using the large grinder plate.
- Place the mixture into the refrigerator while you clean the grinder.
- Soak the hog casings in cold water, rinsing each casing thoroughly with running water.
- Assemble the sausage stuffer and thread a casing onto the end. Tie a knot in the end of the casing and poke a hole with toothpick.
- Press ground sausage through the stuffer into the casings, leaving enough casing to tie the end.
- Twist at desired length for link sausage.
- Refrigerate sausage links as they are stuffed. Repeating with remaining ingredients.
Make Italian Sausage Without a Grinder
Purchase ground pork from your local market. If you don’t see it in the meat case, you should be able to purchase a pork shoulder and have the butcher grind it for you. Usually at no charge.
Seasonings can be mixed in by hand or using a stand mixer until well incorporated.
Make Links Without a Sausage Stuffer
Divide sausage into 5- 6 ounce portions. Roll into a link. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil, twisting the ends. Links will be partially cooked in the foil and then finished out of the foil.
Italian Sausage can be divided into 1 pound bulk portions or formed into patties. Vacuum seal and freeze up to 6 months.
How to Smoke Italian Sausage Links
- Prepare smoker using hickory or pecan to 220°. We used our offset smoker for this cook.
- Place sausages onto the smoker and cook with the lid closed.
- Check sausages after 1 1/2 hours and continue to cook until desired smoke level is reached and internal temperature is 165° using a digital meat thermometer. Our total cooking time was about 3 hours.
- Remove sausages from smoker. Cool slightly.
- Vacuum seal sausages and refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Smoking Sausage Without Casings
- If you are not using a sausage stuffer and casings, smoke the foil wrapped sausages for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to smoke until sausage reaches 165°.
How Long to Smoke Sausage at 220°
- 2-3 hours or until internal temperature reaches 165° using a digital meat thermomter.
Make it Spicy
- Add 1 tablespoon or more of dried chili flakes to the spice mixture.
Our Favorite Dinners with Smoked Italian Sausage
- Grilled Chicken Smoked Sausage and Corn
- Smoked Sausage Potato Rounds
- Smoked Sausage Pepper Hoagies
- Smoked Sausage Chicken and Potato Kabobs
- Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
- Shrimp Stew
Get a delicious Italian inspired dinner on the table with Smoked Italian Sausage that will have everyone running to the table.
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Smoked Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 4 pounds pork shoulder cut into chunks
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
- Mix brown sugar, herbs and spices together in a bowl.
- Grind pork using the large grinder plate.
- Add vegetable oil and spices to the ground pork and mix well using your hands.
- Grind pork once more using the large grinder plate.
- Place the mixture into the refrigerator while you clean the grinder.
- Soak the hog casings in cold water, rinsing each casing thoroughly with running water.
- Assemble the sausage stuffer and thread a casing onto the end. Tie a knot in the end of the casing and poke a hole with toothpick.
- Press ground sausage through the stuffer into the casings, leaving enough casing to tie the end.
- Twist at desired length for links.
- Refrigerate sausage links as they are stuffed. Repeating with remaining ingredients.
Smoking Italian Sausage Links
- Prepare smoker using hickory or pecan to 220°. We used our offset smoker for this cook.
- Place sausages onto the smoker and cook with the lid closed.
- Check sausages after 1 ½ hours and continue to cook until desired smoke level is reached and internal temperature is 165° using a digital thermometer. Our total cooking time was about 3 hours.
- Remove sausages from smoker. Cool slightly.
- Vacuum seal sausage links and refrigerate up to 7 days or freeze up to 6 months.
Notes
Seasonings can be mixed in by hand or using a stand mixer until well incorporated. Make Links Without a Sausage Stuffer
Divide sausage into 5- 6 ounce portions. Roll into a link. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil, twisting the ends. Links will be partially cooked in the foil and then finished out of the foil. Smoking Sausage Without Casings If you are not using a sausage stuffer and casings, smoke the foil wrapped sausages for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to smoke until sausage reaches 165°. Bulk Italian Sausage can be divided into 1 pound portions or formed into patties. Vacuum seal and freeze up to 6 months.
