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    Home » Recipes » Breakfast

    Homemade Breakfast Sausage

    Published: June 10, 2020 · Updated: June 10, 2020 · By: Krissy · 74 Comments
    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    It's easy to make your own Sage Breakfast Sausage, and it just tastes better knowing you added all the spices yourself without any nasty preservatives.

    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! 

    homemade breakfast sausage on plate with eggs

    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 contains the following ingredients that get mixed into the ground pork:

    • 1 tablespoon sage dried or minced fresh
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like heat
    • ¼ teaspoon marjoram fresh if you have it
    • pinch of ground cloves

    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:

    1. In medium sized bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. It’s easiest if you use your hands to mix.
    2. Form sausage into patties.
    3. Heat a skillet over medium low heat and add the sausage patties.
    4. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
    step by step process photos of how to make breakfast sausage patties

    Cooking tips:

    • To ensure that they are fully cooked, you can verify that the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
    • Once you'll make this recipe and taste it, take note if you want to adjust the seasonings for next time. Did you think it needed to be more salty, sweet, or spicy?
    • If you used dried herbs, try using fresh next time and see which you prefer.
    • These breakfast sausage patties can be made ahead and frozen. Just be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. To reheat, completely thaw in refrigerator and then cook in a pan over low heat until heated through.
    biscuit and gluten free country sausage gravy

    Related recipes:

    In addition to making breakfast sausage patties, I use this same exact recipe in other savory breakfast treats. I highly recommend making:

    • Sausage gravy served over homemade biscuits
    • Scottish Eggs
    • Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches - just use sausage patties instead of the ham
    • Biscuits and gravy casserole
    • You can even make Gluten Free Country Sausage Gravy
    • Sausage Stuffing
    • Sausage Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
    • Keto Breakfast Casserole
    • Egg Muffin Cups
    homemade breakfast sausage patties with scrambled eggs and toast

    Sage Breakfast Sausage Recipe

    Breakfast sausage is easy to make with ground pork, sage, and just the right seasonings. This delicious recipe can be used to make sausage gravy.
    4.94 from 49 votes
    Print Pin Rate SaveSaved!

    CLICK TO PLAY RECIPE VIDEO

    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Scale: 8 patties
    Recipe Created By: Krissy Allori

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound ground pork
    • 1 tablespoon sage (dried or minced fresh)
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like heat)
    • ¼ teaspoon marjoram (fresh if you have it)
    • 1 pinch ground cloves

    Instructions

    • In medium sized bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. It's easiest if you use your hands to mix.
    • Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Form sausage into patties and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side depending on thickness.

    Notes

    Cooking tips:
    • To ensure that they are fully cooked, you can verify that the internal temperature is at least 145 degrees F when checked with an instant read thermometer.
    • Once you'll make this recipe and taste it, take note if you want to adjust the seasonings for next time. Did you think it needed to be more salty, sweet, or spicy?
    • If you used dried herbs, try using fresh next time and see which you prefer.
    • These breakfast sausage patties can be made ahead and frozen. Just be sure to squeeze out as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn. To reheat, completely thaw in refrigerator and then cook in a pan over low heat until heated through.

    NUTRITION INFORMATION

    Calories: 152kcal | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 162mg | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.6mg
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    This recipe was originally published in September 2019 and has been updated with helpful information, ingredient and process photos, as well as recipe tips. Don't worry - the recipe hasn't changed!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pete

      July 10, 2019 at 4:47 pm

      5 stars
      Krissy, You nailed it.

      Reply
    2. Stephanie Lethlean

      May 31, 2019 at 12:00 am

      5 stars
      Yum - Can not wait to use your recipe,I can smell it cooking already... Thank you for the easy to understand recipstee...

      Reply
    3. Karen Knase

      January 20, 2019 at 5:32 pm

      5 stars
      I will never buy prepackaged sausage again. This is a delicious recipe

      Reply
    4. Rob Woods

      January 20, 2019 at 6:35 am

      4 stars
      Strongly suggest you add one step - fry up a bit and TASTE. Invariably one will want to adjust!!

      Reply
    5. Eric

      January 13, 2019 at 8:40 am

      5 stars
      I made this this morning and my father said it was as good as any store brand. Next time I might add a bit of water and let the sausage cure overnight. This is the best spice blend i have found so far for breakfast sausage.

      Reply
    6. Christine

      December 12, 2018 at 7:05 am

      Hello,
      Could you please provide the amount of ground pork that you need? The recipe lists all the other ingredients but not the pork amount.

      Thank you

      Reply
      • Krissy

        December 14, 2018 at 1:03 pm

        Hi Christine, The recipe says one pound. Are you not seeing that? Thanks! Krissy

        Reply
        • Deborah

          November 10, 2019 at 6:34 am

          Thank you, I didn’t see that measurement in you recipe either. On my way to the store now. My son Loves sausage gravy and biscuits..

