Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
on Oct 27, 2023
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Breakfast is truly one of my favorite meals of the day and I love nothing more than starting my day with a hearty, protein-rich meal that will fuel me for hours – insert breakfast sausages.
Unfortunately, I was never able to find any store-bought breakfast patties that I liked. Either they were high in sodium, full of preservatives and additives or simply had ingredients and spices that I didn’t enjoy.
I know what you’re thinking: “Come on Sneji, not everything needs to be homemade 😩!” And I agree. However, some things, like this homemade breakfast sausage recipe, are just worth the time and effort because once you taste the difference, you’ll walk by that breakfast sausage aisle at the grocery store like it was your weird ex from high school 😵💫.
The true inspiration behind this recipe though, is my hubby Steve’s late Zio Iginio. Each year we would get together as a family and spend the day making homemade sausages using Zio Iginio’s special recipe. Zio’s trick was adding cinnamon and cloves to his sausages, which gave them a beautifully sweet, spicy 🌶️, and woody flavor.
To honor his culinary tradition while adding a modern twist, my breakfast sausage recipe incorporates sweet maple syrup and healthy avocado oil. Give this recipe a try and get ready to never reach for store-bought breakfast sausages again!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
This breakfast sausage recipe is a game-changer! Whether you make them as part of your breakfast sandwich, eat them alongside some fluffy scrambled eggs 🍳, or make a huge batch to freeze and cook as you go, you will absolutely love starting your day with these guilt-free patties.
Not only are these breakfast sausages preservative-free and healthier than most store-bought versions, but they are also completely customizable. Don’t like pork? No problem, you can simply use a different ground meat, like beef, turkey, or chicken.
Not feeling the spices? All good – you can sub in your favorite spices and herbs instead. The point is, that you can tailor the flavor to your liking while controlling exactly what goes into your sausages. Now that’s what I call a win-win 😌!
How to Prepare This Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
To prepare these breakfast sausages, start by adding your ground meat of choice to a big bowl 🥣. Keep in mind that fattier meats like pork and beef will have a lot more flavor, while leaner meats like ground chicken and turkey will be dryer due to their lower fat content.
Add the maple syrup 🍁 (or brown sugar), and seasonings and mix well. If you want the real Italian experience, use your clean hands, and get in there!
Here, you have the option of letting the meat rest in the fridge covered for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
Once the mixture is ready, use a tablespoon to scoop out 16-18 equal-sized balls. Be sure to have a bowl of water or some oil handy so that the meat doesn’t stick to your hands ✋ as you shape the patties.
Roll each mini portion into a ball, flatten them gently with your wet hands, and set aside.
If you want to enjoy these at a later time, you can opt for the freezer method ❄️ at this point. Simply place the shaped patties on a lined baking sheet (with parchment paper), and put the tray in the freezer. Once the patties are solid you can transfer them into a large Ziplock bag or container adding a piece of parchment paper between each patty to prevent them from sticking.
If you’re eager to enjoy these sausages right away, add a little oil to a pan, let it heat up, and fry them in batches for about 2 minutes on each side. You can also opt to make these in the air-fryer if you prefer. Be sure not to overcook them in order to maintain maximum flavor and juiciness 🤌!
Variations and Substitutions
This homemade breakfast sausage recipe leaves plenty of room for improvisation! Here are some suggestions:
- Instead of pork, you can use different kinds of ground meat like chicken, turkey, beef, or a combination of meats for a unique flavor.
- If you’re looking to change up the sweetener, instead of maple syrup, consider using brown sugar, honey, or a sugar substitute.
- You can also experiment with different spices and herbs 🌿. If you’re not a fan of cinnamon or cloves, simply substitute them with spices you enjoy more. Some alternatives are nutmeg, smoked paprika, or allspice. Instead of dried sage, consider adding herbs like thyme, oregano, or rosemary. For a spicy twist add some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper 🌶️ to the meat mixture.
- Although I have personally not tried this, if you are vegan or vegetarian, you can try making meatless breakfast patties by substituting the meat with some crumbled firm tofu or another plant-based meat substitute.
- I used avocado oil 🥑 to give these breakfast sausages a healthier twist but feel free to use other oils like coconut oil or olive oil.
Nonna’s Tip
Keep in mind 💡 that meats like beef and pork will yield juicier patties due to their higher fat content, and patties made from leaner meats like chicken or turkey will be on the drier side.
Best Served With
- These homemade breakfast sausages are the perfect protein source for your breakfast sandwiches. Simply place the cooked sausage patty into a toasted English muffin along with a fried egg, some melty cheese, and any other toppings you enjoy in the morning. Try adding these to my Homemade Egg McMuffin recipe.
- Serve these breakfast patties alongside fluffy scrambled, fried, or poached eggs 🍳 and toast for a classic, diner-style breakfast experience. Take a look at my tutorial on how to Poach the Perfect Egg! If you’re vegetarian check out my Egg-Free Scramble.
