Smoked Italian Sausage

These double smoked Italian sausages are cooked low and slow over post oak and cherry wood, chilled completely, then smoked a second time for extra wood-fired flavor and a snappy casing. Serve them whole or slice and sear the cut sides until browned and caramelized for the perfect meal.

Course Grilling, Main Course, smoking

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword smoked italian sausage

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3

Servings Servings

Calories 388kcal

Author Bon Appeteach

Ingredients

8 Italian Sausages
Ice Bath

Toppings

Chicago Style Smoked Sweet Peppers
Hot Giardiniera

Instructions

Preheat the smoker: Preheat your smoker to 180–200°F. Add a combination of post oak and cherry wood for a balanced smoky flavor.
Smoke the sausage: Arrange the Italian sausage links directly on the smoker grates, leaving space between each link for smoke to circulate. Smoke until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 165°F, about 2–3 hours depending on their size and your smoker temperature.
Prepare an ice bath: While the sausages finish smoking, fill a large bowl or container with plenty of ice and cold water.
Chill the sausages: Immediately transfer the smoked sausages to the ice bath. Once the ice begins to melt and the water warms, drain and repeat with a second fresh ice bath. Chill until the sausages are completely cold throughout. This quickly stops the cooking process and helps preserve their texture for the second smoke.
Dry the casings: Remove the sausages from the ice bath and pat them very thoroughly dry with paper towels. For the best casing texture, refrigerate the sausages uncovered until the exterior feels completely dry. They can be refrigerated overnight at this point if desired.
Smoke a second time: Preheat the smoker again to 180–200°F. Place the chilled sausages directly onto the grates and smoke until heated through. Because they're already fully cooked, the goal of the second smoke is to warm the sausage, add another layer of smoke flavor, and help tighten the casing.
Serve: Serve the double-smoked sausages whole, or slice them on a bias. For extra texture and caramelization, sear the cut sides of the sliced sausage in a hot skillet or on a griddle until browned.

Notes

Keep the smoker low: Smoking at 180–200°F allows the sausage to cook gradually and take on plenty of smoke without aggressively rendering the fat.
Don't skip drying: A thoroughly dried casing is important before the second smoke. Excess surface moisture can prevent the casing from developing that desirable snap.
Make ahead: Complete the first smoke and chilling process, dry the sausages, and refrigerate overnight. Double smoke them the following day just before serving.

Nutrition