6 Best Grocery Store Sausages, According to Chefs

Chefs share the best sausages for flavor and quality.

Sausage is a refrigerator staple that’s not only a breakfast favorite, but also ideal for pastas, sandwiches, soups and grills. Whether it’s Italian, bratwurst, chorizo ​​or chicken sausage, there’s a style for almost every dish and meal. But not all grocery store options provide the same taste and quality. To narrow it down, the chefs share the best sausages to look for, from classic references to standout choices that take on serious taste.

Manda

Manda is a Louisiana-made brand available at grocers across the South and online. This is for Chef Frederic Terluin, Executive Chef, Baton Rouge Bally’s Casino + Hotel. “The flavor is out of this world, with just the right amount of spice to add a little zip to dishes without being too hot or unnecessary,” he says. “It’s juicy, flavorful, and uses only the highest quality ingredients. In Louisiana, we don’t mess around with low-quality or low-quality flavors, and Manda’s always delivers perfectly. Chef Frederic added, “Plus, they’re amazing, too!”

Idells

Idells perfectly cooked sausages made with recognizable ingredients and no fillers, appealing to shoppers looking for something a step above the usual mass market brands. “Their sausages have really good texture and flavor, and they tend to use more interesting ingredient combinations, so they feel a little more generic than most grocery store options,” he says. Amounthome cook, recipe developer and food blogger.

Johnsonville

Another choice that chefs love Johnsonville. “It’s more classic, but very convenient, and the flavor is exactly what people expect from traditional sausage, which makes it an easy choice,” says Dozus. One thing you’ll notice about Johnsonville products is how they achieve the perfect fat content. “The company has worked very hard to ensure that there is enough oil to provide a good texture after cooking the product without additional shrinkage,” says Mark McShane. Mark McShane is the chef Food safety expert in Sh Level 3 Food Hygiene Certificate. “Additionally, Johnsonville has found that using a little more meat in their sausages gives them a firmer bite and they hold their shape longer on the grill than other brands,” he said.

All good

All good known for thick, well-seasoned sausages, especially its hot links, which have a noticeable kick and depth of smoke. This makes them stand out from the lighter, more generic grocery store options. Rachel Kirk, home cook and recipe developer for LaughingSpatula.com and GigglingFork.comis a big fan. He recently made a brand paper plate pineapple sausage with roasted vegetables to prepare meals for the week. “The sausage is pork, but the flavor is not heavy, and the pineapple gives such a fresh, sweet taste to the delicious meat,” he explains. “I would absolutely buy again – I’ve seen it at Costco and love that I can buy it in bulk and it freezes well.”

Isernio Chicken Sausage

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Isernio Chicken Sausage delivers a unique blend of fresh ingredients, stronger flavor and better-for-you nutrition than traditional pork sausage. When Kirk cooks soup or meat, this is her brand. “It is made from natural ingredients and the sausages are very fresh and wholesome,” he says. “They have a ton of different options, like the good sausage I use for us Breakfast Sausage Brown Casserole.

in Kiolba

in Kiolba known for slow-smoked sausages that impart a deep, savory flavor. Like other hardwood-smoked brands, this process creates a richer flavor that stands out in dishes like jambalaya, on the grill, or in simple sausage and pepper dishes. “The kiolbassa, the smoky flavor is rich enough in fat to keep them juicy, and the sausage casing has a great moment,” he says. Lisa Lotshome cook, recipe developer, owner and publisher Garlic and Zest. “If you’re looking for a sausage to be the star of the meal, Kiolbassa is my choice.”

Heather Newgen