- Enjoy these breakfast sausages with some pancakes for a sweet and salty flavor combo. Try my Healthy Pancakes, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, or Protein Pancakes.
- Place your sausages into a tortilla for a flavorful breakfast wrap with some scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa or guacamole. Alternatively, add this breakfast sausage to my Viral Feta Fried Egg recipe.
- Crumble the cooked breakfast sausages and add them to your omelet or any of my egg bakes such as my Cheddar Egg Bake or Zucchini Egg Bake.
Similar Recipes
- Baked Meatballs With Potatoes
- Turkey Parmigiano Meatballs
- Mom’s Bulgarian Potato Meatballs
- Bulgarian Meat and Cheese Sandwiches
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This is my favorite set. I have had mine for 10 years and need a new one. Highly recommend!
I use these bowls for everything in my kitchen. I use them to prep my ingredients, to mix batter or dough in them and so much more!
If you're lookng for a great quality non-stick pan, this one is wonderful. Remember to cook with it on medium-low heat and don't use metal utensils.
This is the salt that I have used for years in all my cooking!
Common Questions
Absolutely, you can use ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork, or ground beef. Keep in mind that leaner meats will yield fewer calories, but are more dry.
Typically, meats that have a higher fat content are tastier (like ground pork). If you’re looking to cut down on calories and fat, you can use ground turkey or ground chicken. Keep in mind that patties made from leaner meats won’t be as flavorful and juicy.
You can certainly use other spices and herbs such as thyme, oregano, or rosemary. For a spicy twist add some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the meat mixture.
Absolutely! However, be sure to check the air-fryer settings and keep an eye on them.
If you’re not a fan of cinnamon or cloves, simply substitute them with spices you enjoy more. Some alternatives are nutmeg, smoked paprika, or allspice.
Instead of maple syrup, consider using brown sugar, honey, or a sugar substitute.
Allow them to cool completely before placing them in an airtight, freezer-safe container or sealable bag. Sausage patties will stay fresh in the freezer for 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
You can cook breakfast sausages from frozen, but it’s best to thaw them overnight in the fridge before cooking. To cook them from frozen, use the same method as you would for frozen burger patties.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 grams lean ground pork, use any ground meat you like such as beef, turkey, chicken etc.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, linked here
- ½ teaspoon salt, (to taste) linked here
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage, (optional) linked here
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, (tiniest pinch) linked here
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon , linked here
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, linked here
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, linked here
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil , (small amount to cover the pan) linked here
Instructions
- NOTE: When choosing meats, keep in mind that fattier cuts like pork and beef are more flavorful, while leaner options like ground turkey and chicken tend to be drier due to their lower fat content.
- In a big bowl, add in the ground meat of choice.
- Add the maple syrup (or brown sugar), seasonings and mix well. I like to use clean hands and incorporate it well.
- OPTIONAL: If you want to rest the meat covered in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, you are more than welcome to.
- I like to take a tablespoon measuring spoon and scoop out 16-18 equal balls.
- NOTE: Make sure you have a bowl of water or some oil on the side so that the meat doesn't stick as you roll and flatten the patties.
- Roll each serving into a ball, flatten with your hands and set aside.
- FREEZER METHOD: at this point, you can choose to freeze them all and store if you wish by placing each one onto a lined baking sheet (with parchment paper). Put the tray in the freezer until solid. Once frozen, transfer into a a large Ziplock bag or container. I like to put a piece of parchment paper in between each one so they don't stick.
- If you don't want to freeze them, simply add a little oil in a pan, let it heat up and fry them in batches for about 2 minutes on each side. You can also make them in the Air-Fryer as well.
- Make sure that you don't overcook them for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Enjoy with eggs, in breakfast wraps, or make a delicious egg and breakfast sausage sandwich! YUM!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you! So glad you loved it!
So much better than store-bought. I combine 1 lb ground turkey with 1 lb ground pork and adjust the rest of my ingredients. We like Fennel so I add that. I bake them in the oven and freeze them. My husband takes them out two at a time and warms them up in the morning. Delish!! Thank you!
Thank you so much, Carla! I love hearing how you made this recipe your own. Fabulous!
Your video on instagram used chili flakes but the recipe didn’t list it so I totally forgot to add them to my first batch. Any idea on measurement for that? I loved my first batch with that but I can see how a nice kick would round it out.
Hi Michelle, yes those are optional and to taste. I left it out as many people don’t like heat but you can add 1/2 teaspoon if you do.
These turned out great! The only thing I added was some fennel. I ground the seeds in my mortar and pestle. That way I had some bursts of the flavour.
Precooking a wee bit to adjust the herbs and spices was important.
I froze them with parchment in between as you suggested. They froze quite easily.
Thank you for your detailed feedback, Catherine! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. ❤️