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My Easy Trick for Grilling the Most Flavorful Sausages of Your Life (It Makes Them Taste 10x Better!)

Jan Valdez
Jan ValdezAssistant Recipe Producer at The Kitchn
I got into this field by spending 10 years working in Research & Development and Product Development test kitchens, testing new products and recipes. For nearly eight years, I was the Senior Culinary R&D Specialist at Weber headquarters, where all the grills are designed, engineered, and tested. I've helped launch numerous best-selling, top-rated grills across the globe (you should see my grill collection at home!). One of my proudest accomplishments happened years earlier, when I had the opportunity to visit the Good Housekeeping Institue in NYC after developing an award-winning Tropical Citrus Shrimp recipe that jumpstarted my career in test kitchens and food editing. Since then, I've worked at Serious Eats (one of my favorite food sites) and EatingWell as an updates editor. I'm passionate about both classic recipes and new, unique twists. I'm constantly learning and that's what makes food and cooking so fun (just ask me how to bake light and airy pavlovas on the grill – I've tested them countless times!).
published Aug 15, 2024
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Sausages on grill
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I love to grill pretty much everything in the summer, from quick grilled chicken thighs and sweet grilled corn on the cob to spicy gochujang butter grilled wings. My goal is to do as much cooking outside as I can. One of my favorite things to throw on the grill are bratwurst sausages. Not only are they the easiest food to grill (other than hot dogs, of course), there’s not much you need to do while you’re cooking them. But there is one step I like to take that makes them extra flavorful: I smoke them using a wood chip foil pouch.

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Over the years, I’ve smoked bratwursts on my charcoal grill, my kamado smoker, and my pellet smoker — all with amazing results. Smoking infuses the sausages with a deep, smoky flavor while keeping them tender and juicy. But if you don’t have a smoker, don’t worry! You can smoke on your gas grill with these easy wood chip foil pouches. 

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The Easiest Way to Smoke Sausages on the Grill 

To make a wood chip foil pouch, you’ll need some heavy-duty aluminum foil and wood chips. I like to use either apple or cherry wood chips for bratwurst sausages, but feel free to experiment with hickory wood chips if you prefer a stronger smoke flavor. 

To make the pouch:

  • Tear off an 18-inch square of foil and fold it in half. 
  • Fold it in half again, then fold over two open sides to create a pouch. 
  • Fill the pouch with a large handful of wood chips, then seal the pouch.
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To smoke with the pouch: 

  • Pierce the pouch with a small knife or fork to create holes that allow the smoke to release. You can control the amount of smoke escaping by using more or less holes depending on what you’re cooking. 
  • When you’re ready to grill, place your wood chip foil pouch on the grates and let the grill preheat. You’ll start to see smoke within 10 minutes or so. 
  • Once you see smoke, you’re ready to grill! I like to grill bratwurst sausages over direct-low heat. This keeps the foil packet smoking at a steady temperature while cooking the bratwursts perfectly browned and juicy. 

Have you tried smoking sausages? Let me know in the comments below!

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: My Easy Trick for Grilling the Most Flavorful Sausages of Your Life (It Makes Them Taste 10x Better!)