Defrosting sausages on the stove is simple and takes less than 15 minutes to cook.

Did you know you can defrost and cook sausages all at once right on the stove? That’s right, no need to panic if you forgot to pull them out in advance. I’ve got the info you need right here.

How To Cook Sausages From Frozen

Defrosting sausages on the stove is simple and takes less than 15 minutes to thaw and cook right in the pan. That sounds easy enough, right?

First, remove the sausages from the packaging. If they’re stuck, run a little cool water over the package for a few minutes or microwave for 30 seconds to loosen. Use a pan large enough to hold the frozen “brick” of sausages, like a 12-inch stainless steel or non-stick pan, and preheat your pan over medium-high heat.

Add the frozen sausages along with the stock or water to the pan, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook for five minutes. Now, remove the lid. At this point, the sausages will be fully thawed and partially cooked. They will look kind of gray, but not for long. Allow any leftover moisture to evaporate, and when the pan looks just about dry, the sausages can continue cooking a few different ways:

Finish Cooking the Sausages:

Add the oil to the pan, according to the recipe directions, and brown the sausages right in the pan for about eight to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the sausages registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the center of one of the sausages.
Or, transfer sausages to the oven to finish cooking with or without other ingredients, like these Sheet Pan Sausage and Pepper Hoagies.
Or, lightly brown the sausages in the pan, then add to other recipes to finish cooking, like tomato sauce.

If cooking in a stainless steel pan, add water to the pan immediately after transferring the sausages to a serving plate, which will help with cleanup.

Using Your Sausages

The sausages can be stored in the refrigerator up to five days and can be eaten on their own, or added to other ingredients for dinners throughout the week. Try them in these recipes: