Homemade Breakfast Sausage
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Easy, no-fuss breakfast sausage, made in 30 minutes or less! Make-ahead or freeze for later. You’ll never want to go back to store-bought!
We have been making a lot of things from scratch as of late. We’re talking pizza dough, rosemary bread, sourdough biscuits, pasta and hamburger buns. Now I can add breakfast sausage patties to the growing list! And believe me when I tell you that it is so hard to beat homemade (and to go back to store-bought patties!).
why you’ll love this homemade breakfast sausage recipe
- Short ingredient list. We have a very short ingredient list here. And if you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, dried herbs (pantry staples) can easily be substituted instead.
- So much better than store-bought. With complete control over the ingredients (and fully customizing to suit your personal preferences), homemade breakfast sausage is far superior than store-bought, tasting so much better and fresher!
- Freezer-friendly. These sausage patties freeze oh-so-beautifully (before or after cooking) up to 1 month, giving you 100% breakfast insurance down the road.
- Versatile and flexible. This can easily be made mild, spicy or sweet, or added to breakfast casseroles, omelettes or breakfast sandwiches. You can also swap out the ground pork for ground turkey, or ground chicken as a leaner option.
how to make the easiest homemade breakfast sausage
- Make the spice mixture. Combine all the herbs for the spice mixture. If fresh herbs are not available, swap out fresh for dried using a 3:1 ratio (dried herbs are much more concentrated).
- Mix. Toss together the rest of the ingredients – ground pork, bacon, maple syrup and seasoning mix – working carefully not to overwork the mixture.
- Shape. Shape the sausage mixture to form 2- or 3-inch patties, about 2 ounces each. Freeze up to 1 month for later use.
- Cook. Cook in a hot cast iron skillet until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. Avoid overcrowding the pan for proper browning.
- Serve. Serve with eggs, in a breakfast casserole, or in a breakfast sandwich – there’s no wrong way to serve sausage patties!
Freezing and Storing Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Make ahead
The uncooked seasoned sausage mixture can be made ahead of time, kept in the fridge, covered, 1-2 days in advance.
Storage
Leftover sausage patties can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in the microwave (30-35 seconds, covered with a paper towel), stovetop (over medium high heat, turning often, until heated through) or oven (350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through, about 5-10 minutes).
Freeze before cooking
Place the uncooked sausage patties between two sheets of wax paper or parchment paper to prevent sticking, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the patties to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as directed, adding 1-2 minutes additional cook time as needed. Do not thaw.
Freeze after cooking
Let the sausage patties cool completely. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper, freezing for 1 hour until solid. Transfer the patties to an airtight, resealable freezer bag. Label, date and freeze up to 1 month. To reheat, cook over medium high heat, turning often, until browned and cooked through, about 5-10 minutes. Do not thaw.
what to serve with homemade breakfast sausage
tools for this recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Homemade Breakfast Sausage: frequently asked questions
Ground pork (80/20) is generally the gold standard for breakfast sausage. For a leaner version, use ground chicken or ground turkey.
The fat from the bacon will help prevent the sausage patties from falling apart and drying out, adding smoky, salty goodness and keeping the sausage juicy, moist and so flavorful.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
Temperature and overmixing are typically the main culprits for dry, crumbly patties. Always keep the sausage mixture well-chilled when prepping, and avoid over working the mixture.
Yes! The raw sausage mixture can be seasoned and mixed beforehand, and stored in the fridge 1-2 days ahead of time.
Yes! Breakfast sausage freezes very well, and can keep up to 1 month in the freezer, flash-freezing (instructions above) and transferring the patties to an airtight, resealable freezer bag.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground pork
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
For the spice mixture
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine pork, bacon, maple syrup and spice mixture; be careful not to overmix.
- To shape the patties, scoop out 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) of pork mixture and flatten to create 2 1/2- to 3-inch wide patties, forming about 16 patties.*
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sausage patties and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
For the spice mixture
- In a small bowl, combine sage, thyme, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Equipment
Notes
- Keep it cold. Ensure that the meat is well-chilled prior to prepping, keeping the sausage mixture cold throughout to create a proper bind. When the mixture gets too warm, the fat will begin to “smear”, yielding mushy, greasy patties. Chilled mixtures are also much easier to handle and form into patties.
- Add bacon. The fat from the bacon is key here, adding smoky + salty flavors, and will ensure that the sausage patties are juicy and moist throughout the cooking process.
- Use fresh or dried herbs. If fresh herbs are not readily available, substitute dried herbs as needed, using a 3:1 ratio (ex. 1 tablespoon fresh = 1 teaspoon dried).
- Mix gently. Avoid overworking the pork mixture as it can lead to tough, crumbly sausage patties.
- Prevent sticking. Use wet hands to keep the pork mixture from clinging when shaping the patties.
- Make it leaner. Use ground turkey or ground chicken as a leaner option.
- For sweeter, country-style patties, add maple syrup. But watch the heat closely so that the sugar does not burn.
- Use a cast iron skillet. A cast iron skillet retains and transfers heat exceptionally well, perfect for superior browning on the sausage patties and creating a deep, caramelized crust while rendering out excess fat. Cook until the internal temperature is 160°F for pork or turkey and 165°F for chicken.
- Mix it up. Use a different spice blend, swapping out the fennel for rosemary or oregano, or substituting brown sugar for maple syrup.
- Freeze up to 1 month. Homemade sausage patties freeze like a dream. Flash-freeze the cooled patties on a baking sheet until solid (about 1 hour) before transferring to an airtight, resealable freezer bag.
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