Homemade linguica steakhouse-style Portuguese smoked sausage that’s easy to make at home. Readers love this because it’s rich, flavorful, and versatile.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Authentic Portuguese flavor at home: This homemade linguica delivers the bold garlic, paprika, and smoky notes you expect—without relying on store-bought shortcuts.
- No mystery ingredients: You control exactly what goes into the sausage, with no fillers, preservatives, or unnecessary additives.
- Flexible for any kitchen: Whether you use a smoker, oven, or stovetop, this recipe adapts easily to the tools you already have.
- Customizable heat level: Make it mild like traditional linguica or turn it into a spicier chourico-style sausage.
- Incredibly versatile: Perfect for breakfast, soups, stews, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and simple weeknight meals.
- Great for make-ahead cooking: One batch creates multiple meals and freezes beautifully for later use.
Why This Recipe Works
- Traditional Portuguese seasoning blend delivers classic garlicky, smoky flavor.
- No MSG, nitrates, nitrites, or high-fructose corn syrup — a cleaner homemade option.
- Works with or without casings — flexible for beginner cooks.
- Can be oven-cooked or smoked, depending on your equipment.
Ingredients (& What Each One Does)
** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.
- Pork butt (or ground pork): The base, provides richness and texture.
- Garlic: Essential savory note in traditional Portuguese linguica.
- Salt: Seasoning backbone and flavor enhancer.
- Liquid smoke (optional): Boosts smoky profile without a smoker.
- Red wine (sweet like Madeira): Balances spice and adds depth.
- Paprika: Adds color and classic Portuguese pepper flavor.
- White and black pepper: Layered heat and spice.
- Oregano (or marjoram): Herbal warmth.
- Sugar: Balances acids and spices.
- Crushed red/piri piri or cayenne (optional): Adds heat for chourico version.
- Vegetable oil: Helps test seasoning and helps browning.
- Wood chips (if smoking): Infuses authentic smoked flavor.
How to Make Homemade Linguica
** You can find the full recipe ingredients and instructions on the printable recipe card below.
- Combine meat and spices: Mix pork with the seasoning blend until well combined.
- Chill and meld flavors: Refrigerate overnight to allow spices to develop.
- Add wine and smoke: Stir in wine (and optional liquid smoke) just before cooking.
- Cook your linguica: Smoke low and slow until done, or bake in the oven until fully cooked.
- Rest before serving: Helps juices redistribute and improves texture.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Keep meat cold: Cold pork mixes and forms better, especially if grinding yourself.
- Test seasoning: Fry a small patty before forming links to adjust salt and spice.
- Casings optional: If you don’t want links, shape into free-form sausages or patties.
- Use a thermometer: Cook to safe internal temperature (~165°F) for best texture.
- Swap wood chips: Applewood or cherry wood gives sweet smoke; hickory is stronger.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy Linguica: Add more crushed red pepper or piri piri for heat.
- Oven-Only Linguica: Skip the smoker — slow-bake at low temp as directed.
- Loose Sausage Style: Use optional liquid smoke and skip casings.
- Patty Linguica: Shape into breakfast-friendly patties.
Serving Suggestions
Great served with:
- Baked beans and brown bread.
- Grilled peppers and onions.
- Toasted rolls or Naan.
- As part of a Portuguese-inspired rice & bean plate.
New Life for Leftovers
- Linguica fried rice: Add diced linguica to cooked rice with onions.
- Soup boost: Stir into bean, kale, or vegetable soups.
- Sandwich filling: Thinly slice and toast in a crusty roll.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Keep cooked linguica in an airtight container for several days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooked sausage up to 6 months; thaw before reheating.
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the oven to prevent dryness.
People Often Ask (FAQs)
Is linguica the same as chourico?
No — linguica is the mild Portuguese sausage, and chourico is its spicier counterpart with hot peppers.
Do I need a meat grinder?
No — you can buy pre-ground pork from the butcher or grocery.
Can I make this without a smoker?
Yes — the oven method works great and yields moist, flavorful sausage.
What wine should I use?
A sweet red wine like Madeira adds depth; a dry red works too if that’s what you prefer.
Can I skip the casings?
Yes — free-form links or patties are delicious and easier to make.
Final Thought
Homemade linguica brings classic Portuguese flavor into your kitchen without the processed additives found in store-bought sausages. Whether smoked or oven-baked, this recipe yields rich, savory sausage perfect for breakfast, dinner, or adding depth to your favorite recipes. Once you make your first batch, you’ll understand why this traditional favorite keeps people coming back for more.
