Forget the frying pan — the secret to juicier, tastier sausages lies in the oven, according to a butcher-approved method. This simple technique ensures even cooking, a gorgeous golden colour, and minimal mess.
Why the oven beats the frying pan
Pan-frying sausages often leads to uneven cooking and oil splattering across the hob. In contrast, roasting in the oven delivers consistent, even heat, meaning sausages cook uniformly without constant turning. You achieve a lovely colour on the outside while keeping mess and effort to a minimum.
The butchers at True Bites advocate cooking sausages in the oven, and I wholeheartedly concur — the oven is undoubtedly the better option. Baking sausages in the oven is without question one of the easiest ways to guarantee they cook evenly, develop a gorgeous golden colour, and are ready to eat without the need to stand over a frying pan.
How to cook sausages in the oven
To begin, preheat your oven to 180 °C Fan while preparing the baking tray. Line the tray with foil before placing the sausages on top. If your sausages are particularly lean, add a small drizzle of oil. The sausages I used on this occasion contained sufficient fat, so no additional oil was necessary.
Some people choose to prick sausages with a fork, but this simply allows the juices and fat to escape, potentially leaving them drier than desired. Place the tray in the oven and allow the sausages to cook for between 25 and 35 minutes. After approximately 15 minutes, turn the sausages over to allow them to brown on the other side.
As I was using larger sausages, they took around 35 minutes to cook. After a total of 35 minutes, the sausages were a gorgeous golden brown on the outside and piping hot all the way through. As I had lined the tray with foil, the washing up was an absolute breeze — no scrubbing required, and the sausages hadn't stuck to the tray at all.
