Food - Drink
12 Popular Store-Bought Sausage Brands, Ranked
By JUDY MORENO
12. Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean seems to be the go-to brand for breakfast sausage, but their turkey sausage’s texture is both dry and somewhat pebbly, with odd bits of chunks that are off-putting. The flavor is bland enough that we couldn't tell whether it needed more or less salt, only that it needed more seasoning.
11. Johnsonville
Johnsonville's sausages are hearty and bigger than other daintier sausages we tried, but with a slightly rubbery consistency and swollen appearance when cooked. We tried the Irish O'Garlic flavor, but even with the kick of garlic, the flavor was underwhelming and a bit too salty, though not offensive.
10. Aidells
Aidells Honeycrisp Apple All Natural Chicken Sausage doesn't have that snap we love, with a chewiness that is hard to slice or bite, the meat itself is slightly mushy and overly processed. There was no fresh, tart apple flavor, either but this one could work when sliced and mixed into another recipe.
9. North Country
North Country Smokehouse’s Chorizo sausage has a reassuringly short ingredient list and brings the heat, but without an authentic chorizo flavor. It's more similar to a chorizo-flavored dinner sausage, and its texture is slightly tough and grisly, which isn’t horrible, but there are better sausages.
8. Harris Teeter
Harris Teeter’s Hot Italian Sausage is a great lower-priced dinner sausage with some solid heat and spice, though we couldn't pick out any particular spices. Nothing overpowers these flavorful, juicy links, and they're sizable, too, so they make for an affordable option that still gives you your money's worth.