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This Italian Sausage recipe lets you skip the packaged, store-bought stuff and enjoy your own perfectly seasoned, wholesome version with just MINUTES of prep and simple ingredients.
Like my Homemade Breakfast Sausage recipe, this Italian Sausage recipe is made by seasoning ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken with a custom spice blend to create homemade sausage that skips the additives and cost of most store-bought Italian Sausage brands.
Why Homemade Italian Sausage?
Italian sausage is a staple in my kitchen because it adds intense flavor to recipes like Instant Pot Lasagna, Creamy Sausage Pasta, and Baked Meatballs. But instead of using store-bought sausage, I often make my own. Once you try it, you won't believe how easy (or tasty) homemade sausage is!
- Adaptable. You can make this Italian Sausage recipe with ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken, and customize the seasonings to fit your tastes, making YOUR best version of Italian Sausage.
- Quality Control. Most store-bought sausage contains MSG, fillers, nitrates, sugar, and excessive sodium. This recipe leaves those out and simply adds flavor instead.
- Budget-Friendly. While you can find quality sausage brands that omit certain less-than-desirable ingredients, you will likely have to fork over a lot of change. Homemade Italian sausage comes together using pantry staples and a pound of ground meat.
- Versatile. Use this homemade Italian sausage to add the ultimate flavor to any recipe that calls for ground Italian sausage, such as Tortellini Soup, Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana, or Stuffed Meatloaf. You can also use it to make Italian sausage patties.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Meat: While sausage is classically made with ground pork, you can make this recipe with ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground beef. I prefer the flavor of using either lean ground pork or ground chicken.
- Salt: I recommend using kosher salt for this recipe. If you use table salt, cut the added salt in half, since kosher salt has larger flakes and less sodium per teaspoon. Keep in mind you can adjust the added salt as desired or needed.
- Garlic: Instead of garlic powder, I recommend fresh minced garlic, as it adds incredible flavor to the sausage recipe.
- Seasonings: Instead of simply using Italian Seasoning, I prefer using a custom blend of dried spices to mimic classic Italian sausage. This recipe uses onion powder, ground fennel or fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried parsley.
Recipe Modifications
- Lower the Sodium: Cut the salt in half or omit it completely.
- Adjust Heat Level. As written, the garlic and red pepper flakes give it a mild kick. If you are sensitive to spice, omit the minced garlic and/or reduce the red pepper flakes in the sausage recipe. Alternatively, increase the red pepper flakes for a spicier Italian sausage.
- Note on Fennel: Fennel seeds are bold and zesty, with strong licorice notes, and are a classic ingredient in Italian Sausage. I don't care for the texture of fennel seeds in my sausage, so I opt to use ground fennel instead. The flavor remains, but the texture isn't off-putting. Use either OR omit the fennel altogether if you don't care for the flavor.
- Tame Down the Garlic Flavor: Replace the fresh garlic with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, which is less overpowering than fresh garlic. And if you hate garlic, simply omit it.
How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage
- Combine Spices First. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried spices, salt, and pepper, then mix to combine. This ensures the spices are evenly distributed throughout the sausage.
- Use Your Hands to Mix in Meat. Add the ground meat of choice and the minced garlic. Using your hands or a fork, mix the spices and garlic into the meat until evenly distributed. Don't overwork the meat, as it can make the sausage tough. I find that gently incorporating the ingredients with a fork or your hands works best.
- Chill Before Using. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 12-24 hours. While chilling the meat with the cure and spices helps to intensify the flavor of the sausage, you can use it immediately and still have great flavor.
How To Cook Italian Sausage
While you can use this recipe in any dish that calls for raw ground Italian Sausage, you can also shape it into sausage patties or brown it to add to Spaghetti Sauce or layer in lasagna.
- To Brown Italian Sausage: Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned and heated through, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. If needed, drain off the excess grease and use as desired.
- To Make Patties: Form the meat mixture into 4- to 5-inch patties, each about ½-inch thick. Keep in mind the patties will shrink about ½ inch in width after cooking. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage patties to the skillet and cook 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Once the patties are fully cooked, remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess grease.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store homemade Italian sausage in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze the raw sausage mixture in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Recipes Calling for Italian Sausage
The sky is the limit on the endless ways you can use Homemade Italian sausage. Here are a few of my favorites.
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Italian Sausage
Leave store-bought sausage on the shelf and enjoy this Homemade Italian Sausage with just minutes of prep and simple ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or ½ teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel or fennel seeds
- ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound lean ground pork, or ground chicken, turkey, or beef
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon ground fennel or fennel seeds, and ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Add in 1 pound lean ground pork and 2 teaspoons minced garlic and mix well using your hands or a fork to incorporate.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate for 12-24 hours for the best flavor. But you can use it immediately if short on time.
- Use in any recipe that calls for ground, raw Italian sausage.
- To Brown Sausage: Heat a bit of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage, and cook until browned and heated through, breaking up into bite-sized pieces as the sausage cooks. Drain off the excess grease and use it as desired.
- To Form Sausage Patties: Form the meat mixture into 4 to 5-inch patties that are each about ½-inch thick. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage patties to the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Once the patties are fully cooked, remove them from the skillet and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess grease.
Notes
Storage: Once prepared, homemade Italian sausage needs to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used within 3 days. Alternatively, you can freeze the raw sausage mixture in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Level of Spice: For less spicy Italian sausage, omit the minced garlic and/or reduce the amount of red pepper flakes added to the sausage recipe. Alternatively, increase the amount of red pepper flakes for spicy Italian sausage.
Nutritional values are approximate and based on using ground pork and prior to cooking.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 19gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 385mgPotassium: 356mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 64IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is a good recipe. Have made it with both ground turkey and ground chicken.
Thrilled to hear you enjoy, Sharon! Thanks for sharing a review.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It turned out perfectly!! I will definitely be saving to make it again.
I am shocked just how easy this was to make! I won't buy from the store again, they were THAT good.
It really is quite easy to make Italian sausage! Happy to hear you agree!
This Italian sausage recipe is so satisfying! Used this for our meatballs and it turned out so well! We have no leftovers. Such a keeper!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Sharina!