          Reply
    7. Iron Head

      July 29, 2018 at 5:29 pm

      I bought the cheap meat grinder for my Kitchenaid mixer and get a Boston Butt pork roast to grind It has the right mixture of fat on it. I grind it once, add the spices and grind it again. Less working in with my hands. I've tried to wear the grinder out and just keeps on grinding.

      I've never heard of the brown sugar in sausage, but I can't wait to try it now. Jimmy Dean will be proud!

      Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    8. Amanda Mary Flowers

      July 29, 2018 at 9:46 am

      Monosodium glutamate is MSG. It was used widely until it was claimed (without scientific support) to cause headaches. MSG is most commonly found in Asian based dishes as an additive but is naturally occurring in many foods. It is essentially a special type of salt which grants an umami flavor to the food on which it is used, enhancing the "meaty" flavor of the dish.

      Reply
    9. Careen

      July 28, 2018 at 12:35 pm

      Can this be made ahead and frozen?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        July 29, 2018 at 4:47 am

        Hi Careen, I would mix all the ingredients together and then freeze. Thaw and then cook. Not sure it would taste as good to freeze cooked sausage, but I'm sure it would work.

        Reply
        • Careen

          July 29, 2018 at 10:03 am

          Thanks, that was what I was thinking although I might just mix the spice ingredients to keep on hand, then make it when desired with fresh pork. Your gravy is my go to gravy for biscuits and gravy! Can’t wait to try homemade sausage.

          Reply
    10. nancy turner

      July 02, 2018 at 10:17 am

      how many patties, so i now exact calories

      Reply
      • Krissy

        July 03, 2018 at 11:36 am

        Hi Nancy, Recipe card says 8 patties.

        Reply
        • edward neiweem

          November 09, 2019 at 5:47 pm

          Is the nutrition information per serving or for the 1 lb of pork? Just curious. I am making it right now. I had about 13 oz of country ribs in the freezer. That's pork butt or shoulder. I chopped it with a knife and used my mini Cuisenart food processor that came with my stick blender. Chopped the pork just right. Only minutes of work. Can't wait to taste it.

          Reply
          • edward neiweem

            November 09, 2019 at 6:07 pm

            Just tasted a little fried up sample. Awesome! Fabulous flavor, right heat level, herbal and delicious. Followed the recipe to the "T". I would never change a thing. And I know it will get better overnight in the fridge. Winner, Winner, Sausage Dinner!

            Reply
          • Krissy

            November 19, 2019 at 10:15 am

            Hi Edward, The nutrition information is based on a single sausage patty (if you make 8 patties total from the pound of pork). I bet yours turned out fantastic!

            Reply
    11. Donna

      June 24, 2018 at 9:13 am

      I have a question about the pork. Cant but a pig but i have tried grinding pork myself w my kitchen aid grinder. Do you grind your own? Do you recommend pork loin or pork butt/shoulder? Tried pirk loin eas kinda dry, pork shoulder clogged up grinder due to fatty stuff? Looking forward to trying your recipe, havent been able to find one i like

      Reply
      • Krissy

        June 28, 2018 at 12:25 pm

        Hi Donna, I don't grind my own meat so I won't be much help. As far as cuts go, I do believe that people will often combine various cuts using tender chunks, tough chunks, and some fat to come up with ground pork. Hopefully some day I'll start doing that, but for now I just go to the freezer and grab a pack.

        Reply
      • Bernie

        August 14, 2018 at 12:06 pm

        5 stars
        If the pork butts gums up your mixer, try putting it in the freezer for 1/2 hour to 1 hour to firm it up. Should go right thru the grinder without a problem. I make sausage with my venison and mix pork butts with it. That method works well. I like the sound of the breakfast sage mix, I will have to try it.

        Reply
        • Deb

          June 08, 2020 at 9:44 am

          Boston Butt won’t gum up your machine if you cut it in small chunks before grinding. I cut in about 1” cubs and have no problems and I do 20 lbs at a time or more.

          Reply
      • Deb

        June 08, 2020 at 9:42 am

        I make my own sausage and have for too many years to mention. I always and only use Boston Butt. Great taste and not overly fatty. As a matter of fact when my brother does his he buys extra fat. I don’t.

        Reply
      • Randy

        January 17, 2021 at 10:40 pm

        You want to use pork butt. You should also add more pork fat making sausage. I make Italian (mild & hot) breakfast sausage, rabbit, chicken & pork sausage & many other fresh meat styles. I prefer making fresh sausage as I get immediate feedback on what I’ve done. Most times I add 10% by weight of pork fat when making a pork sausage. That’s my personal preference. Some like more, some less.

        I also find stuffing sausage with more fat is way easier. Even if I oil the hanks I use for stuffing.

        That said, most sausage I make I use in bulk. We make patties or we crumble cook it.

        Sometimes, I find stuffing is really the best way to get the most out of your recipe.

