Best italian sausage, according to chefs
Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Jorge Thomas, Danielle Caminiti, Dena Fenza, Josh Deri and 2 more. Recommendations come from simplyrecipes.com, eatthis.com and mashed.com.
Meats · The ranking
- 1Top pick
Premio Italian Sausage (Sweet or Hot)
Chosen by- Danielle CaminitiAuthor, From Courtroom to Cucina
- Dena FenzaAuthor, My Italian American Table
- Mariarosa TrapaniCooking with Mariarosa
- Josh DeriChef, Josh Cooks a Lot
- Jorge ThomasChef, Swaledale Butchers
Also chosen by- Jorge Thomas · Chef, Swaledale Butchers source ↗
Simply Recipes asked four Italian American cooks for the best store-bought Italian sausage, and all four named Premio, a family-run New Jersey sausage maker. Caminiti likes that it comes loose as well as in links. Thomas on the hot links: “Pork, fennel, red pepper and paprika — that’s a good combination, and there are no fillers.” Slit the skins and brown the meat in chunky pieces for a sauce.
- 2
Fra’ Mani Italian Sausage (Sweet or Spicy)
Chosen by- Andrew OwensPrivate chef
- Mashed (hot Italian sausage ranking)
Also chosen by- Mashed source ↗
From Paul Bertolli’s Berkeley salumeria. Owens: “coarsely ground like the texture you’d find in a true butcher shop… fruitwood smoked for deep and complex flavor layers… juicy with no artificial additives.” Mashed’s taster ranked the spicy links second of 11 and called the meat “so clearly produced with meat of a higher quality than every single other sausage.” Fully cooked, so they only need browning. Sold at Whole Foods.
- 3
Niman Ranch Sweet Italian Sausage
Chosen by- Jorge ThomasChef, Swaledale Butchers
From the network of independent family farms that raise Niman Ranch’s pork outdoors, without antibiotics or added hormones. Whole-muscle pork with toasted fennel, garlic and black pepper, uncured and fully cooked. Thomas: “You want enough seasoning to make it interesting, but you should still be able to taste the pork.” Warm it through gently and serve with softened peppers and onions. Sold at Whole Foods and specialty grocers nationwide.
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Questions, answered
- What is the best italian sausage, according to chefs?
- MyTastr’s top pick is Premio Italian Sausage (Sweet or Hot), chosen by Danielle Caminiti (author, From Courtroom to Cucina); Dena Fenza (author, My Italian American Table); Mariarosa Trapani (Cooking with Mariarosa); Josh Deri (chef, Josh Cooks a Lot); Jorge Thomas (chef, Swaledale Butchers). Simply Recipes asked four Italian American cooks for the best store-bought Italian sausage, and all four named Premio, a family-run New Jersey sausage maker. Caminiti likes that it comes loose as well as in links. Thomas on the hot links: “Pork, fennel, red pepper and paprika — that’s a good combination, and there are no fillers.” Slit the skins and brown the meat in chunky pieces for a sauce. Source: simplyrecipes.com ↗
- What are the other top picks for italian sausage?
- No. 2 is Fra’ Mani Italian Sausage (Sweet or Spicy), chosen by Andrew Owens (private chef); Mashed (hot Italian sausage ranking). No. 3 is Niman Ranch Sweet Italian Sausage, chosen by Jorge Thomas (chef and butcher, Swaledale Butchers). Each card above links to the original source.
- How does MyTastr choose these picks?
- Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.