Justine Sterling
Though it was first created as a way of preserving meat into the summer, summer sausage is, ironically, a gift basket staple around the holidays. The shelf-stable (until sliced open) smoked sausage is a deliciously savory snack on a charcuterie board or on its own, bitten into like a banana.
Here’s the thing: You don’t have to receive a summer sausage as a gift to enjoy it. Nor do you have to give away every summer sausage you buy. You can purchase summer sausage and eat it at home just as you would any other deli meat. And you can even get some of the best summer sausage from the grocery store—no mail-order necessary.
Now that you have my express permission to buy and eat summer sausage whenever you dang well please, the question is, what’s the best summer sausage to get? I can help you. Over three separate taste tests, I sampled 31 different summer sausages in search of the best beef summer sausage, turkey summer sausage, jalapeño cheddar summer sausage, elk summer sausage, and, as of our most recent taste test, the best venison summer sausage.
What we looked for in the best summer sausage:
- Texture. While there are smooth, processed summer sausages on this list, we tend to prefer sausages made with a coarser grind. They just taste more artisanal.
- Flavor. Summer sausage has a very specific flavor. It should have a little bit of a tang and be super savory.
- Fattiness. While summer sausage can be lean—especially if it’s turkey summer sausage or venison summer sausage—it should still have enough fat to make it taste indulgent and rich.
Here are the eight best summer sausages to buy and eat (or gift, if you must).
Best Summer Sausage, Ranked
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- Hunter’s Reserve Elk
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Many of the game meat summer sausages we tried were way, way, way too gamey. And I like game meat. But this elk summer sausage from Hunter’s Reserve has just the right amount of gamey flavor. You know you are eating game meat, but you don’t feel like you’re eating a dog treat. It actually tastes a bit like pepperoni, thanks to the choice of seasonings. But it’s pepperoni with the twang of summer sausage and that iron-rich flavor of elk.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hunter’s Reserve
- Johnsonville Original Summer Sausage
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If you are a big salami fan, then you will like this pork and beef summer sausage. It has a real salami flavor with a summer sausage texture. It’s also on the fattier end of the summer sausage spectrum, so slice it thin and enjoy how it nearly melts in your mouth. This is not everyday summer sausage; it’s special-occasion summer sausage.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Johnsonville Jalapeño Cheddar Summer Sausage
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I’ll be honest, I did not think I would be into a jalapeño cheddar summer sausage. I thought the cheddar would be gross and too creamy. I thought the jalapeño would be overwhelming. But I will always admit when I’m wrong. And I was very wrong about jalapeño cheddar summer sausage. Because this stuff is great. There are visible chunks of cheese and jalapeno in the sausage. The jalapeño adds a nice, grassy, pepper flavor. The cheese is sharp and just creamy enough. It’s like a charcuterie board cracker snack all in one bite.
Credit: Merc / Kroger
- Thousand Hills Hickory Smoked Summer Sausage
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If you want to eat summer sausage but you also want the cows that become summer sausage to have had a good life, then Thousand Hills makes the best beef summer sausage to buy. The brand is focused on regenerative agriculture and is dedicated to grass-fed beef. The cows pasture-graze for their whole lives and are raised with no added hormones, antibiotics, grain, or grain byproducts. But what about the actual sausage? It’s good! You definitely get the hickory smoke—but it’s not overwhelming. It’s as if it spent time next to a campfire. There’s a touch of that classic summer sausage tang. And it has a good, slightly coarse texture. It’s quality summer sausage, especially if you’re looking for beef summer sausage.
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Pearson Ranch Venison Summer Sausage
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If you don’t know a generous hunter/sausage maker, then Pearson is here to satisfy your craving for venison summer sausage. It tastes like a traditional summer sausage, thanks to a seasoning blend of celery powder, mustard seed, and garlic powder. But there’s a hint of gaminess that sets it apart. That said, it’s not too gamey. It’s just a little bit different, but sometimes that’s all you need to make something better. My one quibble? This sausage is smooth. And if you know me, you know I like a little texture in my summer sausage.
Credit: Liv Averett / Bass Pro Shops
- Old Wisconsin Premium Summer Sausage
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If you want a classic summer sausage that’s a mix of beef and pork, this is some of the best summer sausage out there. It’s very savory with lots of spices in the mix. The texture is somewhere between salami and bologna. It’s a real crowd-pleaser. Cut some thick slices and arrange them on a platter with some crackers and a fancy mustard. That’s really all you need for an appetizer.
Credit: Merc / Vons
- Trader Joe’s Natural Turkey Summer Sausage
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This turkey summer sausage from Trader Joe’s used to be the best summer sausage on this list. Trader Joe’s turkey summer sausage is different from any other summer sausage I tried. It doesn’t just taste like salami’s cousin. It tastes like its own meat product. It tastes like there are some pickling spices in the mix. And that touch of tang really makes it soar. Plus, it’s leaner than the other summer sausages on this list. So, if you appreciate a leaner meat, then this is the best summer sausage to buy. It’s also the best turkey summer sausage if you’re not a red meat eater.
Credit: Merc
- Cloverdale Original Tangy Summer Sausage
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One very helpful commenter suggested we try Cloverdale summer sausage and I’m so glad they did. (See? We do read the comments. Go ahead and tell us what to try!) This mix of beef and pork (and pork hearts!) is very, very savory and very, very fatty. Like. So fatty. But it has that classic summer sausage tang to balance out that fattiness, along with a slightly grainy texture that tells you this summer sausage was made with real ground meat—not paste. Plus, you get a lot of it. The sausage we got was the size of my forearm. Cloverdale made a classic summer sausage in the best way. It’s the best summer sausage we tried.
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
Best Elk Summer Sausage
Best Fatty Summer Sausage
Best Jalapeño Cheddar Summer Sausage
Best Beef Summer Sausage
Best Venison Summer Sausage
Best Summer Sausage for Thick Slices
Best Turkey Summer Sausage
Best of the Best Summer Sausage
Other summer sausage we tried:
Simms Beef Summer Sausage, Simms Summer Sausage, Dietz & Watson Beef Summer Sausage, Dietz & Watson Beef & Garlic Summer Sausage, Hickory Farms Beef Summer Sausage, Hickory Farms Farmhouse Summer Sausage, Hunter’s Reserve Classic, Bridgford, Kretshmar Beef, Yancey’s Fancy Beef & Pork, Yancey’s Fancy Beef & Garlic, Kretshmar Garlic Beef, Pearson Ranch Bison, Pearson Ranch Venison, Hunter’s Reserve Wild Boar, Hunter’s Reserve Venison, Hunter’s Reserve Bison, Usinger’s Thueringer, Usinger’s Italian Style Summer Sausage, Usinger’s Beef Summer Sausage, Klement’s Garlic Summer Sausage, Johnsonville Beef Summer Sausage
Luke Field
Jessica Block
