Unlock the secret to incredibly juicy, flavorful sausages with a satisfyingly crisp skin, all cooked to perfection on your Blackstone Griddle. Say goodbye to dry, split sausages and expand your outdoor cooking repertoire today! This comprehensive guide will show you how easy it is to achieve gourmet results right in your backyard.
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Imagine biting into a sausage that’s plump with its natural juices, bursting with flavor, and encased in a perfectly browned, crisp skin – no boiling, no precooking, no frustrating splitting, and absolutely no need to slice them open! This innovative method for cooking sausages on a Blackstone Griddle is a game-changer. Whether you’re preparing a quick weeknight meal, hosting a backyard barbecue, or crafting a classic sausage with peppers and onions for a game day, this recipe guarantees mouthwatering results every single time. It’s surprisingly simple to master and will elevate your sausage cooking experience.
Why Your Blackstone Griddle is Perfect for Cooking Sausages
The Blackstone Griddle offers an unparalleled cooking surface that transforms ordinary sausages into extraordinary culinary delights. Here’s why it’s the ultimate tool for the job:
- Keep Your Kitchen Cool: Enjoy the pleasures of cooking outdoors, especially during warmer months. No more heating up your kitchen with stovetop frying!
- Efficient Batch Cooking: The expansive surface of a Blackstone Griddle allows you to cook a dozen or more sausages simultaneously. This is perfect for feeding a crowd or meal prepping for the week ahead.
- Consistently Perfect Results: Our unique combination of searing and steaming ensures sausages are cooked through evenly, remaining incredibly juicy on the inside, while developing a beautiful, crispy exterior.
- Superior Flavor and Texture: The flat-top surface provides excellent heat distribution for consistent browning and caramelization, enhancing the sausage’s natural flavors. The controlled steaming process prevents drying out, locking in moisture and tenderness.
- Versatility: From delicate breakfast links to robust Italian sausages, the Blackstone can handle any type of link sausage, making it a versatile addition to your outdoor kitchen.
Choosing the Right Sausages for Your Griddle
The beauty of cooking on a Blackstone Griddle is its adaptability. You can cook virtually any variety of fresh, raw link sausage using this technique. This method works best for sausages that come in natural casings, as these casings help retain moisture and crisp up wonderfully. Here are some popular choices you might consider:
- Bratwurst: A German classic, perfect for a hearty meal with sauerkraut. Their coarse texture and savory flavor are excellent when griddled.
- Italian Sausage: Whether mild or spicy, Italian sausages are incredibly versatile for sandwiches, pasta dishes, or stand-alone meals. Their fennel and herb notes deepen beautifully on the griddle.
- Polish Kielbasa: Known for its distinctive garlic and smoky flavor, these sausages are perfect with grilled onions and peppers. Look for fresh, uncooked varieties for this recipe.
- Breakfast Sausage Links: Ideal for a delicious morning spread, cooked quickly and evenly. They brown up wonderfully, making for a satisfying breakfast.
- Octoberfest Sausage: Often larger and garlicky, these are excellent for festive gatherings. Their size benefits greatly from the steaming method to ensure even cooking.
- Chorizo: For those who love a bit of spice and robust flavor. The griddle helps render their fat, intensifying their rich taste.
Ensure your sausages are fresh and raw for the best results with this method. While some pre-cooked sausages can be warmed on the griddle, this technique is specifically designed to cook raw link sausages thoroughly while preserving their internal juiciness and achieving that desirable crisp skin.
Essential Ingredients for Griddle Sausage
- Sausages: Approximately one pound of your favorite raw link sausages. This recipe is easily scalable, so feel free to adjust the quantity based on your needs. For best results, use sausages with natural casings.
- High Smoke Point Oil: About 1-2 tablespoons. Oils like avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or canola oil are excellent choices as they can withstand the high heat of the griddle without smoking excessively or imparting off-flavors. This ensures a clean sear and prevents sticking.
