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    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com · Leave a Comment

    Smoked Italian Sausage

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    Jump to Recipe
    Smoked Italian sausage pin with text header.

    My easy, juicy Smoked Italian Sausages are absolutely packed with ALOT of intense smoky flavor and hands down a family fave! These smoked sausages are versatile, intensely flavorful, and an instant winner when it comes to making family meals that everyone will love!

    The smoker is one of the best ways to cook sausages, but usually, it’s a sausage like kielbasa or a bratwurst. I’m smoking Italian sausages, which are perfectly enhanced by the smoky flavor!

    The smoker makes these sausages juicy inside, crisp on the outside, and cooked perfectly all the way through! Smoked Italian sausage is super versatile as well! I’m serving them on buns, but you can also serve them with pasta, soup, in a casserole, or even on a hearty salad!

    Square overhead of the smoked italian sausage on metal tray with buns and coarse mustard on sides.
    Tasty, smoky, and incredibly easy Italian sausages are a wonderful addition to soups, pasta, and more!

    Juicy, savory, and full of smoky deliciousness, my smoked Italian sausages are sure to be your new favorite way to eat sausage.

    Jump to:
    • ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
    • 🥘 Ingredients
    • 🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
    • 💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
    • 🥡 Storing & Reheating
    • ❓ FAQ
    • 🍖 More Amazing Smoked Recipes
    • 📋 Recipe

    The best part about this recipe is there’s only 1 ingredient - the sausages! This recipe is crazy easy and hands-off too! Everyone is going to love these juicy, irresistibly flavorful sausages that basically take no effort!

    These sausages are also great to smoke if you’re smoking something else that has a longer smoke time, like a brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder.

    You can throw them on, let them smoke for a few hours, and then eat them for lunch while you’re waiting on the other meats to finish!

    ❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!

    • It’s Effortless! For this recipe, you simply arrange the sausages on the smoker, and then let them smoke! There’s minimal fuss with this recipe, so you’re never stressed!
    • It’s Unexpected! Italian sausage is usually pan-fried or grilled but smoking them ups the ante on flavor big time! Serve on buns with peppers and onions, and you’ve got a winner!
    • It’s Delicious! The smoky flavor that permeates these sausages really transforms them into a delectable flavor bomb!

    🥘 Ingredients

    These sausages are the most flavorful you’ll ever make! I’ve listed buns as optional here - you can serve the sausages on buns, on their own, or in a different dish, like pasta!

    • Italian Sausage Links – You can use hot, sweet, or mild Italian sausages for this recipe - whichever is your preference! There are usually 5 to 6 links per package, so you’ll get about 5 servings per recipe.
    • Hoagie or Hot Dog Buns – If you want to serve these sausages on buns, you can! I recommend hoagie buns, as they’re sturdier and will stand up better to the thicker sausage.
    • Preferred Condiments – I like to top these sausages with sautéed peppers and onions or even a creamy sauce like my delicious roasted garlic pizza aioli! You can use anything you like here!

    *Be sure to see the recipe card below for ingredients, amounts & instructions!*

    🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions

    The smoker really elevates the flavor of these tasty sausages! Make sure to preheat your smoker so the sausages cook properly and thoroughly. You can use a wood, pellet, charcoal, or gas smoker – whatever you have!

    Process photo 1 of the Italian sausages while raw in the smoker.
    1
    Process photo 2 of the italian sausages in smoker.
    2
    1. Preheat the smoker. Preheat the smoker to 250°F (121°C) using your desired wood pellets or chips and get it smoking. You can use any kind of smoker here.
    2. Add the sausages. When your smoker is ready, place 9 ounces of Italian sausage links either in a grill tray or directly onto the smoker/grill racks. Space your links at least ½-inch apart so the smoke can get around each link.
    3. Smoke the sausages. Smoke the Italian sausages for 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) as read by a digital read thermometer.
    4. Serve! Remove the Italian sausage links from your smoker and serve immediately on buns with your favorite condiments.

    This terrific smoked Italian sausage is served perfectly for lunch or dinner in buns with a topping of sautéed peppers and onions, or any of your favorite condiments. Try serving with a zesty pasta salad, or delicious vegetable! Enjoy!

    Tall overhead image of the smoked italian sausage on metal tray.

    💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes

    If you need to temp the smoked Italian sausage, be sure to only pierce one link to preserve juiciness!

    • Piercing the links will let some of the juices escape, so you don’t want to do this to every link.
    • Because of the size of the links and the cooking time, it’s entirely possible they’ll be completely cooked – so you may not need to temp at all! Use your best judgment.

    You can adjust the cooking temperature of the smoker as needed.

    • Some may want to smoke these sausages at 250°F (121°C),but if you have a particularly hot smoker, you can smoke for the same amount of time at 225°F (107°C). They’ll turn out just as delicious!

