With this easy Homemade Italian Sausage recipe, you can leave the packaged store-bought sausage on the shelf and instead enjoy your own perfectly seasoned, wholesome version of Italian sausage with only MINUTES of prep and a handful of affordable ingredients.
Just like my recipe for Homemade Breakfast Sausage, this recipe for Italian Sausage is made by seasoning ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken with a customized blend of spices to result in a better-for-you, better-tasting version of Italian Sausage.
It is the best way to add intense flavor to recipes like Instant Pot Lasagna and Baked Meatballs.
Reasons to Love This Italian Sausage Recipe
- Adaptable. This Italian Sausage recipe can be made with ground pork, ground turkey, or ground chicken, and the seasonings customized to fit your tastes, making YOUR best version of Italian Sausage. On a low-sodium diet? Cut the salt in half or omit it completely from the recipe. Hate fennel? Omit it! You get the idea.
- Quality Control. When it comes to sausage, most store-bought brands contain MSG, fillers, nitrates, sugar, and excessive amounts of sodium. This recipe leaves those items out, and simply backs in flavor!
- Budget Friendly. While you can find quality brands of sausage that omit certain less-than-desirable ingredients, you will likely have to fork over a large sum 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.
Notes on Ingredients
- Ground Meat: While sausage is classically made with ground pork, this recipe for homemade Italian sausage can be prepared 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, you will want to cut the added salt in half as kosher salt is not as high in sodium but instead works to enhance the flavor. Keep in mind you can adjust the added salt as desired or needed.
- Garlic: Instead of using garlic powder, I recommend using fresh minced garlic, as it adds an incredible amount of flavor to the sausage recipe.
- Seasonings: Instead of using Italian Seasoning, I find it is better to use a custom blend of dried spices to perfectly 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
- Adjust Heat Level. As written, there is a bit of a mild kick from garlic and red pepper flakes. If you are sensitive to spice, 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.
- Note on Fennel: Fennel seeds are bold and zesty with heavy notes of licorice 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 of the sausage is not off-putting. Use either OR omit the fennel altogether if you don't care for the flavor.
- Mild Garlic Flavor. Replace the fresh garlic with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, which is less overpowering than fresh garlic.
∗ Tips for Making Italian Sausage ∗
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine Spices First. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried spices, salt, and pepper to evenly incorporate. This will ensure that the spices are evenly distributed throughout the sausage.
- Use Your Hands to Mix in Meat. Add in the ground meat of choice along with the minced garlic. Using your hands or a fork, combine the spices and garlic into the meat until everything is evenly distributed. You don't want to overwork the meat, which can cause your sausage to be tough, so I find using a fork or your hands to gently incorporate the ingredients is best.
- Chill Before Using. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 12-24 hours. While chilling the meat with the cure with the 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 recipe that calls for raw ground Italian Sausage, you can also opt to shape it into sausage patties or brown the sausage 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 in the sausage, and cook until browned and heated through, breaking up into bite-sized pieces as the sausage 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 that are each about ½-inch thick. Keep in mind that the patties will shrink about a 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 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.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Once prepared, homemade Italian sausage needs to be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and used 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 as desired.
Recipes Calling for Italian Sausage
The sky is the limit on the endless ways you can use Homemade Italian sausage. Below are a few of my favorite suggestions.
- Use browned Italian Sausage as a pizza topping on Pita Pizza, English Muffin Pizza, or Air Fryer French Bread Pizza.
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Lasagna Soup
- Pizza Meatloaf
- Bolognese Sauce
If you enjoyed this recipe for Italian Sausage, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Italian Sausage
Leave store-bought sausage on the shelf and enjoy this Homemade Italian Sausage with just minutes of prep and simple ingredients.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 231kcal
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
Italian Sausage
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried spices, salt, and pepper to evenly incorporate. Add in the ground pork and 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: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 385mg | Potassium: 356mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 64IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
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Olivia
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It turned out perfectly!! I will definitely be saving to make it again.
Tara G
I am shocked just how easy this was to make! I won't buy from the store again, they were THAT good.
Kristen Chidsey
It really is quite easy to make Italian sausage! Happy to hear you agree!
Sharina
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!
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Sharina!