Family-run British butchers True Bites have shared a simple oven method for cooking sausages that they say gives you "better, tastier sausages" with less mess and fuss than using a frying pan.
Many Brits may think they have sausage cooking down to a fine art, but the butchers suggest a couple of small adjustments could see you serving up some of the finest bangers you've ever tasted. The frying pan remains the go-to for most, yet this approach can be a bit of a faff, leave your hob covered in grease, and produce unevenly cooked results.
Why oven cooking works
True Bites argue that oven cooking ensures even results while keeping the skin intact, locking in those succulent juices. They explained: "Cooking sausages in the oven is one of the easiest ways to get them evenly cooked, nicely browned, and ready to serve without standing over a frying pan."
"Oven cooking gives the sausages steady heat, helps them cook evenly, and means you do not need to keep turning them in a frying pan. You still get a good colour on the outside, but with less mess and less fuss."
Chucking sausages in the oven proves particularly useful when cooking several at once, whipping up a full English, feeding the whole family, or prepping them for butties, bangers and mash, straightforward casseroles, or simple traybakes.
How to cook sausages in the oven
When preparing traditional bangers in the oven, there's no need for oil – perhaps just a tiny drizzle if they're particularly lean. Crucially, you'll use far less fat than you would when frying sausages in a pan.
Begin by heating your oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6. This temperature provides sufficient heat to achieve a golden exterior while ensuring the centre cooks through properly. For particularly thick sausages, you might want to reduce the temperature a touch and extend the cooking time slightly.
While the oven warms up, arrange the sausages on a baking tray. You can line it with foil or baking parchment to simplify the washing up afterwards. For leaner varieties, add just a hint of oil to them.
Pop the tray into the oven and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Slimmer sausages might be ready a bit sooner, while chunkier butcher's varieties could require nearer to 30 to 35 minutes. Remember to flip the sausages midway through cooking to ensure even browning.
When the cooking time is over, the sausages ought to be golden brown on the exterior and thoroughly hot right through. If you slice into one, there shouldn't be any raw-looking meat in the centre. The juices should run clear, and the consistency should be firm all the way through.
