Combine ground pork with plenty of seasoning to create this simple and easy Breakfast Sausage recipe in the comfort of your home!
This popular breakfast sausage is fun to make and has a great flavor. Best of all, it doesn’t require casing, so you can shape it into patties, bake it in the oven, or pan-fry it to add to a first-class breakfast casserole!
What is Breakfast Sausage?
Traditionally, Breakfast Sausage is thin pork sausage sold in links or patties. The slim shape makes it quicker to cook, which is ideal for that early morning rush!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- ground pork
- ground sage
- dried thyme
- garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
- ground fennel
- smoked paprika
How to Make Breakfast Sausage
- Combine the ground pork with the herbs and spices.
- Using your hands, divide the meat into 6 separate ½-inch thick patties.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the patties.
- Cook the patties for 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crispy. Serve them with eggs, pancakes, and toast.
Tips and Tricks
- It’s best to mix all the herbs and spices together before adding them to the ground pork. This way, the flavor is evenly dispersed.
- Substitute some of the ground pork for ground turkey if you’d like to experiment with a different taste.
- If you prefer a slightly sweeter sausage, add brown sugar to the mixture.
- Add cayenne pepper or extra chili flakes for a spicier sausage.
- You can bake the sausage patties but to ensure both sides are crispy, we highly recommend pan-frying them.
How to Store Breakfast Sausage
Cooked sausage patties can be kept in the fridge for about a week in an airtight container.
They also freeze well for up to 2 months. Store them in a Ziploc bag with the date of freezing marked for your own reference.
How to Season Breakfast Sausage
The herbs and spices! Ground pork is combined with an aromatic blend of different herbs and spices, such as fennel, sage, thyme, garlic, and smoked paprika – this gives the sausage a delicious depth of flavor.
Breakfast Sausage vs Regular Sausage
Generally, sausages contain ground meat and a blend of spices. However, regular sausages are usually smoother (thanks to their casings) and sold in links. Breakfast Sausage is often shaped as a patty and therefore has more texture.
Is Italian Sausage and Breakfast Sausage the same?
No. In the United States, Breakfast Sausages are small, 3-inch link sausages traditionally enjoyed in the morning with pancakes, eggs, and toast. They are heavily seasoned and usually fried before eating, and you can also find them in small patties.
Meanwhile, Italian Sausage is flavored with fennel and garlic and then added to pasta sauces. You won’t find it in patties but rather in large, 6-inch coiled links.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
Seasoning Mixture
- ½ tsp ground sage
- ⅛ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp ground fennel
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine the ground pork with the herbs and spices.
- You can use the mixture right away or cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.
- Using your hands, divide the meat into 6 separate ½-inch thick patties.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the patties.
- Cook the patties for 4 minutes per side or until lightly browned and crispy.
- Enjoy with eggs, pancakes, and toast.
Notes
- Substitute some of the ground pork for ground turkey if you’d like to experiment with a different taste.
- Add ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper or extra chili flakes for a spicier sausage.
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