- Water: About ½ cup, placed in a squirt bottle. This is a critical ingredient for creating steam under the cooking dome, which gently cooks the sausages from the inside out and helps them retain their incredible juiciness.
Tools You’ll Need for Blackstone Sausage Perfection
Having the right tools makes all the difference for a smooth and successful griddle cooking experience, ensuring safety and optimal results:
- Blackstone Griddle: Any size Blackstone griddle will work perfectly. Always ensure it’s preheated according to the manufacturer’s directions to the specified temperature for consistent cooking.
- Metal Tongs: Essential for safely flipping and moving sausages without piercing their casings. Piercing would release valuable internal juices, leading to a drier sausage.
- Wide Spatula: Useful for general griddle work, such as scraping any residue or assisting with larger sausages if needed.
- Cooking Dome (Basting Cover): This is a key piece of equipment for this recipe. It effectively traps steam, allowing the sausages to cook thoroughly and remain incredibly moist and plump.
- Squirt Bottles: Two are highly recommended – one dedicated to your high smoke point oil and another specifically for water. This setup allows for precise and even application, making the steaming process effortless.
- Digital Meat Thermometer: Absolutely essential for ensuring your sausages are cooked to a safe internal temperature (165°F / 74°C) without the risk of undercooking or overcooking. An instant-read thermometer is best.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Cook Perfect Sausage on a Blackstone Griddle
Follow these simple steps to achieve succulent sausages with a delectable crisp skin every time, making your Blackstone Griddle the star of your outdoor kitchen:
- Preheat Your Griddle to Medium-High: Begin by preheating your Blackstone Griddle to a consistent medium-high heat. This usually means setting one or two burners to a medium-high flame. Allowing the griddle to heat thoroughly ensures an even cooking surface and prevents sticking.
- Oil the Cooking Surface Evenly: Apply about 1 tablespoon of your chosen high smoke point oil (like avocado oil) to a section of the hot griddle. Spread it out with your spatula to create an oiled area approximately 8-10 inches in diameter. This thin layer of oil is crucial for a non-stick surface and an even sear.
- Initial Searing and Browning for Flavor: Carefully place the raw sausage links onto the oiled section of the griddle. Let them sear and brown for 2-3 minutes per side. Use your tongs to gently flip them, aiming for a beautiful golden-brown color on all sides. Remember, resist the urge to poke or pierce the sausages at this stage, as this will cause valuable juices to escape.
- Introduce the Steam for Juiciness: Once the sausages are lightly browned on several sides, cover them completely with your cooking dome. Lift one edge of the dome slightly and squirt a small amount of water (about 1-2 tablespoons) onto the hot griddle surface *next* to the sausages. Quickly replace the dome to trap the steam. This trapped steam will gently cook the sausages through, ensuring they remain incredibly moist and plump inside. Let them steam for 3-4 minutes.
- Repeat Steaming for Thorough Cooking: After the initial steaming period, briefly lift the dome to check the sausages. If they still feel very firm or haven’t expanded, repeat the steaming process one more time. Squirt another small amount of water, re-cover, and steam for an additional 3-4 minutes. This ensures they cook evenly and thoroughly from the center. Remove the lid once the steam dissipates.
- Verify Internal Temperature for Safety: This is arguably the most crucial step. Carefully insert a digital meat thermometer into the thickest part of a sausage, making sure the tip does not touch the hot griddle surface. Sausages are safely cooked when they reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If they haven’t reached this temperature, continue the steaming process for a few more minutes until the safe temperature is achieved.
- Achieve the Crispy Finish: Once the sausages are cooked through and have reached 165°F, remove the cooking dome. If necessary, add a tiny bit more oil to the griddle. Increase the griddle heat to high for a minute or two. Cook the sausages for about 2 minutes per side, rotating frequently with your tongs, until their skins are beautifully golden-brown and have that irresistible crispy snap. This final high-heat sear develops maximum texture and flavor.
- Serve Immediately for Best Enjoyment: Transfer your perfectly cooked, juicy, and crispy sausages directly from the griddle to your serving platter. Enjoy them while they’re hot and their skins are at their crispiest!
