How to Make Nashville Hot Fresh Sausage

If you love Nashville hot chicken, this is the sausage for you. Our Nashville Hot Fresh Sausage Seasoning packs that famous red-hot, tangy flavor into a fresh link, and it's absolutely phenomenal straight off the grill.

In this guide, we'll walk through the whole process, from grinding pork butts to grilling the links, and break down exactly what makes this seasoning so different from a typical brat.

Best Cut

Pork Butt

Grind Plate

3/16 in

Fat Content

20 to 25%

Grill To

160°F

What Makes Nashville Hot Sausage Different?

This is a brat-style seasoning, so there are really no additives required. You're just working with ground pork and the seasoning. That keeps the process simple and gives you:

Bold, upfront heat inspired by Nashville hot chicken
A tangy kick from apple cider vinegar and other dry vinegars

It's an easy, fresh sausage that's ready for the grill the same day you make it.

grinding pork butts for Nashville hot sausage

Grind the pork butts

Start with some nice pork butts. We ground ours through the Walton's One Shot on a #22 grinder, with a 3/16 in plate on the outside for the perfect texture for this seasoning.

Grinding Tips

Cut pork butts into long strips so the grinder can chew through them easily
Use a 3/16 in plate for the ideal fresh sausage texture
The One Shot system grinds in a single pass, so there's no need to run the meat through twice

Pick the right fat content

We like pork butts because they have a high fat content, but you can use other cuts of pork. Just make sure your fat content is at least 15%.

Why Fat Matters

15% is the minimum, but 20 to 25% fat is perfect. Fat carries the flavor of the seasoning and keeps fresh sausage juicy on the grill, which is exactly why pork butts are our go-to cut.

Mix in the seasoning

Add the seasoning to your ground pork, and you'll see right away how red and hot it is. Mix until the seasoning is evenly distributed, then add a little bit of water.

Pro Tip

Don't mix until you get protein extraction. Stopping short of that tacky, sticky stage keeps a chunkier texture in the finished sausage, which suits this seasoning perfectly.

Stuff the casings

Stuffing this sausage is really easy. We used our 11 lb sausage stuffer and 30 mm fresh collagen casings, the go-to size for brats, Italian sausage, and other fresh sausages.

Stuffing Tips

Punch down the meat as you load the stuffer to get rid of air pockets
Stuff the casings until they're as full as you want them
Twist into links, cut, and they're ready for the grill

stuffing Nashville hot sausage into 30 mm fresh collagen casings

Grill to 160°F

Throw the links on the grill and let them cook until they reach the right internal temperature.

Grilling Process

Set your grill to 300°F
Place the links on the grill and let them cook
Pull them once they hit 160°F internal temperature

Nashville hot sausage links on the grill

Taste the heat

The heat hits instantly. It's the first thing you'll notice, and it lingers, but there's a lot more going on. The apple cider vinegar and other dry vinegars keep the meat from binding together, so you get a beautiful chunkiness in every bite.

Flavor Notes

Upfront, lingering heat
Tangy apple cider vinegar
Tons of mustard seed
Onion and a good amount of paprika
A rich, buttery note on the back end

Allergen Note

This seasoning contains milk. If you or anyone you're cooking for has a milk allergy, check the ingredient label before using it.

This Nashville hot seasoning really lives up to its name.

How To Serve It

Nashville hot sausage works in tons of different dishes. A few favorites:

Toss a link in a bun and keep it simple
Add ghost pepper cheese if you really want to turn up the heat
Slice or crumble it into pastas, rice bowls, or breakfast dishes

If you're a fan of Nashville hot chicken, this seasoning is a must-try. It's simple to make, with no additives required, and the result is a fresh sausage with big heat, real tang, and a chunky texture that stands out from every other brat on the grill. Tip of the cap to whoever came up with this formulation, because it is phenomenal.