What are the best types of sausage for a barbecue?

Although traditional beef cuts, especially those considered noble meats, are usually the main stars of the grill, the fact is that to make the best barbecue, good sausage is a must. Besides being practical, it pleases different palates and complements the experience around the barbecue grill.

In this exclusive Mundo CIMO post, you will discover the best types of sausage for barbecue. Learn about their main characteristics, particularities, and, of course, count on our specialists to help you choose the best one for each occasion and give you preparation tips.

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The importance of different types of sausage for barbecue

Sausage holds a special place in Brazilian barbecue, being a classic choice for its practicality and flavor. Its versatility allows it to be served as an appetizer, a complement to other cuts, or even the main dish on specific occasions.

With its characteristic juiciness, distinctive seasonings, varied flavors, and especially its ease of preparation to kick off barbecue services, sausage is perfect for whetting the appetite while the main cuts are getting ready.

Below, see the best options for barbecue sausage types that offer your grill an incredible diversity of flavors and combinations, featuring ingredients such as herbs, spices, and even cheeses that make each type unique.

Tuscan sausage: the tradition of barbecue

Tuscan sausage is a classic, always among the essential items for Brazilian barbecue. Made with coarsely ground pork and mild seasonings, it is known for its juicy texture and flavor that pleases everyone. The perfect balance between meat and fat makes Tuscan sausage offer a light flavor, ideal for all ages and preferences.

This type of sausage is also among the main successes of barbecue due to its simplified preparation. Just keep the heat at medium and turn frequently. This way, the sausage cooks evenly without drying out.

Calabrese sausage: for those who like intense flavor

With a more pronounced flavor and slightly spicy in some cases, calabrese sausage is ideal for those looking for a touch of more personality in their barbecue seasoning.

With a more uniform texture and stronger seasonings — and often reinforced with smoking —, it has everything to shine on the grill, whether complementing skewers, sandwiches, and portions, or even shining on its own as an unforgettable appetizer.

Chicken sausage: a light alternative for your barbecue

Healthier with lower fat content and, consequently, a lighter option to complement your barbecue. Chicken sausage is perfect for catering to audiences who prefer milder, yet delicious, flavor profiles!

This more discreet characteristic of the chicken version allows you to explore various elaborate sauces — with garlic sauces and the famous chimichurri as a base — as well as pairing well with cheeses and other accompaniments.

Special care is needed, precisely because of the delicacy of the flavors and textures of chicken sausage, making its cooking time shorter. Extra care is worthwhile to avoid overcooking and making the links dry.

Spicy sausage: for those who like a kick on the palate

Spicy sausage is a bold choice for those who appreciate spicy and intense flavors, with pepper being a complement found mainly in Tuscan and Calabrese sausages.

Exploring the spiciness and flavors offered by jalapeño, pimenta-dedo-de-moça, pimenta-de-cheiro, and even malagueta peppers, you can offer a different tasting experience to your guests.

With more presence and potency on the palate, the ideal is for sauces and seasonings to be lighter, refreshing, and fatty — with milk fat being excellent for relieving the heat. A good yogurt and mint-based sauce is the ideal combination for spicy sausages!

Artisan sausage: gourmet option for your grill

Artisan sausages elevate your grill to another level, with selected ingredients and exclusive flavors. These are the types of sausages that can steal the show and appear among larger cuts of meat as true stars of your barbecue.

Among the vast universe of possibilities that artisan versions offer you, you can highlight already known versions such as:

• Colonial sausage, made with bacon;

• Mixed pork and beef sausages;

• Pork leg sausages;

• Cuiabana sausage;

• Stuffed sausage with cheese and herbs;

• Lamb sausage, wild boar sausage, and many other options!

How to choose the best type of sausage for your barbecue?

To ensure you find the best type of sausage for your barbecue, it's important to take some very important factors into consideration.

Right away, we emphasize the importance of clearly identifying guests' preferences for appetizers. Chicken sausages are a hit with kids and some female audiences.

Artisan versions with a more pronounced flavor or made from meats other than beef, pork, or chicken are generally more appreciated by a more mature audience — or by young people who like to try new options. Finally, there's attention to preferences regarding spicier flavors that you should take into account.

Another important part is understanding how to use sausage as a tool to diversify your barbecue. Balancing flavor and texture profiles between sausages and beef, for example, can offer your family and friends a complete meal throughout the event.

Sausage preparation tips

To ensure juicy and flavorful sausages, attention to preparation is crucial when it's on the grill. A good basic guideline for preparing traditional sausages is to grill them over medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, turning regularly to cook evenly (but only turning when one side is golden to retain the moisture of the meat encased in the link).

Based on this average, you can consider shorter cooking times for sausages made with more delicate or thinner proteins — while the opposite applies to more resistant meat fibers and thicker links.

Finally, to prevent the sausage from bursting on the grill, we recommend making small incisions in the links. Nothing too exaggerated to ruin the structure or release more liquid than necessary: small cuts prevent the sausage casing from exploding during internal cooking.

We hope you enjoyed another article from Mundo CIMO, this time presenting the best types of sausage for barbecue. Having learned and mastered sausage preparation, we invite you to check out our material on the traditional choripán, applying your new knowledge to a delicious barbecue recipe!