When grocery prices shot up last year, I started looking for alternatives to some of the items I had been buying but had just gotten too expensive. One of those items was chicken breakfast sausage. After the price of my favorite brand nearly doubled, I decided to try a homemade version and am thrilled that I did. Not only is it less than half the price of what I had been buying, it tastes even better.
Thanks to fellow blogger Mason Woodruff for inspiring this recipe. The version below is modified from one on his site and we love it. I hope you’ll give it a try!
Turkey Sage Breakfast Sausage
Ground chicken or ground turkey work well in this recipe. The addition of sage complements the flavor so beautifully. Fresh is always recommended, but rubbed sage offers a nice flavor and ground sage is a bit more subtle.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken or turkey 97/3 or 85/15 work well
- 1 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
- ½ tsp. ground sage
- ¼ cup chopped fresh sage
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
- cooking spray for baking sheet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
- Mix spices and fresh sage together in a small bowl.
- Add ground turkey or chicken to a large bowl and sprinkle spice mixture all over. Work the spices into the meat with your hands, till well incorporated.
- Pinch off 2.5 oz. pieces and form into balls, then flatten into patties. (This makes 6 good-sized patties).
- Place the patties on the baking sheet and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or till the internal temperature registers 165°F (see note below on temperature).
- Serve immediately, or allow to cool and then refrigerate. These will keep in the fridge for around three days.
Notes
- Be sure the spices are incorporated evenly through the mixture so you don’t have uneven flavoring.
- Poultry should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Since the patties will continue to cook after being removed from the oven, we have found that removing them before they reach this temperature ensures they don’t get overcooked. If we plan to store them in the refrigerator after cooking, we remove them when they are around 150°F and let them cool on the baking sheet for 20-30 minutes. This gives them time to finish cooking and reach that safe temperature. If we plan to eat them right away, we pull them at about 160°F. They’ll reach the 165-mark in just a few minutes and still be hot for serving.Â
- As an alternative to baking, you can also cook the patties in a skillet. Simply add a little olive oil to your pan and cook them over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or till they reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Nutrition Facts
Turkey Sage Breakfast Sausage
Amount per Serving
Calories
102
% Daily Value*
Fat
2
g
3
%
Saturated Fat
0.5
g
3
%
Trans Fat
0.01
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.4
g
Cholesterol
42
mg
14
%
Sodium
365
mg
16
%
Potassium
273
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
4
g
1
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
18
g
36
%
Vitamin A
575
IU
12
%
Vitamin C
0.2
mg
0
%
Calcium
23
mg
2
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.