This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Breakfast sausage is easy to make with ground pork, sage, and just the right seasonings. You can form it into patties or use it for recipes like biscuits and gravy. This recipe is super flavorful!
I came up with this recipe because I have a real hard time finding a store-bought breakfast sausage I like. Too many of them have a funny flavor. So I made my own, and I’ve made it more times than I can count since.
My family loves breakfast sausage. We eat it as patties, I crumble it into a frittata like my spring vegetable frittata, and we make our own version of an Egg McMuffin for breakfast on the go (I just swap the ham in my ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwiches for a sausage patty). It’s also the sausage I use every single time I make country sausage gravy over flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Table of Contents
- Sage Breakfast Sausage at a Glance
- Why This Recipe Works
- Ingredients
- Here’s How to Make It
- Cooking Tips
- Making Sage Breakfast Sausage Ahead
- Ways to Change It Up
- Sage Breakfast Sausage FAQs
- Is the nutrition information per patty?
- Is sage sausage the same as breakfast sausage?
- Why are there cloves in this sausage?
- Can I make a bigger batch?
- Related Recipes
- Sage Breakfast Sausage Recipe Recipe
Sage Breakfast Sausage at a Glance
- The recipe: homemade breakfast sausage made from plain ground pork, sage, brown sugar, black pepper, red pepper flakes, marjoram and a pinch of cloves.
- Why you’ll love it: you decide how much salt, heat and sage goes in, and nothing else does.
- Time: 10 minutes of prep and about 10 minutes in the skillet. Makes 8 patties.
- Main ingredients: 1 pound of ground pork and seasonings you probably already have.
- Method: mix it with your hands, shape it into patties and brown them in a skillet.
- Make ahead: shape the patties and freeze them raw, with parchment paper between them.
- Quick tip: cook the patties to 160°F in the center.
Why This Recipe Works
Every delicious breakfast recipe is even better when accompanied by perfectly cooked tasty homemade sausage!
- The ingredients are simple: just ground pork and some seasonings that you most likely already have in your pantry.
- It just tastes better knowing you added all the spices yourself. So many kinds of store bought breakfast sausage contain preservatives and/or ingredients that I don’t want to eat. Homemade is always best!
- Always keep some ground pork in the freezer and you can enjoy this recipe whenever the craving kicks in!
Ingredients
My Sage Breakfast Sausage recipe starts with 1 pound of plain ground pork. These are the seasonings that get mixed into it:
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like heat
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram fresh if you have it
- pinch of ground cloves
Which sage to use: I almost always use dried rubbed sage, because it’s what I have on hand, but I’ve made this with fresh and ground sage too. They aren’t measured the same way. For each pound of pork, use 1 tablespoon of minced fresh sage, 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried rubbed sage or 1 teaspoon of ground sage.
Which ground pork to buy: plain ground pork with nothing added, so you control the seasonings. If your butcher offers to season it, say no thanks. I buy mine at Trader Joe’s or from my butcher, and I’ve never ground my own. Readers who grind their own swear by pork butt (also sold as pork shoulder or Boston butt) because it has enough fat. Lean cuts like pork loin make a dry sausage.
Popular store bought breakfast sausage contains the following: PORK, WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: CORN SYRUP, SALT, SPICES, DEXTROSE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE.
I’m sure you’ll agree homemade is so much better!
Here’s How to Make It
- In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. It’s easiest if you use your hands to mix.
- Form sausage into patties.
- Heat a skillet over medium low heat and add the sausage patties.
- Cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
PRO TIP: Before you shape all the patties, fry a small spoonful and taste it. That’s your chance to add more salt, sage, brown sugar or red pepper flakes before the whole batch is cooked. Jot down what you changed so you can make it that way next time.
Cooking Tips
- To ensure that they are fully cooked, you can verify that the internal temperature is at least 160°F when checked with an instant read thermometer. That’s the USDA’s safe temperature for ground pork.
- If you used dried herbs, try using fresh next time and see which you prefer.
Making Sage Breakfast Sausage Ahead
Mix it the night before. Several readers mix the sausage the night before so the flavors have time to blend. One rolls it into a log in plastic wrap, so it’s easy to slice into patties in the morning. Keep raw sausage in the fridge for no more than 1 to 2 days before you cook it.
Freeze it raw. I haven’t frozen this myself, but if I were, I’d freeze it raw. Mix it, shape the patties, separate them with parchment paper and keep them in a freezer bag with all the air pushed out. Use them within 1 to 2 months for the best flavor. Thaw them in the fridge overnight, or cook them straight from frozen over medium low heat. They just take longer.
Or freeze it cooked. Cooked patties freeze fine too, but they’re more likely to get freezer burn, so get every bit of air out of the bag. Use them within 1 to 2 months and reheat them to 165°F.
Make a Jar of the Sage Sausage Seasoning
If you make this a lot, mix up a jar of just the seasonings so all you have to do is grab ground pork. Use dried herbs here, since fresh sage and marjoram won’t keep. This makes enough for 5 pounds of pork:
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons dried marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Stir it well before every use, since it settles, and use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mix for each pound of ground pork. If the brown sugar clumps, break it up with a fork.
★★★★★
“This was my first attempt at making my own sausage. I told myself to be prepared to have to try several recipes, but this one was perfect. My kids didn’t even notice that it wasn’t Jimmy Dean (!).”
BB, reader review
Ways to Change It Up
- Ground turkey or chicken: it works, but it cooks up differently without the fat, so add a little oil to the pan so the patties don’t stick. Cook poultry to 165°F.
- Ground beef: one reader used ground beef with these seasonings for sausage gravy and loved it.
- Oregano instead of marjoram: yep! It’s all to taste.
