How to Tell If Turkey Sausage Is Cooked (Answered!)
Turkey sausages are easy to make and pair well with different foods.
But if you’re new to turkey sausages, you might not be sure how to tell if turkey sausage is cooked all the way.
The easiest way to ensure the turkey sausage is cooked is to measure the internal temperature with a kitchen thermometer.
When it reads 165°F, your turkey sausage is fully cooked. You can also check the sausage color and texture.
Let’s get into the details of making sure your turkey sausage is properly cooked.
How Do You Tell When Turkey Sausage Is Cooked All the Way?
Cooking meat properly is crucial, as eating raw meat can lead to food poisoning caused by bacteria such as E. coli.
You might have experience preparing beef or pork sausages and know precisely when they are thoroughly cooked, but you don’t have the same confidence in turkey sausages.
Don’t worry — cooking turkey sausages are not much different.
And even if you’ve never cooked any type of sausage before, learning how to tell if turkey sausage is cooked is easy.
When fully cooked, turkey sausages should have a golden-brown color on every side. Anything lighter or darker means you’ve either undercooked or burned the sausages.
You should look for firmness in terms of texture, but if the sausage is shriveled, it’s probably overcooked.
Another important clue is the juices — if they are clear, the turkey sausage is cooked.
Finally, the cooking time depends on the cooking method but ranges between 12-30 minutes overall.
What Temperature Should Turkey Sausage Be Cooked To?
The internal temperature is the best indicator that the turkey sausage is fully cooked.
Ideally, you should use a kitchen thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the sausage has reached 165° Fahrenheit.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when cooking sausage is setting the wrong cooking temperature.
But, of course, you don’t want to go low-heat with sausages, turkey, or otherwise.
The recommended temperature ranges from 350°-375°.
Of course, if you’re cooking the sausages in the oven, you’ll need to preheat it first, but you’ll achieve this cooking temperature quicker on the stovetop.
How Long Do Turkey Sausages Take to Cook?
Again, the cooking time depends on how you prepare the turkey sausages. Several options are available; the fastest solution is usually frying them in a skillet.
But throwing the turkey sausages on the grill is fast, too.
However, setting up the grill takes time, so you might need to wait a little longer for the sausages.
Knowing how to tell if turkey sausage is cooked without a thermometer can be tricky but not impossible.
Setting up the correct cooking temperature and checking the time yields perfectly cooked turkey sausages.
Here’s how long you should cook turkey sausages, depending on the cooking method.
How Long to Cook Turkey Sausage on Stove
Turkey sausages are a quick and nutritious meal, especially if you use your skillet to prepare them. The process is pretty straightforward.
All you need is some cooking oil of your choice, a medium to high heat stove setting, and a skillet or a frying pan.
Of course, you’ll also need to ensure you’re turning the sausages occasionally.
The total cooking time is between 12 and 16 minutes, depending on the sausage size and your stove.
Note that you can cook turkey sausages without added oil if you have a non-stick frying pan.
How Long to Cook Turkey Sausage in Oven
If you’re keen on skipping the added fat that usually comes with frying sausages, consider baking them in the oven.
But, again, preheating the oven is essential, so set it to around 350° for about 20 minutes.
Once the oven reaches the appropriate temperature, cook the turkey sausages for between 25 and 30 minutes. However, you must turn them over at least once during baking.
Grill tongs are usually the most efficient way to flip the sausages, as they won’t pierce the casings and release the juices.
How Long to Cook Turkey Sausage on Grill
If you believe pork sausages taste better when grilled, you probably want to try grilling turkey sausages, too.
You’ll need to preheat the grill, which should take around 15 minutes.
How long you’ll need to grill turkey sausages depends on their proximity to the heat.
Generally, you will need about 15 to 20 minutes to cook the sausages thoroughly.
How Should Turkey Sausage Look When Cooked?
The recommended cooking times are beneficial and immensely practical. But sometimes, even a few extra minutes are enough to burn the sausages.
Also, rushing to remove them from the oven, grill, or pan can leave them undercooked.
You also need to look at your turkey sausages as they cook and check for the color.
Ideally, the turkey sausage will have golden brown color on each side. Once they reach this color, you should remove them from the pan, oven, or grill.
Otherwise, the golden brown will quickly turn into charcoal.
You also don’t want to be too impatient and stop cooking them when the sausage is not brown enough.
Is It Okay if Turkey Sausage Is a Little Pink?
Raw turkey sausage is light pink or very light red.
So, the goal when cooking is to ensure that the pink color turns into a taupe. However, a little pink color can be considered safe, too.
The only way to be entirely sure is to use a kitchen thermometer.
If you don’t have one on hand, you may want to consider cooking the turkey sausage a little longer, just to play it safe.
Understanding the changes in turkey meat color is especially important if you’re preparing links that might not be fresh.
Check the meat before cooking if you can’t find the expiration date on the package.
If the turkey sausage is not pink but already looks brownish or gray, it’s not safe to eat.
In Summary
To be 100% certain your turkey sausage is cooked, you’ll need a meat thermometer.
This holds true for any type of sausage from chicken sausage to chorizo.
When the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 165°, the sausages are entirely safe for consumption.
On the other hand, you can also rely on visual indicators, like checking for golden brown skin.
It’s important to remember that sausages are prepared pretty fast and that you should check on them frequently during the cooking process.
Following these guidelines will help you prepare perfectly cooked turkey sausages every time.
