Move Over Chorizo — Turkish Sausage Adds Bold Flavor Without Taking Over Your Dish

Chorizo is a spicy Spanish sausage that's awesome for combining into a hearty seafood paella or summer tapas. But if you're after something that's equally as savory and aromatic that won't take over the milder flavors of your dish then Turkish sausage, or sujuk, is the way to go.

Sujuk is a dry, spiced sausage that's made of beef and aromatics, such as garlic, sumac, and cumin. The ground meat is stuffed into a casing, much like salami, which is usually removed before cooking. Also known as sucuk, this Turkish sausage has a high fat content, which means you can slice it and fry it in a skillet without using any additional oil. Comparable in texture to paprika-flavored chorizo, sujuk releases its amber-colored fat into the pan as it sizzles, and can be used in similar ways. However, as it's made of beef instead of pork, it's suitable for halal diets.

Turkish sausage has a rich, concentrated flavor and is highly salted. For this reason, it's generally served in small lengths or slices and enjoyed as part of a larger breakfast, scattered over pide, or incorporated into a mezze platter. Its bold flavor is more intense than other varieties of sausage but it isn't excessively hot. While other spiced sausages, like lamb-based Merguez, are served whole in stews or on a bed of couscous because they're long and slim, sujuk tends to be chunkier and has a harder texture that benefits from being chopped or sliced.

When slices of sujuk are cooked, the edges rise up and develop a scrumptious crispy and chewy texture, a bit like pepperoni. This makes them a delicious topping on pide or a salty accompaniment to a serving of fried eggs (simply allow the fat to be released from the sausage before cracking the eggs into your skillet). You can also add cubed sujuk to shakshuka or a veggie omelet, or stuff it into a toastie or sandwich, making it super versatile.

Awesome ways to use Turkish sausage for dinner are to slice it up and add it to a bean cassoulet to lend the brothy base a rich, umami flavor, or cook it in an earthenware pot with veggies to make something called Güveçte sucuk. However, you can also grill the slices until they develop some delectable char marks before serving them in a low-key way with hummus, olives, Turkish cheese, honey, and bread. One of the best things about sujuk is the rendered fat it produces when heated. Add virtually anything, from cooked rice and eggs to cubed potatoes and beans, to this flavorful fat to create a substantial, savory meal with a meaty aroma.