Proteins

Fresh Sausage

Uncured raw ground-meat sausage that must be cooked before eating.

Fresh sausage is raw seasoned ground meat, usually pork, stuffed into casings and sold uncured, requiring cooking before eating. Varieties like Italian sausage and breakfast links are grilled, fried, or crumbled into sauces and stuffings. Unlike cured sausage, it is perishable and juicy when cooked.

Fresh sausage is a broad category of raw, uncured ground meat stuffed into casings—distinct from dried, cured, or smoked sausages like soppressata, pepperoni, and andouille. The category spans centuries and continents: Italian, German, Mexican, North African, English, and American Southern traditions each bring their own grinding, seasoning, and casing preferences. What unites fresh sausages is their raw state and the requirement to reach safe internal temperatures before serving. Most are 25–35% fat (pork varieties), which keeps them moist during cooking and delivers flavor to the pan. They come in two basic forms—links (chained, looped, or coiled) and bulk (casings removed). Casings may be natural (small intestine) or manufactured (collagen, cellulose), with texture ranging from tender to fibrous. The variety within this category is enormous, but the practical principle is simple: treat fresh sausage like raw ground meat and cook it thoroughly.

Measured in: g
Storage: Fridge

Types & varieties

Italian Sausage (Sweet)

Coarse-ground pork with garlic and fennel seed; mild and most common in American markets.

Italian Sausage (Hot)

Same base with red pepper flakes; labeled 'hot' or 'spicy' per brand.

Bratwurst

German fresh pork or pork-veal sausage; often fine-ground, seasoned with marjoram, nutmeg, or mace; typically in linked or coiled form.

Fresh Mexican Chorizo

Coarse-ground raw pork seasoned with dried chiles (ancho, guajillo), vinegar, and garlic; vivid red color from achiote or chile.

Merguez

North African lamb or mutton fresh sausage; seasoned with harissa, cumin, coriander, and sumac; usually lamb casing.

Breakfast Sausage

Small-diameter pork links or bulk patties; seasoned with sage, white pepper, and sometimes maple or black pepper; mild flavor profile.

Cumberland Sausage

English coarse-ground pork; heavily peppered; traditionally sold in a long coiled strand.

Bockwurst

German veal-pork sausage with chives and parsley; traditionally poached before grilling.

Weisswurst

Bavarian veal-white sausage; mildly seasoned with parsley, lemon, and cardamom; casing often peeled before eating; traditionally boiled.

Boudin Blanc

Louisiana pork and rice sausage; seasoned with onion, parsley, and green onion; fine, pale texture.

Thuringer / Grillrostbratwurst

German regional sausage; coarser grind, seasoned with marjoram; often grilled.

Common uses

Simmering in liquid (beer, stock, wine) for brats and Italian sausage, then finishing on a hot grillGrilling directly over medium heat until charred and cooked throughBrowning in a skillet, then finishing in the oven at 375 °F for even cookingBreaking bulk sausage into crumbles for pasta sauces, pizzas, flatbreads, and tacosBraising with aromatics (onions, peppers, tomatoes) for sandwiches or chilisPoaching in simmering liquid, then searing—traditional for weisswurst and bockwurstStuffing into shells, pasta, or baked goods (calzones, sausage rolls)Adding to soups, stews, and bean or lentil dishes as a flavor base and protein

Tips & pitfalls

Always cook fresh sausage to safe internal temperature—use an instant-read thermometer; do not rely on color alone.
Prick or cut fresh sausage before cooking only if it is very thick (2 inches or more) and you are cooking at high heat; otherwise the casing will burst and juices will escape.
For even cooking of links, start in a cold skillet over medium-low heat with a small splash of water or oil, cover and steam 5–8 minutes, then uncover to brown. This prevents bursting and uneven doneness.
When using bulk fresh sausage in crumbled form, cook in a cold skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it renders; resist adding it to hot fat—gradual rendering crisps the exterior better.
If casing is tough or fibrous (some collagen casings), score or peel before cooking for better mouthfeel.
Seasoning absorbed by ground meat in fresh sausage is not easily replicated in a hurry; bulk substitutes need 2–3 hours minimum in the refrigerator with salt, garlic, and fennel or sage to approach the flavor.
Do not refreeze previously thawed fresh sausage more than once; each freeze-thaw cycle degrades texture and increases safety risk.
Fresh chorizo turns from bright red to dull brownish when fully cooked—this is a visual indicator in addition to temperature.

Nutrition

155kcal

Energy

649 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 50%Carbs 1%Fat 49%

Protein

18.8g

38% DV

Carbs

0.5g

0% DV

Fat

8.1g

10% DV

Fiber

0% DV

Sugars

of which

Sodium

593mg

26% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin B1254% DV

Niacin (B3)29% DV

Zinc28% DV

Vitamin B625% DV

Riboflavin (B2)18% DV

Phosphorus14% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Sausage, turkey, fresh, raw

View on FDC →

In the shops

Matched grocery products

Egg Sausage
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€3.79
Egg Sausage
SALGOT · kg · Bonpreu
€4.99
Pork Sausage
BONPREU DE L'ERA · kg · Bonpreu
€5.99
Fresh Sausage
640 g · Mercadona
€3.62
Rabbit Sausage
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€6.75
Catalan Sausage
BONPREU · kg · Bonpreu
€1.89

Good to know

State: Raw and uncured; requires cooking before eating. Typically prepared without synthetic nitrates or nitrites; check labels if avoiding celery-based alternatives.
Common Base Meats: Pork (most common), beef, veal, lamb, poultry, game (venison, wild boar).
Casing Types: Natural (small intestine) or collagen/cellulose (edible to inedible depending on type).
Safe Internal Temperature: 160 °F (71 °C) for pork, beef, veal, lamb. 165 °F (74 °C) for poultry and game.
Refrigerated Shelf Life: 1–2 days from purchase date; check sell-by date.
Frozen Shelf Life: 1–3 months in airtight wrapping; thaw slowly in refrigerator.
Forms: Links (chained, looped, or coiled) or bulk (casings removed).
Fat Content: Typically 25–35% fat for pork; lower for poultry or reduced-fat varieties.

Substitutes

Bulk breakfast sausage — Remove from casing of any fresh pork sausage link or use pre-cased product; most direct substitute in recipes for crumbled sausage.
Italian turkey sausage — Lower fat, milder; works in pasta sauces and grilled applications; increase garlic and fennel seasoning to approximate pork Italian sausage flavor.
Ground pork with seasoning — Mix 1 lb ground pork with 1½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp fennel seed (crushed), and ¼ tsp black pepper; rest 30 minutes before cooking.
Ground chicken or turkey thigh — Higher fat than breast; season similarly; best for crumbling in pasta or pizza; texture is slightly denser than pork.
Fresh poultry sausage — Direct substitute if available; adjust seasoning to recipe needs.

Pairs with

Garlic Fennel seed SageRed pepper flake / CayenneMarjoramHarissaBeer (braising liquid)Tomatoes (fresh, canned, paste)Onions and bell peppersMaple syrup / AppleFresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme)Polenta / GritsBeans and lentils

Also called

Raw Sausage · Banger