Homemade Linguica Portuguese Mild Sausage
Linguica is a Portuguese mild sausage. Chourico is its spicy twin made different only by the addition of hot peppers. This recipe yields 5 pounds of sausage.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds pork butt , cut into 1/2-inch pieces OR 5 pounds ground pork
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoon salt
- 2 tablespoons liquid smoke OPTIONAL: I use this for the portion I package as loose sausage so it has a smoky flavor. Not necessary for the sausage going into the smoker.
- 2/3 cup sweet red wine , preferably Madeira. [See Note 1]
- 4 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional for chourico spicy sausage version)
- 1 teaspoon piri piri pepper or cayenne pepper powder (optional for chourico spicy sausage version) [See Note 2]
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup wood chips , soaked – your favorite flavor
Instructions
- Combine the pork, garlic, salt, paprika, white pepper, oregano (or marjoram), sugar, black pepper and red pepper in a large bowl and mix well. If using cubed pork butt, pass through a food grinder [paid link] fitted with a coarse die. (Alternately, transfer in 2 batches to a food processor [paid link] and process until finely ground.) If using ground pork, mix the pork and spices together and proceede to step 2.
- Transfer to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to meld.
- The following day, add the wine and liquid smoke to the meat and stir well to combine.
- To test the seasoning, heat the oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasoning, to taste.
- Smoking the Links:
- Preheat a home smoker to 175 °F.Load the wood chips. I use applewood or cherry. You may use whichever flavor you prefer the best.
- Smoke the sausage for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F. We use an internal thermometer for this which we place inside a link in the smoker. [See Note 3]
- Remove the links from the smoker and use as desired.
- We serve ours with Baked Beans & Brown bread.
Notes
1). Portuguese sweet red wine, called Madeira, is a fortified wine and is not found in most grocery stores. Since it is a fortified wine, which has a higher alcohol content, it is only available in liquor stores in the US.
2). Cayenne pepper isn’t a traditional spice seasoning to the Azores. Hot parprika or piri piri (pepper) sauce would traditionally be used in its place. However, since most types of exotic peppers (for piri pirir sauce) are not readily available throughout the United States, cayenne pepper is a viable substitute for the hot paprika and homemade piri piri sauce.
3). If you do not have a smoker, these may be prepared in the oven. Cook in the oven at 175 degrees F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ozCalories: 168kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 22gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 778mgPotassium: 436mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 764IUVitamin C: 1mgVitamin D: 1µgVitamin E: 1mgVitamin K: 3µgCalcium: 25mgFolate: 1µgIron: 2mgZinc: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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This recipe is AWESOME!!
I moved out of CA 23 years ago and have not been able to source this sausage at all. Now l can make a proper lasagne.
I made it with ground pork and baked it in a sheet pan as I was just breaking it up for the sauce. Using Marsala wine added the bit of smokiness I was seeking.
Thank you so much for this delightful recipe!!
Would Marsala wine be a good substitute for Madeira?
A good red wine that you enjoy the flavor.
Brown’s Valley Market in the Napa Valley sells one of the best linguicias I have tried. Silva’s is the best bulk made I have found. I’m going to try and make my own and see how it turns out.
Hi. Just want to clarify or I might be way off. I’m not using the smoker and don’t use the casings. I still have to “smoke” the patties in the oven, right? Then I can freeze the patties until I sue them?
Hi Matthew,
Yes, this is what we do. I will add this clarification to the recipe.
I’m on keto, so I’d omit sugar and use dry wine instead of sweet…
Not Linguica but for chourico, my mom used red wine, garlic, paprika, pimenta moida and cayenne pepper. Basically anything available in Toronto at the time. My dad and I would cube the pork normally a shoulder and a leg my mom would season it up leave in the cold room overnight and then we used the grinder to fill the casings. My mom would tie them up and then we smoked them in a home built smoker.Those were the later years earlier than that a pig would be slaughtered and it became an event when masalas (blood sausages), choiricos sometimes linguica’s would be made.
Thank you for sharing Portuguese cuisine I know it would make my mom proud.
Thanks Mike.
That sounds amazing.
Why do you smoke the links if you have already added liquid smoke? Plus, you don’t list a wood source to smoke.
