How To Cook Chinese Sausage | The Best Way

If you enjoy the rich flavor of Chinese sausage in many Asian cuisines, you can easily make them in the comfort of your home. This article will explore the best way to cook Chinese sausage to bring out the natural flavors and other popular methods of how to cook Chinese sausage.

You can steam, boil, or fry Chinese sausages. The best way to enhance their flavors is to steam them in the rice cooker for 20 to 30 minutes or boil them for around 10 to 20 minutes or until they’re translucent. You can also pan-fry them in oil on medium heat until they’re golden brown and crispy.

Now, let’s cover how to cook Chinese sauces in greater detail.

What Is the Best Way To Cook Chinese Sausages?

The best way to cook Chinese sausages is by steaming or boiling them. This method helps to keep them moist, enhances the flavors, and prevents them from drying out during cooking. Boiling Chinese sausages in a broth will give them a softer texture, with the broth flavor infused into the meat.

What Exactly Is Chinese Sausage?

Chinese sausages are typically made from pork but can also be made with chicken or duck. They’re called Chinese sausages because they’re a fairly common food in China. While different regions of China have variations of the sausage, they’re all somewhat similar. 

And cooking Chinese sausages the right way is essential to ensure they remain juicy and flavorful. Using fresh sausages stored in the refrigerator is crucial to ensure you get the best results and flavor. 

You can deep-fry, pan-fry, and stew Chinese sausages, but the best way to bring out their natural textures and flavors is to boil or steam them. Boiling or steaming before using Chinese sausages in grilling or stir-fry recipes is an excellent way to create a rich and flavorful dish.

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How To Boil Chinese Sausages

Boiling the sausages is as simple as boiling noodles or potatoes. All you need is a pot full of water, the Chinese sausages, and tongs or chopsticks to pull them out when they’re done. Follow these simple directions:

1. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the sausages, like what you do with noodles or potatoes.
2. Place the pot on the burner and turn the heat to high for the water to boil.
3. While the water is heating, remove the Chinese sausages from the package and wash them.
4. Once the water is boiling, add the sausages and cook for 10 to 20 minutes or until you can easily insert a chopstick or fork into the sausage.
5. Remove the sausages from the pot once they’re done, and add them to your favorite recipe or eat them as an appetizer.

How To Steam Chinese Sausages

The best part about this method is you can steam the Chinese sausages with the rice, and it only takes about 20 minutes or less to cook. So gather your sausages, rice, and rice cooker or instant pot and follow these easy steps:

1. Remove the sausages from the package and wash them.
2. Place the sausage and rice in the rice cooker or instant pot. 
3. Fill the cooker with water, enough to cover the rice and sausage. 
4. Turn the cooker on, select the “Rice” cook setting, and let it do its magic. 
5. Once the cooker notifies you it’s done, take caution when removing the lid because hot steam will pour out once you open the lid.
6. Scoop out the rice and sausages and eat them as is, or dress them up with some spices and sauces.  

Does Chinese Sausage Need To Be Cooked?

Chinese sausages need to be cooked because they are dried raw meat with a hard texture. As with other raw meats, it’s recommended to cook them first to kill contamination like salmonella or other bacteria that can cause illness. Chinese sausages can be steamed, boiled, and pan-fried.

While some sources say you can eat Chinese sausage raw, it’s not recommended. As mentioned, Chinese sausage is not pre-cooked and goes through a drying process. Aside from bacteria contamination, raw pork can also include parasites that can make you ill.

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Do I Need To Soak Chinese Sausage?

You need to soak Chinese sausage for at least two hours to soften the casing and bring out the natural flavors before frying. Chinese sausages are semi-dried and quite firm with a protective case. However, no need to pre-soak when steaming or boiling, as these methods will achieve the same results.

Some say soaking Chinese sausage in hot water for about 20 minutes is sufficient. But it’s also recommended that hog-cased sausage be soaked for at least two hours or overnight. 

Because Chinese sausages are dried, they are hard, tough, and chewy, and the soaking process will moisten the casing and meat to release the flavors when cooked.

Can I Pan Fry Chinese Sausage?

You can pan-fry Chinese sausage with cooking oil over medium heat. You can cook it whole, slice it into small pieces, or cut it lengthwise down the middle to make two halves. Fry Chinese sausages by moving them around for up to 8 minutes or until they’re golden brown and crispy around the edges.

Chinese sausages are a delicious and flavorful addition to any meal. And pan-frying fresh Chinese sausage is an excellent way to activate the meat sugars, fats, and flavor to enhance the overall taste of your dish. This method will give the sausages a golden-brown color and a crispy texture once they’re cooked. 

Frying Chinese sausages in a wok or pan is easy and common for stir-fried dishes, but using a few key tricks is essential to make the sausage tender and flavorful. 

Soaking the Chinese sausage for at least a couple of hours before pan-frying them will soften the casing and get the juices flowing within the meat. This extra step will add rich flavor to your dish, especially stir-fry recipes like the following Chinese sausage fried rice.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice Recipe

If you love fried rice, you should try this Chinese Sausage Fried Rice recipe from The Woks of Life (clever name, right?) that takes 20 minutes to make. Ensure you have all the ingredients before you start.