Chef Jenn’s Expert Tips for Griddle Sausage Success
Elevate your Blackstone sausage cooking to professional levels with these invaluable tips and tricks from Chef Jenn. These insights will help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure consistently delicious results:
- Resist the Urge to Poke: It’s a common mistake, but poking sausages with a fork or knife creates holes in the casing, allowing precious internal juices and fats to escape onto the griddle. This leads to dry, less flavorful sausages. Always use tongs for flipping and a reliable digital meat thermometer for internal temperature checks.
- Internal Temperature is Your Guide: For both food safety and optimal texture, always ensure your sausages reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). An accurate digital instant-read thermometer is an indispensable tool here. Insert it into the center of the thickest sausage, taking care not to touch the hot griddle surface.
- Ensure Even Browning: Sausages, being cylindrical, can be tricky to brown evenly. To achieve a uniform golden-brown crust on all sides, gently lean them against each other or against the griddle’s side walls. This technique helps them stay in position, allowing more surface area to make contact with the hot griddle and brown evenly.
- Master Heat Management: Keep a very close eye on your griddle’s heat. If your sausages are browning too quickly and appear to be burning before cooking through, immediately reduce the heat or move them to a cooler section of the griddle. Conversely, if they aren’t getting enough color during the browning phases, increase the heat slightly. Adjusting heat is key to preventing burnt exteriors and raw interiors.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Griddle: Give your sausages ample space to cook. Overcrowding the griddle can significantly lower the surface temperature, leading to a steaming effect rather than searing. This prevents the development of that desirable crisp skin and can result in unevenly cooked sausages. Cook in batches if necessary, ensuring each sausage has enough personal space.
- Start with a Clean Griddle: Always begin with a thoroughly cleaned griddle surface. Food particles or residue from previous cooks can burn and stick to your sausages, imparting an unpleasant taste and affecting their appearance. A clean surface also ensures better heat transfer and browning.
- Experiment with Different Oils: While avocado oil is excellent, don’t hesitate to experiment with other high smoke point oils. Some chefs enjoy using a small amount of butter or seasoned oil during the final crisping stage for an extra layer of flavor, just be mindful of butter’s lower smoke point.
Make It A Meal: Delicious Pairings for Griddle Sausages
Blackstone Griddle sausages are incredibly versatile and pair wonderfully with a variety of sides, making them perfect for any meal from a hearty breakfast to a satisfying dinner. Here are some fantastic ideas to complete your meal and elevate your dining experience:
- Classic Accompaniments: For a truly traditional experience, serve your sausages with a generous helping of tangy sauerkraut, perhaps with apples and bacon for added depth. Fluffy Spaetzle, a German egg noodle, also makes a delightful and authentic pairing.
- Maximize Your Griddle: Utilize your Blackstone’s expansive surface by cooking sides directly alongside your sausages. Think perfectly crispy Blackstone fried potatoes, sweet caramelized onions and bell peppers, or tender griddled asparagus. These cooked-together sides absorb delicious sausage drippings for extra flavor.
- Buns and Creative Toppings: For a quick and satisfying meal, serve your sausages in crusty rolls or soft buns. Offer a selection of gourmet mustards (Dijon, grainy, honey mustard), sweet or spicy relishes, homemade pickled onions, or a fresh slaw for varied textures and flavors.
- Breakfast Brilliance: If you’re cooking breakfast sausages, create a hearty morning spread. Pair them with perfectly scrambled eggs, fluffy pancakes or waffles, and crispy hash browns for a complete and energizing start to your day.
- Unexpected Combinations: For a unique sweet and savory contrast, try serving your sausages with savory corn fritters.
- Sweet Ending: No meal is truly complete without dessert! A plate of amazing salted dark chocolate cookies can be the perfect indulgent finish to any meal featuring these savory griddled sausages.