Hi Andrew,
You’re welcome to omit the liquid smoke. I like it in there for the portion I package for loose sausage. For wood, you can use whatever you like the best. I prefer applewood or cherry. You may prefer the flavor of hickory – which, I do not.
Where do you buy casings and how do you getthe ground meat into them?
Hi Judy,
I buy the casings online but most outdoorsman type sporting good stores sell them as well – outdoor world, bass pro shops, cabelas – to name a few I can think of that I know carry them. They can be stuffed with a handheld stuffer but I use my kitchen aid mixer with a sausage stuffing attachment. The same stores above, as well as Amazon sell stand alone stuffers for folks who make quite a bit of sausage. When I don’t have casings, I just free-form the meat into sausages or patties and cook them that way. I have a couple of other sausage resides that do not require the casings or a sausage stuffer.
Can you bbq these? Thanks
Hi Jason,
After they are smoked and cooked through, we can split them open butterfly-style and grill them. To cook them from raw on the grill would cook much like a brat.
BBqing them while the Tri-tip is cooking is traditional along the Central Coast of Calif. Slice them up and serve as appetizers on toothpicks.
Fantastic job. I really loved that I could start with ground pork. What a game changer.
Target grocery stores, have Linguica.
I recently moved to Tucson Arizona. Was unable to find good Portuguese linguica other than Gaspar’s Portuguese sausage from Massachusetts. after months of searching the Tucson stores butcher shops looking for someone to make it for me. I was informed by one of the local butchers that a company from California was selling their product in Target stores in Arizona. I immediately went there and found a whole case because no one knew it was in stock. I purchased 10 packages at $4 a package good luck! keep searching.
Sounds great, Ed. But I do not believe that it is available in all areas. I have found some other spanish sausage in the deli that works well if I buy a hunk and dice it. I make my own linguica now and smoke it.
@Ed.
I’m almost originally from MA and Gaspar’s was our favorite. I now live on the east side of Tucson. I used to order from there but it was a pretty penny.
I always check the grocery stores and, after 18 years, my local Safeway finally started carrying it. I buy it every time I go whether I need more or not (I always need more) to make sure they keep carrying it. Make sure you check it out. Although I wouldn’t put the Safeway version completely on par with Gaspar’s, it’s a pretty good incarnation. I’ve gotten bad ones–particularly in Seattle where they seem to think it should be sweeter and not spicy.
I will check out the Target version.
Back to this recipe, I will give it a shot as well. Thanks!
OMG I am in Tucson. The closest I have found to Gasper’s is Silvia’s brand sold at Safeway & Bulk at Sam’s Club.
Black bear diner used to have it on their menu, but it was very vinegary much like California type linguica.
Delicious! I was amazed at how great this turned out!
I moved to Texas and can not find it any where so I am so happy to find this recipe!!!
I’m so happy you found it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it.
Winco stores carries Linguica.
We don’t have WinCo stores here but I read they are out west. Thanks for sharing.
Wow – that looks so easy
Thanks! It’s good to see the Portuguese Cuisine being perpetuated. I just had one question? In all my years I’ve never seen Cayenne Peter in true Portuguese recipes. My family either used hot paprika and Piri piri sauce for heat or made and used Pimenta Moida/ Portuguese Pepper paste to marinate. This is a staple in the Azores.
Kelena
Hi Kelena – your rendition sounds great. Thank you. While cayenne pepper may not be traditional, it is a viable substitute for those of us in the states who do not have bird’s eye or Thai peppers readily available in the grocery store. You’d probably be surprised to learn that in my area, we don’t find much in the grocery aside from jalapenos and bell peppers. The substitute for hot paprika is sweet paprika with some cayenne added for heat. So while not completely a traditional Portuguese recipe, it is still very close to the original except for the addition of a tiny amount of cayenne pepper for the heat in the chourico. That being said, when I lived in an area with a dense Portuguese population, Portuguese pepper paste was always readily available to me, however, after moving away, it is not – as it the case for most Americans – hence the necessary substitution with cayenne.
I can relate. Get some birds eye seeds and grow pepper plant they should flourish in SC. I find my Penton here in Hawaii from Spain both hot and sweet even smoked Paprika I find Spanish versions at our TJ Max and Ross stores in their food sections from time to time and stock up! Check Amazon they get everything from piri piri to pepper paste it really makes a difference. JMO. But they look ono!
I love linguica but have never made it at home. Yumm.
If you dont have casings, you can always make it free form and loose. We smoked this set just like you find in stores but the flavors are spot on.