While breakfast sausages like those from Jimmy Dean are ubiquitous at American grocery stores, ditching store-bought in favor of your own sausage blend is easy and supremely worthwhile. Plus, it opens up a world of customization.
If you don’t eat pork or you’re simply not into pork sausage, swap in ground beef or ground turkey (dark meat, please). Out of fresh thyme and sage? Substitute 1 tsp. each of the dried herbs, as writer Alyse Whitney suggests in her ode to this recipe, or a couple shakes of your favorite herb-and-spice blend. Unlike the Italian sausage you would use in a ragù, breakfast sausage should be a bit sweet and pack a little heat, but if you like it sweeter or hotter, you can tweak the amount of sugar and chile flakes you add to the ground meat. You could also swap in maple syrup or honey to change up the flavor. Or, for an extra spicy sausage, add a bit of cayenne pepper.
Unlike burger patties, which require a gentle hand, you really want to work the meat here. You’re looking to emulsify the fat with the flavorings. For best results, ask your butcher to run a fresh piece of pork shoulder through the meat grinder and keep it cold until you’re ready to mix.
To make your mornings easier, take care of the prep time in advance. You can shape the patties and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to two days or freeze them for a month. Serve the cooked sausage patties with fried eggs and toast, crumble them up for the best-ever sausage gravy, or slide them into a breakfast sandwich with English muffins, eggs, and American cheese.
Recipe information
Total Time
15 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
1
1
2
1½
1
½
¼
¼
¼
1
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage, 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme, 2 tsp. light brown sugar, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, ¼ tsp. garlic powder, and ¼ tsp. smoked paprika in a medium-large bowl. Add 1 lb. ground pork shoulder (Boston butt) and work spice mixture into meat with your hands until it’s very well blended.
Step 2
Scoop out ¼-cupfuls of sausage mixture and flatten into about ¼"-thick patties (they will plump slightly when cooked).
Step 3
Griddle sausage patties over medium-high heat until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
Do Ahead: Patties can be made 2 days ahead. Stack between parchment paper; cover and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.
Editor’s note: This homemade breakfast sausage recipe was first printed in our May 2015 issue. Head this way for more brunch favorites →
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Reviews (142)
Back to TopHello, does the sausage need to be cooked before freezing. Thank you
Anonymous
Pittsburgh
10/25/2017
@AnonymousPittsburgh, No, I make them into patties, then put them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and freeze and then put them in a freezer bag for storage.
wlong7317
Tulsa, Oklahoma
10/31/2017
This recipe is fantastic!
Anonymous
Maryland
7/25/2018
Excellent recipe. I added two eggs, crispy rice, crushed coriander and a little dash of cinnamon and made them up on the bbq for a breakfast party. Sure to impress.
Anonymous
Canada SK
6/4/2019
This is excellent. We leave out the sugar and replace with maple syrup to taste. Just need to watch your heat when cooking so they don't burn, but it adds a nice flavor.
tklac
NJ
1/20/2020
Made these twice so far and every time they're good. Such a simple recipe and one of our favorite freezer staples now. I freeze them raw on a baking sheet between sheets of wax or parchment. Then I store them in Ziploc freezer quart bags. I've used these for breakfast sandwiches, pizza and pasta! All methods were delicious! Has anyone made these without the fresh herbs? I don't have any fresh or dried sage but I do have dried thyme and I'm not going to break quarantine just for some sage.
Jade Wong
Puyallup, WA
4/18/2020
Love this recipe to use leftover pork shoulder after making Gaby's Instant Pot Pork Carnitas. I use dried sage/thyme, so I cut back to 1 tsp each. Fry the patties on medium heat in a cast iron skillet. So good! Definitely keeping this in the repertoire.
Anonymous
Virginia
5/10/2020