    Some recommend turning the links every hour of cooking, but I don’t recommend this method.

    • I don’t like to open the smoker any more than necessary, because you want the smoke to stay in!
    • If you are very concerned about them burning, I recommend cooking at a lower temp 225°F (107°C) or turning them only once.

    When the sausages are done, they will have a slightly reddish color on the outsides and be slightly wrinkled.

    • That’s how they should look though! Don’t worry – they’ll be super flavorful and extra juicy on the inside.

    🥡 Storing & Reheating

    My delicious smoked Italian sausage can be kept in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic cling film or foil and kept in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. It’s important to keep them well covered so that they don’t dry out in the refrigerator.

    These smoky sausages can also be frozen! Wrap the cooled sausages in plastic cling film then place them into a freezer bag or airtight container and they can be frozen for about 3 months.

    When you’re ready to eat, let the sausages thaw in your fridge overnight for the safest and easiest defrost.

    Reheating Smoked Italian Sausages

    To reheat these amazing smoked sausages and keep them juicy, I recommend using the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and place the sausages on a baking sheet or baking dish.

    Splash a little water or broth on them so they stay moist and cover with foil. Then let them reheat for about 20 minutes, or until the sausages reach 165°F (74°C).

    ❓ FAQ

    What other sausages can I smoke?

    Most sausages will do very well in the smoker! I recommend checking out my smoked bratwurst recipe for another great smoked sausage! The one thing to note is if you’re using a leaner chicken or turkey sausage, it may not have as much fat. Temp and check for doneness a little earlier, to be sure that they don’t dry out.

    What’s the best wood to smoke sausages?

    I like using hickory wood chips or pellets for smoking these sausages. I also love using the Pit Boss Competition Blend (which includes hickory, maple, and cherry woods). You basically just want a wood that will deliver a lot of flavors quickly, since the smoking time is brief.

    Why are my sausages pink inside after smoking?

    If your sausages are a little pink inside, don’t worry! This is just due to the smoke that permeates the interior of the sausage. After the amount of time spent in the smoker, they should be fully cooked through!
    You can also temp one of the sausage links with a thermometer to ensure they have fully reached the proper internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

    🍖 More Amazing Smoked Recipes

    • Brisket
    • Baby Back Ribs
    • Corn On The Cob
    • Short Ribs
    • Ribeye
    • Prime Rib

    Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📋 Recipe

    Square overhead of the smoked italian sausage on metal tray with buns and coarse mustard on sides.
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    Love This Recipe?Click On A Star To Rate It!
    5 from 10 reviews

    Smoked Italian Sausage

    My easy, juicy Smoked Italian Sausages are absolutely packed with ALOT of intense smoky flavor and hands down a family fave! These smoked sausages are versatile, intensely flavorful, and an instant winner when it comes to making family meals that everyone will love!
    Author | Angela
    Servings: 5 servings
    Calories: 491kcal
    Prep 5 minutes
    Cooking 1 hour 30 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
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    Ingredients
     

    • 19 oz Italian sausage links (5-6 links per package, use hot, sweet, or mild)
    • hoagies or hot dog buns (optional)

    Instructions

    • Set your smoker to 250°F (121°C) using your desired wood pellets or chips and get it smoking.
    • Place your Italian sausage links either in a grill tray or directly onto the smoker grill racks. Space the links at least ½-inch apart so the smoke can get around each link.
      19 oz Italian sausage links
    • Smoke the Italian sausages for 1 ½ hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) as read by a digital meat thermometer.
    • Remove the Italian sausage links from your smoker and serve immediately in buns with your favorite condiments.
      hoagies or hot dog buns

    Equipment You May Need

    Smoker (Traeger, pellet, wood, charcoal, or an electric smoker)
    Silicone Kitchen Tongs

    Notes

    *Nutritional information is an estimate based on the Italian sausage links and a bun. It does not include any condiments or toppings.
    • I like using hickory wood chips or pellets for smoking sausages. Or the Pit Boss competition blend (which includes hickory, maple, and cherry woods).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 491kcal (25%) | Carbohydrates: 22g (7%) | Protein: 20g (40%) | Fat: 35g (54%) | Saturated Fat: 13g (81%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 82mg (27%) | Sodium: 1000mg (43%) | Potassium: 327mg (9%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 3g (3%) | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 93mg (9%) | Iron: 3mg (17%)
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can’t wait to see your results! Mention @bake_it_with_love or tag #bake_it_with_love!
    Course Dinner Recipes, Main Dish, Smoked Meats
    Cuisine American
    author profile photo
    Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com

    Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!

    bakeitwithlove.com/about/
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    Hi there, I'm Angela! I am an avid vintage cookbook collector, recipe creator, animal lover, and total foodie. I love sharing recipes that are new, fun, and creative as well as great classic recipes just like my Grandma used to make!

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