Storage and Reheating Your Sausages
Proper storage ensures your leftover griddled sausages remain delicious and safe to eat, while good reheating methods help maintain their desirable texture and flavor for future enjoyment.
Storage:
Cooked sausages should be transferred to an airtight container and placed in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. They will remain fresh and safe to consume for 3-4 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them for up to 2-3 months. To prevent freezer burn, wrap individual sausages tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Reheating:
When you’re ready to enjoy your flavorful leftovers, here are a few effective reheating options that aim to preserve that wonderful crisp skin:
- Microwave: For the quickest reheat, place sausages on a microwave-safe plate, cover loosely with a paper towel or microwave-safe lid, and heat in 30-60 second intervals until warmed through. Be cautious not to overheat, as this can easily dry them out.
- Oven or Toaster Oven: Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the sausages on a baking sheet or in an oven-safe dish. Heat for 10-15 minutes, or until they are thoroughly warmed through. This method is excellent for helping the skin re-crisp.
- Skillet: For a re-crisped exterior, slice the sausages in half lengthwise or into rounds, then warm them in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat. Cook until they are heated through and the cut sides are slightly re-crisped. This is a fantastic method for repurposing sausages in sandwiches or pasta.
- Air Fryer: For the crispiest results, preheat your air fryer to 350°F (175°C). Place the sausages in a single layer in the air fryer basket and cook for 5-7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through, until they are hot and the skin is wonderfully crisp.
Remember, leftover sausages are also incredibly versatile! Slice them and add them to salads, scrambled eggs, pasta dishes, omelets, fried rice, or even create a quick sausage hash, giving them a delicious second life and minimizing food waste!
Frequently Asked Questions About Cooking Sausage on a Blackstone Griddle
Once your griddle is properly preheated to medium-high, the entire cooking process for fresh, raw link sausages using the sear-then-steam method described in this guide should take approximately 10-15 minutes. This timeframe includes the initial browning, two rounds of steaming for thorough cooking, and the final crisping stage to achieve that perfect skin. Thicker sausages may require a few extra minutes of steaming.
Absolutely not! In fact, we strongly advise against it. Splitting a sausage open, a common mistake, allows all the delicious internal juices and flavorful fats to escape onto the griddle, resulting in a significantly drier, less succulent sausage. Our recommended method, which combines initial browning with a crucial steaming step under a cooking dome, ensures your sausages cook through perfectly while staying plump and incredibly juicy within their intact casings. You’ll achieve a beautiful, crisp exterior without sacrificing any internal moisture.
The keto or low-carb nature of sausages depends entirely on their specific ingredients. If you carefully select sausages that are specifically labeled keto-friendly or those that contain no added starches, fillers, or sugars (which can be present in some processed sausages), then this cooking method will absolutely result in a keto or low-carb meal. Even sausages with minimal fillers typically remain low-carb. Always make sure to check the nutritional label of your specific brand of sausage to confirm its carbohydrate content if you are following a strict dietary plan.
It is highly recommended to thaw raw sausages completely before attempting to cook them on the Blackstone Griddle. Cooking frozen sausages can lead to a less than ideal outcome, as the outside tends to burn or become overcooked before the inside is safely and thoroughly cooked through. Thawing ensures even heat penetration and allows for consistent, delicious results with our recommended sear-then-steam method, guaranteeing both food safety and optimal texture.
Sausages typically burst when they are cooked too quickly or at excessively high temperatures without a method to cook the interior gently. The rapid expansion of juices and steam inside the casing, combined with intense direct heat, causes the casing to rupture under pressure. Our method prevents this by using an initial moderate heat for browning, followed by steaming under a dome, which cooks the sausages more gently and evenly from the inside, significantly reducing the likelihood of bursting. Always maintain control over your griddle temperature.
For cooking sausages, a high smoke point oil is paramount to prevent burning at high temperatures and to provide a clean flavor that doesn’t overpower the sausage. Excellent choices include avocado oil (which has one of the highest smoke points), grapeseed oil, canola oil, or even refined coconut oil. Olive oil, particularly extra virgin, has a lower smoke point and is generally not recommended for high-heat griddle cooking as it can burn easily and impart a bitter, acrid taste to your food.
