The Pan Mistake You're Making With Breakfast Sausage

If there are 12 mistakes everyone makes when cooking breakfast sausage, then overcrowding the pan has to be at the top of the list (or at least somewhere around the middle ... wink, wink). See, just like plants or people, sausage links need a little space to reach their full potential. In a pan where they have enough room to roll around a bit, the links turn golden brown in color and acquire a snappy texture. But in a too-packed pan, you're much more likely to experience a sausage fail.

In the same way that overcrowding a pot of oil lowers the oil's temperature, when we pack our skillets with as much sausage as they can hold, it actually changes the pan's temperature, which increases the likelihood of the food sticking to it. Additionally, without adequate room for steam to escape, this steam will take over and start cooking the sausage, making a final product that's soggy and limp as opposed to brown, crispy, and pan-fried.

No matter what brand of sausage you use (if you're looking for some recommendations, we've ranked breakfast sausage brands from worst to best), if you don't cook it well, it's not worth its salt. While some folks prefer to bake their breakfast sausage, pan-frying these links is simple and quick. Just preheat a greased skillet over medium heat, add a few sausage links or patties to the mix — just don't overcrowd them, now — and let them cook for somewhere around 12 minutes. For those who like their sausage on the browner side, add a few additional minutes.

Allowing the sausage to brown properly has a profound effect on its taste. When exposed to heat, the sugars and proteins in our food undergo several chemical reactions that actually transform the way the ingredients taste and smell. It's called the Maillard reaction, and it makes everything better — from veggies and burgers to coffee and even sausage! But if you overcrowd your pan, it won't get hot enough for the Maillard reaction to occur, and you'll just be bummed out at breakfast.