© 2026 National Turkey Federation
1225 New York Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005
1225 New York Avenue NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005
10-12 (10-inch) wooden skewers
6 links turkey sausage cut into thirds (1 to 1.5 lbs; e.g., Italian-style, sweet, spicy, or a combination of both)
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1.5-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1.5-inch pieces1-inch pieces
1 red onion, cut into wedges, layers separated
1 zucchini, cut into ½-inch thick rounds
1 summer squash (yellow squash), cut into ½-inch thick rounds
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Optional for Serving: Chimichurri sauce, red pepper flakes
Soak Skewers: Begin by soaking your wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes. This prevents them from burning on the grill.
Prepare Vegetables: While the skewers soak, wash and chop all your vegetables: green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and red onion into 1.5-inch pieces; zucchini and summer squash ½ inch thick rounds.
Cut Sausage: Cut the turkey sausage links into thirds (about 2” long pieces).
Build the Skewers: Thread the turkey sausage pieces and vegetables onto the soaked skewers, alternating ingredients for an appealing look and even cooking. Feel free to mix and match the vegetables on each skewer (e.g., peppers and onions on some, zucchini and squash on others, or a mix of all on each).
Preheat Grill & Oil Skewers: Preheat your grill to medium heat (around 375-400°F). Lightly brush the assembled skewers all over with olive oil.
Grill the Skewers: Place the skewers directly on the preheated grill grates. Grill for 12-15 minutes total, turning them every 3 to 4 minutes to ensure even cooking and to avoid burning or flare-ups. The vegetables should be tender-crisp and have nice grill marks, and the sausage should be cooked through.
Check Temperature: Carefully remove one skewer from the grill and use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of a piece of turkey sausage. You're looking for it to be cooked through to 165°F.
Serve: Transfer the grilled turkey sausage skewers to a platter. They are delicious as is, or you can take them up a notch by drizzling with chimichurri sauce and sprinkling with red pepper flakes for an extra kick.