The easiest way to cook breakfast sausage patties or links is in the oven—fast, hands-off, and no splatter. Bake at 400°F—about 12–15 minutes for breakfast sausage or 25 for thicker sausages like brats or Italian.
Whether you're cooking for breakfast, meal prep, or dinner, you’ll get juicy, evenly cooked sausage with minimal cleanup.
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Featured Comment by Kari :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Breakfast made easy! Thank you for the instructions; this worked great! "
😊 Why You Should Bake Sausage (Not Fry It)
- Less mess. No splatter, no greasy skillet, no cleanup headache.
- No babysitting. Oven does the work—no flipping or hovering.
- Juicy and evenly cooked. Crispy outside, fully cooked inside.
- One pan, one batch. Cook the whole pack at once, hands-free.
- Works for any sausage. Use this method for patties, links, brats, or kielbasa—just adjust the time.
🐖What You Need
Sausage:
Breakfast sausage patties or links work best, but you can also use Italian sausage, brats, kielbasa, or smoked sausage.
Choose pork, turkey, or chicken—they all cook the same.
Cooking surface:
Use a rimmed baking tray (like a sheet pan) to catch any grease. Line it with PAM cooking spray, parchment paper, or aluminum foil to prevent sticking and make cleanup easy.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: How to Cook Sausage in the Oven
1. Prep the Tray and Sausage
Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection preferred). Line a rimmed baking tray with cooking spray, parchment paper, or foil for easy cleanup.
✅ Pro Tip: Convection helps with browning, but any oven temp from 350° to 425°F will work—just adjust the cooking time.
If using breakfast sausage patties, press a shallow dimple in the center to help prevent puffing.
Arrange all sausages evenly on the tray—don’t crowd them.
2. Bake and Flip
Place the tray on the middle oven rack. Flip patties or rotate larger sausages about halfway through the baking time for even cooking.
3. Check Temp and Finish
Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, or 165°F if the sausage contains poultry.
Breakfast sausage: 12–15 minutes
Larger sausages (Italian, brats, etc.): about 25 minutes
✅ Pro Tips: If the sausage is done but not browned, use the broiler for 1–2 minutes to finish.
👇 Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete step-by-step photo instructions—or keep reading for tips
⏱️ How Long to Bake Sausage in the Oven
The exact time depends on the size of the sausage, your oven temperature, and whether you’re using convection. But here’s a simple guide:
- Breakfast sausage patties or links: 12–15 minutes
- Thicker sausage (Italian, brats, kielbasa, etc.): 25–30 minutes
✅ Always cook to a safe internal temperature—160°F for pork or beef, or 165°F if the sausage contains poultry.
Convection ovens cook faster and brown better, but any oven temperature from 350°F to 425°F will work. Just adjust the cooking time and check early with an instant-read thermometer.
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👍Pro Tips to Cook It Right
- Dimple the patties. Press a ¼-inch deep, ¾-inch wide dimple in the center to prevent puffing. This keeps the patties flat and helps them cook evenly.
- All sausage types cook the same way. Pork, turkey, or chicken sausage—just follow the same method and use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temp.
- Use a rimmed baking tray. A sheet pan with sides keeps grease contained.
– For patties, use PAM or parchment paper—foil tears easily when flipping.
– For links, foil is fine and makes cleanup easier. - Convection helps with browning. If you have it, use it. A high oven temp and a low-sided pan will help the sausage brown more evenly.
- Don’t bake longer just to brown. If the sausage is cooked through but still pale, finish with 1–2 minutes under the broiler. Easy fix—no dryness.
🤔Special Tips for Larger Sausages
- This same method works for larger sausages. Italian sausage, kielbasa, brats, and smoked sausage all bake well—just increase the time to about 25–30 minutes and flip or rotate halfway through.
- Add veggies for a full meal. Toss in sliced bell peppers and onions when baking Italian or smoked sausage. It turns into a quick sheet pan dinner or a ready-to-go hoagie filling.
- Flexible oven temps still work. You can bake sausage at 350°F to 450°F if you’re cooking something else alongside it. Just adjust the time and check the internal temp.
🍳 More Easy Breakfast Ideas
Want bacon? Try How to Cook Bacon in a Convection Oven
Here are more reader favorites for breakfast:
❄️ Storage and Reheating Leftovers
This method is perfect for meal prep since you can cook a full package at once.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for one to two months.
Reheating: If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Use the microwave for convenience, or reheat in a skillet or oven to keep the edges crisp.
❓FAQs
No—don’t do it. The casing holds in the juices. It may split naturally while cooking, but poking holes will just dry it out.
Yes, but it will take longer since you're cooking to a safe internal temperature. The thicker the sausage and the colder your freezer, the more time it will need. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure.