Ingredients

• Leftover or fresh rice
• 3 Chinese sausages 
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cups (640 g)cooked white rice
• ¾ teaspoon (3.7 g) salt
• ¼ teaspoon (1.4 g) sugar
• 2 teaspoons (9.9 ml) of hot water
• ¼ teaspoon (1.2 ml) sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon (2.46 ml) dark soy sauce
• ⅛ teaspoon (0.6 g) white pepper
• 3 tablespoons (1.5 oz) vegetable oil
• 2 beaten eggs
• ⅔ cup (100 g) frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 cup (201 g) mung bean sprouts
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) Shaoxing wine, optional

Directions

1. Make a batch of rice and prepare your Chinese sausage by steaming or boiling them to soften the texture and activate the flavors.
2. Chop the onions and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, add the following and then set aside salt, sugar, hot water, sesame oil, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and white pepper.
4. Over medium heat, spread the vegetable oil and add the bowl of beaten eggs. Scramble them and break them up into smaller pieces until done. Then, transfer them back to the bowl and set them aside.
5. Keeping the wok or pan on medium heat, spread more oil, add the sausages, and stir-fry for about 20 seconds.
6. Add the chopped onion, and stir-fry for another couple minutes until they appear translucent. 
7. Turn the heat up to high, add the rice and use a spatula to flatten the rice, breaking up any clumps. 
8. Once the rice is warm, pour the sauce mixture you prepared earlier evenly over the rice. Mix the Chinese sausage fried rice for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice is evenly coated in the sauce. There should be no more clumps of rice, and the sauce should be evenly distributed.
9. Add the cooked egg, thawed frozen peas, and mung bean sprouts to stir-fry for another minute.
10. Add the scallions, pour the Shaoxing wine, and stir-fry for another 20 seconds or so for even flavor.
11. Serve and enjoy!

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Can I Cook Chinese Sausage in the Microwave?

You can cook Chinese sausage in the microwave by cutting it into pieces and cooking them submerged in water on medium power for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the sausages and drain the water. Place them back in the microwave for another 3 minutes at medium power or until they are thoroughly cooked.

Is It Safe To Microwave Sausages?

Take caution because although microwaves can cook meat very quickly, they do not always cook it evenly. Microwaved meat can also become rubbery and tough on the outside while remaining cold and raw on the inside. 

Cooking Chinese sausage in a microwave may also cause it to lose its flavor and nutritional value because microwaves cook food by agitating water molecules in the food. 

It’s essential to cut the sausage before microwaving to ensure the meat is evenly cooked and help prevent it from drying out due to overcooking.

How To Cook Chinese Sausage in the Microwave

Here is how you can cook Chinese sausage in the microwave: 

1. If your sausages are frozen, fully thaw them before cooking them in the microwave.
2. Cut the Chinese sausage into several pieces of your desired size or quarters. This will help the sausage cook evenly.
3. Place the sausage in a microwavable bowl.
4. Fill the bowl with water until covering the sausage pieces. Cooking them with water will help prevent the meat from drying out and also activate its rich, natural fats and flavors.
5. Place them in the microwave, cooking on high power for about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Remove and drain the water and place it back in the microwave. If you desire a more crispy result, you can coat the pieces in oil after draining the water.
7. Cook on medium power for about 3 minutes or until fully cooked and sizzling. 

Instead of submerging the pieces in water, you can splash a bit of water over the sausage pieces and cover them with a lid or plastic wrap to keep in the moisture.

Can I Cook Chinese Sausage in an Air Fryer?

You can cook Chinese sausage in an air fryer at 400 °F (204.4 °C) for 14 minutes. Turn the sausages halfway through cooking to ensure they are evenly cooked. When the fryer beeps, remove and ensure the sausages are fully cooked with an internal temperature of at least 190 °F (87.8 °C).

Vietnamese Savory Sticky Rice and Chinese Sausage

Here’s a delicious recipe from Asian Home Cooking that includes preparing Chinese sausages in the air fryer. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups (400 g) of sticky rice
• 1 can of pork pate
• 4 Chinese sausages
• 4 tsp (19.7 ml) soy sauce
• 1 cup (100 g) of fried shallots
• 1 stalk of green onions, sliced
• 1 tbsp (14.8 ml) of oil
• ¾ cup (150 g) of pork floss

Directions

1. Prepare the sticky rice the night before by washing it and letting it soak overnight in warm water.
2. When you’re ready to begin cooking, steam the sticky rice for 20 minutes.
3. While the rice is steaming, prepare the scallion oil by microwaving the sliced green onions and oil for about 30 seconds, then set aside.
4. Air fry your Chinese sausage at 360 °F (176.7 °C) for 5 minutes, remove them, slice them into thin slices, and set aside. 
5. Assemble the dish by adding the sticky rice and flattening it out on the plate. 
6. Spread a thin layer of pork pate on the rice, then add the soy sauce and pork floss. 
7. Layer the Chinese sausage slices and sprinkle the shallots on top. 
8. Top the dish with the fried scallion oil, and enjoy! 

Final Bite

Whether pan frying, boiling, or steaming, Chinese sausage can add intense flavor to your dishes, making your mouth water. The best way to cook Chinese sausage to extract those delicious flavors is by boiling or steaming. You can also soak the sausage before cooking dishes like stir-fry.

Chinese sausage is dried, which leaves it a bit hard, and should be softened by moisture so the flavors can be released to enhance the overall taste of your dish. 

Thanks for reading!