Chicken Sausage - smoke or not ???

[Old Frenchie]

Thanks to this forum I have found several chicken sausage recipes that sound great (Taragon/basil, Apple, Tomato/cheese). However, the cooking procedures have been a bit vague (at least to me as a newbie). I have to admit that I'm very cautious when it comes to chicken. So, I need some guidance from experienced folks.

As I understand it I could cook them as follows (but not sure which are best or "no-nos"):
1. Stuff and freeze without cooking beforehand. Pan cook or poach later.
2. Stuff and poach and then freeze.
3. Smoke and cook but at a high heat of at least 225*F and then freeze.
4. Add cure#1 and smoke/cook in heat stages like pork sausage ... 130, 150, 150, etc.

Is it is better to freeze uncooked or cooked?
 
Is it too risky to cook chicken even at higher heat without cure (although it appears okay to whole chickens at 225*F of hotter)?

Does cure#1 change the flavor/taste of chicken too much? And, is it okay to cook at the lower temps if cure#1 is used?

Any help greatly appreciated .... :)
Thanks
Roger

[Smokin Soon]

Other opinions may vary, but I feel that using cure in chicken sausage reduces the the taste of your spices. I just stuff, vac seal and poach when needed. Might take you a couple of batches to get the flavor you like. I do my chicken sausage quite small and short, as they are easier to poach.

[Habanero Smoker]

I prefer fresh sausage. To me the cure does alter the taste of chicken or turkey sausage, and you will pick up a ham like flavor. If that is your taste profile, then give it a try. And yes; by adding the proper amount of cure #1 you can cook at lower temperatures, or just cold smoke the sausage, leave it uncooked and then freeze.

Whether or not I cook the sausage depends on how I may use the sausage in the future. Also you don't have to do the same thing for the whole batch. Sometimes when doing a batch turkey/chicken sausage or other types of sausages, I may fully cook some for 'heat and serve' sausage, and/or freeze some uncooked.

The cooking method may vary, saute them on the stove top at low heat, roast them in the oven at 325°F, poach them, and of course if you added cure #1 you can hot smoke them (under 180°) or if uncured cook in the smoker at least at a cabinet temperature of 225°F. The recommended internal temperature for sausage made from poultry is 160°F. I generally take them to 155 - 158°F. With all the cooking methods above, if you are not going to eat the sausage right away, you should give them an ice bath to stop the cooking.

[Old Frenchie]

Smokin Soon ... Thanks, I was worried about the cure impact on the mild chicken flavor.

Habanero ... Thanks for the extremely detailed response !!! I appreciate you taking your time to help a newbie like me with such complete detailed information. I've read thru most of the 80 pages of sausage posts and many of the poultry postings but have extremely little experience yet ... so I value comments from experienced folks like you.  Thanks again!!

Roger