According to the USDA, sausage made from pork or beef is safe at 160°F, while sausage containing poultry should reach 165°F. Use an instant-read thermometer to be sure.
Most precooked sausage is already safe to eat—check the label. You don’t need to fully cook it, just heat it through. That said, I usually bake it anyway for better moisture and texture. Try both and see which you prefer.
📖The Recipe Card
How to Cook Sausage in the Oven (Breakfast & More)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage - breakfast, links, or larger sausages like Italian or brats
- PAM cooking spray or parchment Paper - to prevent sticking
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the Tray and Sausage
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (convection preferred). Any oven temp from 350°F to 425°F will work—just adjust the time.
- Prep a rimmed baking tray with PAM spray, foil, or parchment paper.
- For breakfast patties, make them about ¾ inch thick and dimple the center (¼ inch deep, ¾ inch wide) to prevent puffing.
- Spread sausage on the prepared baking pan, so they don't touch.
Bake and Flip
- Bake on the middle rack. Flip patties or rotate larger sausages about halfway through for even cooking.
Check Temp and Finish
- Bake until the internal temperature reaches 160°F, or 165°F if the sausage contains poultry.Breakfast sausage: 12–15 minutesLarger sausages (Italian, brats, etc.): about 25-39 minutesFor extra browning, finish under the broiler for 1–2 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- You can use the sausage you want, breakfast links or patties, or larger sausages like Italian sausage, kielbasa, brats, or smoked sausage. You can also use pork, turkey, or chicken sausage—cooked or uncooked.
- It cooks well with other dishes since you can use different oven temperatures
- You need a pan with some sides, like a sheet pan.
- Foil is great for cleanup but if doing patties that need flipped, use cooking spray or parchment.
- The most important thing is a safe internal temperature of 160° or 165° if the sausage contains poultry.
- Don’t overbake to get color—use the broiler to finish browning instead.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Originally Published February 14, 2015. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
A.W. says
My go-to for prepping sausage patties! Works well for burger patties too, with just a few extra minutes checking with a meat thermometer! I like having fewer recipes to have to bounce between as I cook up a bunch of meat all in one weekend each month, burger patties, taco meat, ground beef/sausage, sausage patties, bacon, chicken ect... Then freeze for easy prep nights during the days/weeks when I am too tired with work to want to do much, or heat the house up on multiple days bit still want to control what additives and preservatives my kids eat. I try to avoid buying frozen meals and stuff and prefer to make my own as well as other shortcuts... The directions here are easy to follow and understand, and the sausage parties come out perfect every time! Plus I can make 2-3lbs of patties at a time, that would take forever on the stove top! Then I can just pull a few at a time from the freezer to the fridge then pop some frozen biscuit dough in the oven to bake... If only i could find a way to have thkse taste fresh made ahead of time... The search continues lol.... But at least I knlw my 14year old sons can make something filling themselves easily while I am at work, especially during the summer!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Welcome to the blog, and it seems to be working for you.
My "after-work" cooking was pan-seared oven-roasted recipes. I would freeze a meal's worth of raw chicken breasts, pork chops, or tenderloins, which I would remove from the freezer to the fridge the evening before. Then, when I got home, I flipped on the oven, sear for a few minutes on the stovetop, and then into the oven to finish while I relaxed for a bit. Just to expand your possibilities.
Dan
PS also check out the tortilla pizzas.
Kari Hartley says
Breakfast made easy! Thank you for the instructions, this worked great! I used 3 lbs. of ground pork (added sage, marjoram, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and maple syrup) and made 10 large patties. Cooked at 400 for 8 minutes then flipped like you said, then 2 minutes under a broiler on high. SO delicious!
Helene says
Could you flatten the roll so it's like a long oval patty?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Helene,
Sure, the only caution I have is the edges may cook before the center is cooked well, and be sure to check the temperature in multiple places. I usually cut the roll with a sharp knife into 3/4 inch disks—super easy,.
Dan
Judy says
Question about reducing puffing of baked patties.
I understand the 1/4 “ dimple in the centre but what do you mean about 3/4” in diameter? Diameter is the measure from edge to edge of the pattie, this would make the pattie about the size of a quarter!
Is the 3/4 inch the thickness of the pattie?
TIA
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Judy,
Welcome to the blog.
The "dimple" is just a shallow depression to prevent buffing when cooking a pattie like a burger or these sausage patties. So use a finger or two and make the depression about 1/4 inch deep in the center of the pattie on one side only. The diameter is how big around that dimple should be—about 3/4 to an inch. That is the size of the dimple, not the pattie.
The thickness of the patties is about 3/4 inch.
I hope that helps.
Dan
Kari Hartley says
I had the same question....3/4 inch patty?
Thanks for answering Dan!