        Reply
    12. Katie

      April 15, 2018 at 7:30 pm

      I am so excited! I love sausage gravy, but breakfast sausage isn't a thing where I live (outside the US) so it never tastes right! I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
    13. fred neubecker

      January 08, 2018 at 12:55 am

      People stop arguing about MSG

      Reply
    14. Jeff

      November 02, 2017 at 8:39 am

      Monosodium glutamate (MSG) makes foot taste “meatier”. It adds what the Japanese call umami and it is completely safe. It has received a bad reputation because of a general lack of understanding and a myth that widely circulated. Some people swear it gives them headaches but every time it is tested in studies where the participants don’t know they are eating it... no symptoms and yet when people eat food without while being told it contains MSG many complain of headaches and other symptoms. In short it is the placebo effect. Your body produces glutamate anyway.

      Reply
      • Krissy

        November 02, 2017 at 2:45 pm

        Perhaps, but when given the choice to eat food vs something that was created in the lab, isn't it better to choose the food?

        Reply
        • Truth Teller

          November 22, 2017 at 10:20 pm

          It's 100% natural. It's salt and glutamate. Your body produces glutamate naturally, and of course you have no problem with salt, right? Like Jeff said, MSG has a bad rap because of bad publicity in the 50s and because it "sounds scary" just like dihydrogen monoxide, sometimes referred to as H2O, or water.

          Reply
          • Steve

            March 11, 2019 at 1:03 pm

            MSG is great! I bought a bag of it at the Asian food market!

            Reply
            • Pigmom

              April 14, 2019 at 5:53 pm

              5 stars
              MSG is used to excite ur brain. It tells u it taste better then it does. That’s why the lack of herbs in Jimmy Dean sausage. It is being added to the list of allergens. Some restaurants list foods w/ MSG. The food industry works over time finding new words to use MSG it is usually hidden in words like natural flavoring. U can bet it’s at least 40% MSG. yes it’s natural but so is arsenic. I suggest anyone interested in MSG to do ur own research and then decide if u want to use it.

              Reply
          • Rebekah

            September 07, 2019 at 10:30 am

            I would do a bit more research before telling people that there is absolutely nothing dangerous about MSGs... the only reason it doesn’t cause brain damage and/or convulsions when we eat it is because our blood-brain barrier blocks most of it... most of it. Assuming the individual has a mature and properly functioning blood-brain barrier which is not always the case. Plus glutamate is a completely different molecule than mono-sodium glutamate. Plenty of chemicals with the word “sodium” mixed in there can kill you. MSGs are maybe fine in small amounts for some people and not for others. But I personally avoid it all together.

            Reply
      • Valerie Williams

        March 09, 2018 at 8:35 am

        4 stars
        And some of us have wound up in the ER unable to breathe because of it. And don't ask me about the headaches... Our bodies may produce glutamate naturally but no where near these quantities.

        Krissy love the sausage!

        Reply
      • Misti Jones

        September 04, 2019 at 8:58 am

        Sorry but I get migraine headaches every time I accidentally ingest it. MSG is often hidden as "Natural Ingredients". I am not sure to what studies you are referring, but there are hundreds of legitimate studies publushed in professional peer reviewed journals that purport the ills of MSG!

        Reply
    15. VICTORIA

      May 12, 2017 at 4:34 pm

      can I use oregano instead of marjoram?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 19, 2017 at 5:16 am

        Yep! Its all to taste.

        Reply
    16. Nadia

      April 03, 2017 at 12:23 pm

      Hello,
      If you are using fresh sage, do we just chop it up into as small sizes as possible? Also, what do you mean by "dash cloves".
      Thank You

      Reply
      • Krissy

        May 19, 2017 at 5:55 am

        I changed it to "pinch of ground cloves" and yes - just mince the sage.

        Reply
    17. EmJ

      March 01, 2017 at 6:17 am

      Is it possible to use turkey instead? And would it be just plain ground turkey?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        March 17, 2017 at 4:38 am

        You can, but it will definitely cook up differently w/o the fat (I'm guessing that's the point). You'd just need a fair amount of oil to avoid sticking.

        Reply
    18. Keri

      September 26, 2016 at 7:17 am

      Hello! Your recipe calls for Sage (obviously) and on the spice aisle at the local grocery store there are two options - ground and rubbed. Which one should i buy?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        October 18, 2016 at 12:17 pm

        Either, but I used ground. -Krissy

        Reply
    19. DocChuck

      March 20, 2015 at 11:25 am

      Pork sausage comes from "sad cows"?

      Reply
      • Krissy

        March 20, 2015 at 3:04 pm

        Thanks for catching that! I just re-read my post... wow, I was feeling quite opinionated that day, huh! I meant to say sad pigs so I'll update that now. And yes, I imagine any pig that gets turned into sausage is quite sad. 🙂 - Krissy

        Reply
    20. Shinee

      January 31, 2015 at 7:25 am

      Fantastic, Krissy! I love homemade sausages. Once a year, we make ton of homemade sausages (we are talking like 200lbs of meat!). I will try your recipe soon, sage sounds delicious!

      Reply
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