when i was little, i remember that when we used to visit my mom’s parents, my grandfather would always make jones breakfast sausages in the morning. these weren’t an item that we typically stocked at home and they always felt like a special treat for breakfast.
to this day, i prefer sausage over bacon and i can’t say for sure whether it’s because of those early experiences having breakfast sausage at my grandparents’ house. over the years, i’ve veered away from buying jones breakfast sausage, but i’ve always been draw to breakfast sausage with a pronounced sage flavor.
recently i got it into my head that i wanted to try making my own homemade breakfast sausage. i mentioned this to a friend and she was appropriately aghast at this departure from my previous borderline vegetarian ways, until i quickly clarified that i wasn’t planning to grind any meat or mess around with casings.
mostly what i wanted to do was combine preground meat with spices to make my very most favorite breakfast sausage, with a strong but not overpowering sage flavor. i consulted a couple of different recipes to get a feel for what spices, other than sage, i might want to include, then set to work blending up mini batches of my own homemade breakfast sausage, each time tweaking the spice ratios until i finally hit on my favorite blend.
the blend of spices in the recipe below definitely favors sage, but not so much that you can’t detect the influence of the other spices. it turned out that i liked having a bit more clove flavor and, ironically, a bit less sage than i originally imagined. i also found that thyme complemented the sage really well, so i increased that a bit too.
in the end, i came up with *my* favorite homemade breakfast sausage. the great thing about making your own homemade breakfast sausage is that, besides being really easy, you can create *your* favorite homemade breakfast sausage. you may want more rosemary or more salt – your favorite homemade breakfast sausage is totally up to you. i simply offer the recipe below as a starting point (and a record for myself of what i liked best).
pro tip: once you’ve seasoned the meat how you think you want it, pinch off a small bite sized piece, stick it on a microwave safe plate, and microwave it for 30 or so seconds, just until it’s cooked through. let it cool for a minute, then taste it to confirm that you like the seasonings as they are. you may wish to add a little more of something before you cook (or freeze) the entire batch of breakfast sausage.
because really, nostalgia aside, the reason i’ve kept eating breakfast sausage all these years is that it is delicious, and even more so when i can customize the spices to my exact liking. i hope you do the same.
other breakfast recipes to go with these homemade breakfast sausages:
skillet roasted breakfast potatoes GF/DF
harvest frittata (use this sausage in the frittata!) GF/DF
veggie and egg healthy breakfast bowl (add the sausage to the bowl!) GF/DF
scrambled eggs with roasted asparagus GF/DF option
anadama bread
orange french toast
pear cardamom scones
orange infused fig biscuits
chai-spiced apple cinnamon rolls
quick and easy biscuits
GF = gluten free
DF = dairy free
did you make this recipe? i’d love to know what you think of it! leave a comment below and share a picture on instagram with the hashtag #tastyseasons.
homemade breakfast sausage
Save to BigOven 
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g.) ground pork (i used 80% lean, because that's what trader joe's sells)
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- in a large mixing bowl, mix the pork and spices together until well combined (i use my hands to make sure the spices are distributed throughout the meat).
- form into patties and set in a single layer on a large plate. i start with balls that are a bit bigger than a golf ball and flatten them until they are about ½" (1.25 cm) thick. i try to keep them fairly consistent so they will each cook in roughly the same amount of time.
- if you don't want to cook all of the patties at once, arrange them in an airtight freezer container with waxed paper between layers of patties.
- for the ones you do want to cook now, set a skillet over medium-low heat (no oil needed). if you have a splatter guard, have it handy. arrange the patties in a single layer in the skillet and top with the splatter guard (you may need to cook in two batches). cook for 3 - 4 minutes, until the bottoms are golden brown. flip and cook on the second side another 3 - 4 minutes, until the second side is golden brown and the insides register 160° F all the way through (no pink in the center). set on a paper towel lined plate to absorb extra oil. repeat with second batch, if necessary. serve immediately or allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer for weekend-level breakfasts all week long. i reheated some of these breakfast sausages for lunch today in a skillet and they were delicious. i imagine the microwave would work in a pinch too.
Notes
adapted from our homemade breakfast sausage recipe at the woks of life and the maple sage sausage in against all grain (affiliate) by danielle walker.
Nutrition Facts
homemade breakfast sausage
Serves: 10 patties
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 102 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 8 g. | 12.3% | |
| Saturated Fat 3 g. | 15% | |
| Trans Fat 0 g. | ||
| Cholesterol 26 mg. | 8.7% | |
| Sodium 27 mg. | 1.1% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 0 g. | 0 | |
| Dietary Fiber 0 g. | 0 | |
| Sugars 0 g. | ||
| Protein 7 g. | ||
| Vitamin A | Vitamin C | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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