Frying sausages often leaves them burned on the outside and pink in the middle, while air fryers can dry them out. A simple oven method, recommended by third-generation butchers from British Sausage, is gaining attention as a better way to cook them.
The butchers assert that “oven baking is the easy, convenient way to enjoy sausages”. They say cooking sausages in the oven produces “juicy” and “mouth-watering flavour” that frying cannot match.
Why the oven beats the frying pan
Pan frying is quick, but it can lead to scorching, sticking and oil splashing, creating a larger mess to clean up. Oven baking uses gentler heat, which lets the fat melt slowly and ensures the sausages cook evenly.
This even heat lets the skin caramelise while retaining all the juices inside, giving a crispier, more flavoursome sausage. It also offers extra convenience, with less hands-on cooking and easier cleanup if the tray is lined.
How to cook sausages in the oven
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6) and place the sausages on a baking tray. Cover the tray with foil or baking paper to simplify washing up. For particularly lean sausages, add a light drizzle of oil, but most conventional sausages have enough fat.
Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the sausages halfway so they colour evenly. They should be golden brown outside and steaming hot all the way through when done.
Serve with classic sides such as mashed potato, chips, fried eggs, baked beans, gravy, or in a bread roll.