- A little sweeter: stir in a tablespoon of maple syrup.
- More heat: double the red pepper flakes, or add some roasted Hatch green chile. I love adding Hatch green chile to just about everything.
- Less salt: several readers cut the salt in half and still loved it.
Sage Breakfast Sausage FAQs
Here are the other questions readers ask me about this recipe.
Is the nutrition information per patty?
Yes. The nutrition in the recipe card is for one patty, when you make 8 patties from 1 pound of pork. If you make bigger or smaller patties, the numbers change.
Is sage sausage the same as breakfast sausage?
Pretty much, but with more sage. Sage is the classic herb in American breakfast sausage, and sausage sold as “sage” sausage just has more of it. This recipe is my breakfast sausage, and it leans on sage on purpose.
Why are there cloves in this sausage?
A pinch of ground cloves adds a warm background flavor you won’t really pick out on its own. If you only have whole cloves, crush one or two finely. Leave them out if you’re not a fan.
Can I make a bigger batch?
Yes. Use the 2x button on the recipe card, or multiply every seasoning by the number of pounds of pork you have. Readers make it 5 pounds at a time and freeze it in 1-pound packages.
Related Recipes
In addition to making breakfast sausage patties, I use this same exact recipe in other savory breakfast treats. I highly recommend making:
It’s also the sausage in my Scotch eggs and my gluten free country sausage gravy.
If you tried this Sage Breakfast Sausage recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Pin this now to save it for later
Pin ItSage Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced (or use half as much dried rubbed sage, or one-third as much ground sage)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like heat
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram fresh if you have it
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. It's easiest if you use your hands to mix.1 pound ground pork, 1 tablespoon fresh sage, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon marjoram, 1 pinch ground cloves
- Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Form sausage into patties and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.
Notes
- To ensure that they are fully cooked, you can verify that the internal temperature is at least 160°F when checked with an instant read thermometer. That’s the USDA’s safe temperature for ground pork.
- Before you shape all the patties, fry a small spoonful and taste it. Then adjust the salt, sage, brown sugar or red pepper flakes before the whole batch is cooked.
- If you used dried herbs, try using fresh next time and see which you prefer.
- To freeze, shape the raw patties, separate them with parchment paper and keep them in a freezer bag with the air pushed out. Use them within 1 to 2 months. Thaw them in the fridge or cook them from frozen until they reach 160°F.
- Nutrition is for 1 patty, when you make 8 patties from 1 pound of pork.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in 2015. I’ve updated it with more tips, the correct safe cooking temperature and answers to your questions, but the recipe is the same as always.
Just made this and it was super easy and taste great. Thank you for making it easy.
I like my sausage sweeter so U added 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, tsp of oregano and did total 2 tablespoons of fresh sage. Solid sausage recipe!
Hello Krissy,
I have a butcher that I use, so I can get the sausage ground only without any additives. Is this preferred? …or should I let him put in what he normally adds?
For this recipe you’ll want to buy ground pork without anything added. That way you control the seasonings.
Absolutely excellent!! I used the sausage in my bacon wrapped jalapeño poppers! So much flavor! They didnt last long. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
What cut of pork?
I buy ground pork. I don’t grind it myself, so I don’t know what cut would be best. Readers who grind their own like pork butt (also called pork shoulder), and some add extra pork fat for a juicier sausage.
Haven’t made your sausage gravy meal yet, but I will soon. I was wondering when you make your pork sausage, what cut of pork do you use? I make sausage occasionally and use butt cuts, but, personally, I don’t think the butts alone have enough fat for my taste. The butcher said they would be enough fat, but I don’t think so. Years ago, I made whole hog sausage and it turned out really well, but now I’m old (84, April 14, hopefully) and don’t have as many friends and family to give that much to, so I think I could make 5-8 lbs at a time and that would suffice. Pork fat seems to be sort of a lost cut here in the deep South, but maybe I haven’t been to the right stores. Anyway, I think I’m gonna go to your size recipe (a small amount of 1-3 lbs) and wondered what cut you would suggest. Any help or comment would be appreciated. And I really need a simple biscuit recipe too. I know you have one for me.
I’ve only ever made it with packaged ground pork from Trader Joe’s or with ground pork from my butcher shop. I actually never thought to ask what cuts go into the mix. Readers who grind their own like pork butt (also called pork shoulder), and some add extra pork fat for a juicier sausage. And I do have a biscuit recipe: https://selfproclaimedfoodie.com/flaky-buttermilk-biscuits/ If you end up grinding your own meat, please let me know what you use and how it turned out!
Good sausage recipe. Had whole cloves. Used mortar and pestle to crush. Make sure herbs are fresh, my sage was older and weak.
I liked this recipe but I found it too salty and not sage-y enough. The 1/8 tsp of red pepper flakes was barely noticeable to my palate (YMMV). I will increase the Sage to 1.5 Tbs (I used dried so may not be as potent) and increase the red pepper flakes to 1/4 tsp. But my wife who is an excellent cook and not really a fan of breakfast sausage loved it so Thank You!
I been searching for this sausage flavor for 30 years. Thank you. My childhood best friends Mom made it just like this but she cooked by smell and taste alone because she was born blind. She had no idea what was in her recipe she just smelled jars and added what was needed. She could eat somewhere and come home and recreate it perfectly just from smell. Best food ever. I’ve tried and tried and tried to recreate it after growing up. I bit into this recipe of yours and was immediately time traveled. It was so surreal it threw me off for a minute. Thank you very very much for this.
My family loved this recipe, even my youngest pickiest eater who said Mom I like this much better than the ones from the store. I totally agree! Also potentially a cost saver as I grind my own pork and like to hit those sales. Definitely a keeper, thank you for sharing this recipe!