Making breakfast sausage is way easier than you’d think! Requiring no special equipment, homemade breakfast sausage is flavorful, juicy, and great to make ahead.
Who would’ve thought that a big batch of homemade breakfast sausage takes less than 30 minutes to make? What’s great about making breakfast sausage is that no sausage casings are needed; you simply mix seasonings into ground pork, form into rustic patties, and cook them in a pan until juicy on the inside and golden brown on the outside.
I’m sure you can imagine the amazing smell of homemade sausage wafting through your house. There’s no better way to complete a brunch spread than these patties with Scrambled Eggs, Omelettes, Breakfast Potatoes, or Blueberry Pancakes.
How to Make Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!
- Grate.
Use the coarse setting of a cheese grater to grate a sweet onion.
- Season.
In a bowl, mix ¼ of the grated onion with its juices, sage, rosemary, pepper, salt, garlic powder, fennel, and thyme.
- Mix.
Add in the ground pork and mix until just combined.
- Form.
Use a ¼ cup measure to measure out ¼ cup of the pork mixture, and then gently form into a ¼ inch thick patty. Form all of the patties.
- Heat.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook.
Add 2-3 patties to the pan in a single layer (no oil needed). Cook for 2–2.5 minutes each side until golden brown and the internal temp reaches at least 160 degrees. Repeat for all patties.
Breakfast Sausage Ingredients
All of the herbs and spices mixed into the ground pork form the essence of classic breakfast sausage.
- Ground pork – I don’t recommend using lean ground pork since fat is flavor and juiciness! Keep your ground pork chilled until you’re ready to form patties.
- Grated sweet onion – use the coarse setting of a cheese grater to grate a small sweet onion. Use both the grated onion and its juices.
- Ground sage – ground sage adds warmth.
- Dried rosemary – rosemary adds a piney flavor.
- Black pepper – black pepper adds a touch of heat and peppery flavor.
- Salt – salt enhances flavor.
- Garlic powder – garlic powder…because garlic makes everything better!
- Fennel seed – fennel seed adds a hint of anise and sweetness.
- Dried thyme – dried thyme adds a subtle minty, earthy flavor.
Expert Tips
- Avoid extra-lean ground pork. Remember, fat equals flavor and moisture!
- Shape the mixture into patties about ¼ inch thick. The patties will puff up when cooked.
- I like to cook the sausages for approximately 4 to 5 minutes in total for a nice, golden brown crust.
- Keep pork cold until you’re ready to form patties.
- The grated onion is the secret to juicy, tender sausage. Don’t skip it!
- If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, use a regular skillet with a bit of oil.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
After they’ve cooled completely, place breakfast sausage in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat breakfast sausage wrapped in aluminum foil in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, in a skillet over medium heat with a small amount of oil, or in the microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 30-45 seconds until heated through.
Freeze cooked breakfast sausage on a baking sheet before transferring to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. If time allows, thaw them in the fridge overnight; otherwise, heat them as directed above (but will take some extra time).
Breakfast sausages are typically formed into smaller patties or links, and include warm seasonings like sage and thyme, compared to regular sausage. Breakfast sausage is almost always made from pork whereas other sausage can be made from pork, chicken, beef, or a ground meat blend.
There is a decent amount of black pepper in this breakfast sausage recipe, but it’s more for flavor than heat. If you like your breakfast sausage spicy, add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper!
While this breakfast sausage is just a touch sweet from sweet onion, you can add a dash of maple syrup for a sweeter sausage!
While you can use finely minced fresh herbs, I find that dried herbs yield a more flavorful, delicious result.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love!
- New England Apple Fritters
- Best Easy Cornbread Muffins
- Easy Popover Recipe
- Breakfast Potatoes With Crispy Shallots & Peppers
- How to Make Scrambled Eggs (Fluffy Every Time!)
Easy Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork, cold
- ¼ cup grated sweet onion, details below
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Use the coarse setting of a cheese grater to grate a sweet onion. Use ¼ cup of the grated onion, including the juices!
- In a bowl, add ¼ cup grated onion with juices, sage, rosemary, pepper, salt, garlic powder, fennel, and thyme. Mix well.
- Add in the ground pork and mix until just combined. Try to not overwork!
- Use a ¼ cup measure to measure out ¼ cup of the pork mixture, and then gently form into a ¼ inch thick patty. Try to not compress the meat too much (you’ll end up with tough sausage). Form all of the patties.
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 2-3 patties to the pan in a single layer (no oil needed). Cook for 2–2.5 minutes each side until golden brown and the inside of the patties reaches at least 160℉ (higher is ok!). Repeat for consecutive batches.
Notes
- Try to avoid lean ground pork, unless you don’t mind a denser breakfast sausage. Fat = flavor and juiciness!
- Form into thin, ¼ thick patties. The patties will puff up as they cook.
- I cook the sausages for 4-5 minutes total to get a nice, golden brown crust.
- If you don’t have a nonstick skillet, you’ll need a bit of oil to cook the patties.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