Step-By-Step Process with Visuals
Witness each stage of cooking sausages on your Blackstone Griddle, from raw to perfectly golden-brown and juicy! These visuals complement the detailed instructions provided above, ensuring you can confidently achieve professional results.
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Rating: 5 out of 5 stars (from 6 votes)
Sausage on a Blackstone Griddle
Plump, juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked without splitting, this tried-and-true method for cooking sausage on a Blackstone Griddle works like a charm every time!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keywords: bratwurst, griddled sausage, oktoberfest, sausage, sausage on a griddle, juicy sausage
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 347 kcal
Author: Chef Jenn
Equipment
- Blackstone griddle
- Cooking dome
- Tongs
- Squirt bottles (for oil and water)
- Digital Meat Thermometer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon high smoke point oil
- 1 pound raw sausage links (your favorite variety)
- ½ cup water (in a squirt bottle)
Instructions
- Preheat your Blackstone Griddle to medium-high heat according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A single burner set to medium-high is often sufficient for cooking one pound of sausages.
- Add about 1 tablespoon of high smoke point oil to the hot griddle, covering an area approximately 8-10 inches in diameter.
- Carefully place the raw sausage links onto the oiled section. Allow them to brown for 2-3 minutes per side, gently flipping with tongs until a nice crust develops.
- Cover the browning sausages with a cooking dome. Lift one side of the dome and squirt a small amount of water (about 1-2 tablespoons) next to the sausages to create steam. Quickly replace the dome and let the sausages steam for 3-4 minutes.
- Repeat the steaming process one more time to ensure the sausages cook through evenly. Remove the dome once the steam subsides.
- Check the internal temperature of the sausages using a digital meat thermometer. They are safely cooked when they reach 165°F (74°C). If not, continue steaming until the safe temperature is achieved.
- For a crispy skin, remove the dome and, if needed, add a little more oil. Turn the griddle heat up to high and cook the sausages for about 2 minutes per side, rotating frequently, until the skin is beautifully golden and crisp.
- Serve your perfectly cooked sausages immediately and enjoy!
Notes from Chef Jenn
- Don’t poke the sausage while they’re cooking; this will cause juices to escape and lead to dry results.
- Always use a reliable digital meat thermometer to ensure sausages reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) for safety.
- To brown sausages evenly on their curved sides, lean them against each other or the griddle’s edge to hold them in place.
- Monitor the griddle heat closely. If sausages are browning too quickly, reduce the heat or move them to a cooler zone.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1 sausage | Calories: 347 kcal | Protein: 17g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 721mg | Potassium: 281mg | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 1mg
A Note on Nutritional Information: Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
Want More Delicious and Easy Recipes?
If you loved mastering this Blackstone sausage recipe, you’ll surely enjoy these other fantastic and easy-to-follow dishes:
- Perfect Steaks on the Blackstone Griddle
- Flavorful Smoked Lamb Chops
- Creative Leftover Roast Beef Stroganoff
- Delicious Smoked Asparagus
- Unique Smoked Shotgun Shells
- Sausage & Broccoli Rabe Pasta
- Hearty Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup
- Tender Sous Vide Sausage
Conclusion: Master Your Blackstone Sausages!
Congratulations! You now have all the knowledge and techniques to cook truly exceptional sausages on your Blackstone Griddle. No more dry, unevenly cooked links. This method guarantees plump, juicy interiors and irresistibly crisp, golden-brown skins that will impress everyone at your table. The versatility and precision of the Blackstone Griddle allow you to achieve restaurant-quality results with minimal effort, making outdoor cooking a consistent joy.
So fire up your griddle with confidence, gather your favorite sausages, and get ready to enjoy the best griddled sausages you’ve ever tasted. We encourage you to try this recipe, experiment with different sausage varieties, and make it your own. Don’t forget to share your creations and experiences with us – happy griddling!