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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!
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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.
Made your recipe on 3/19/21, a day in advance of cooking! I like giving time for flavors to marry, I’m glad I did! I grind my own pork to use for many things, and your recipe did not disappoint! I have severe sodium issues and so I omitted the salt. I had 1.8 pounds of pork so increased ingredients to allow for extra weight! Next time adding some roasted Hatch chilies! Your recipe accompanied by fried country eggs and toast took me back to my Midwest farm days and Mom’s Sunday breakfasts. Sonoran Desert living and southwest breakfasts are nice, but your sausage recipe took me back! Thanks for sharing! C.J.
I love adding Hatch green chile to just about everything. Glad you enjoyed!
I would note there are two places in the recipe where you list the ingredients. One section has the 1 lb of meat and the other just lists the other ingredients and no quantity for the meat. This might be why some people are confused. I’m going to try it later today with ground turkey and also frying up some pancetta first in the pan for the fat and taste. We’ll see how it goes.
Can this recipe be prepared, vacuum sealed and frozen to be cooked at a later date? I am contemplating making around twenty pounds.
You bet!
Made 17 lbs using pork butt & fresh pig fat (local pig farmer who butchers is a blessing). I do a 70/30 ratio. Only thing I changed was coriander instead of marjoram. I keep everything super cold. Do my rough grind, add spices , mix and then chill, then fine grind. Mix again and let sit overnight before I package for freezer. This is a fantastic recipe and will be my go to. Store bought sausage is fine but I want clean simple food that I can control the ingredients. Very grateful for her recipe and insight. Thanks
I’ve tried multiple sausage recipes, but they never quite hit the taste profile I was looking for. This recipe is very good, the best so far that I’ve tried. I used all dry herbs. I doubled the red pepper and cut the salt in half and was pleased with the results. Next time I’ll try fresh herbs! Thanks for the recipe.
This was very good, as close to the discontinued Hormel sausage as I have found. I added two tablespoons of water and let the sausage rest overnight. Very tasty and easy.
Find the recipe well done and made so even a starter can feel 💯
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 (!). Thanks for sharing!
Krissy,
From you article I can tell you are well intentioned. A word of caution to not bash commercial brands for something that you may or may not understand. From your remarks I take it that you may not have thought through your comments about Jimmy Dean brand sausage.It happens to be the most consumed sausage in the US.
Regarding their ingredients you listed:
PORK – obviously and it’s a good thing that it is the first ingredient.
WATER – usually added to all pork sausages to keep it moist.
CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: This is by volume so when you compare 1 pound of meat to the amount of spice it will most certainly be less than 2% of the completed recipe. And, when it is less than 2% only certain ingredients need to be named individually.
CORN SYRUP – Sweetner
SALT – Salt
SPICES – maybe pepper, Sage, Marjoram, Thyme, Mace, Cayanne or any other spice that may be in the sausage but does not need to be individually named
DEXTROSE – Sweetner and Binder so that it holds together.
MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE – (Maybe considered Gross) but is used in commercial applications for several reasons but primarily it enhances flavor, even the flavor of those expensive spices that aren’t listed individually… so maybe they don’t use as much sage but it tastes like they used a lot… and MSG is almost an immeasurable fraction of the cost of spices.
So, I wish you the best and only comment to help educate those who may not know what the list of ingredients really means.
Here’s an example of breaking down the 2% stuff… 1 pound is equal to 453.6 grams, 1 ounce is equal to 28.35 grams
Your Recipe
My Sage Breakfast Sausage recipe contains the following:
1 pound ground pork – 453 grams (99.97%)
1 tablespoon sage dried or minced fresh – 2.04 grams (0.0045%)
1 teaspoon kosher salt – 6 grams (0.0132%)
1 teaspoon brown sugar – 4.17 grams (0.00092%)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1.165 grams (0.00257%)
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more if you like heat .25 grams (2 grams per teaspoon) (0.00055%)
1/4 teaspoon marjoram fresh if you have it .14 grams (.57 grams per teaspoon) (0.000309%)
pinch of ground cloves
All spices together equal 0.03%of total by weight.
Are you an engineer? I only ask because I am and this totally looks like the kind of breakdown I would offer if I were giving someone feedback. I’m gonna stick with my story that my sausage is better than pre-packaged big name store bought… but you are totally right about quantities. 🙂
Congrats from a fellow Engineer! Yeah, we love numbers and detail. Can’t wait to try your recipe. I used to grind my own Hamburger but not so much any more with beef prices. I will try this with fresh home ground pork, probably pork butt.
Be back to rate later.
Cheers
Krissy, I AND hoards of other people TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!
REAL FOOD IS DEFINITELY BETTER (and TASTIER) than processed food for sure!!
2% …May not seem like a lot but cheap and poor quality additives like dextrose (causes pathogenic bacterial gut growth in a high sugar diet which the FDA recommends is >35g for men + >25g for women), msg, undisclosed “spices” (really?! How lazy and shadier can this get?) and corn syrup (which IS genetically modified and a poor quality, cheap-o excuse for an “ingredient”) have been the primary contributor to my poor health in the past and to obese America via inflammatory pathways.
I really appreciate this recipe that you’ve provided and look forward to making it! Thanks so much!!
Why are you hating. If you read the comments, the only comparison was less unknown ingredients than store bought. Giving you the option of how much to include or not. The word homemade is the key. I’m on low sodium so I can eliminate the salt if I choose. Store bought I don’t have the option. Get over youself.
The correct percentage according to your weights would be 3% of total by weight, not 0.03%, When calculating percentages, you have to move the decimal over 2 places to the right (use the percentage button on a calculator if in doubt).
I made this yesterday. I doubled the recipe, put it all in the bowl of a kitchen aid mixer and ran it on medium speed with dough hook for about 5 minutes. Clean and easy and it mixed quite thoroughly and evenly. I will be making 20 pounds this weekend and freeze it in 1/4 lb. packages for breakfasts for 2. I fried a small patty for taste test and added 1tsp of sage to the 2 lb. batch.
Really great sage sausage recipe! We like to make biscuits and gravy on special holiday mornings, and I used to buy Jimmy Dean chubs, but no more! We mixed three pounds of pork butt and two pounds of ground elk from my husband’s hunt last year. Measured up all ingredients 5 times the recipe for our 5 pounds of meat, froze chubs in one pound packages and made several patties. This is so easy, and really outstanding! Thank you for sharing this recipe!😎
I live in Germany and have used another recipe for years. This one is by far the best recipe I have ever used. It is perfect just the way it is. When making it for pizza I add a Tablespoon of Cumin, 1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar and 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper.
Hey Krissy!
Traditionally my family used sage flavoured, regulat grind, pork sausage to stuff the kneck hole of our roast turkeys. It infused sage flavour to the breast, basted it, and was the treat that everybody competed for over and above the stuffing.
For the first time in decades, I now have a recipe that will do that job.
I have also tried, with partial succes, to make a sausage gravy by trial and mostly error.
Now I have the right recipe.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Well, then I’m so happy you found my blog! Thanks for sharing your comment too. Happy eating! Krissy