This Homemade Italian Sausage recipe is extremely easy to make and makes a tasty sausage that’s terrific in a variety of dishes.
You can adjust the Italian sausage seasoning to be as spicy or mild as you like depending on your family’s taste preferences.
Best of all, you don’t have to worry about anyone’s food allergies as you control what’s in the sausage – no gluten or milk containing fillers!
What type of meat do you use for homemade Italian sausage?
You can use the following types of ground meat:
● venison
● chicken
● turkey
● pork
● beef
or a combination of any of the above meats, like 1 pound pork and 2 pounds lean ground beef.
How much ground meat do you use?
I use 3 pounds of ground meat to my mix of Italian seasoning. If you don’t want to make that much, you can half the recipe.
For ingredients like dried oregano and dried thyme that use 1/8 teaspoon, use a pinch if you’re halving this Italian sausage recipe.
What recipes can you use this Italian sausage recipe in?
Make homemade spaghetti sauce: This is a family favorite and quick and easy to do. I usually made a half portion of the sausage right in the spaghetti sauce pan.
While I’m browning the sausage meat, I add a couple of teaspoons of chopped garlic. Then I add tomato sauce, some diced tomatoes, and a dash of wine.
Use it in your stuffing! I originally started making homemade Italian sausage from all the ground venison we had after hunting season to use in our Thanksgiving stuffing.
More Italian recipes: Besides spaghetti sauce, you can add the sausage to lasagna, use it on pizza, in calzones, to make meatballs, baked ziti, and so much more.
Keto recipes: It's also a wonderful sausage to use in any keto recipes. Just use a keto-friendly, no calorie sugar substitute instead of the sorghum.
Can I freeze Italian sausage?
You sure can! There are several ways to do it.
I like to weigh it out into 1 pound blocks. Then I wrap it in freezer paper to use later in my cooking.
Some folks like to form their Italian sausage into patties and freeze those up for special weekend breakfasts. Nothing like sausage patties and eggs!
If you’re ambitious, you can put it into casings and freeze those. (I’ve made sausage links with an attachment on my KitchenAid. It’s fun, but a lot of work.)
My neighbor back in Colorado liked to brown her sausage meat before freezing. That way she saved time when making her sauces and casseroles.
Tips when making the Italian sausage seasoning
Salt: If you need to reduce sodium intake, it’s ok to cut back the salt in this recipe. Add a little more of the other seasonings or spiciness to compensate if you feel the sausage is lacking flavor.
Spicy or not? Feel free to cut back or add more of your favorite spices and seasonings. My son and husband love spicy sausage. Me, not so much, so I make several batches.
Vinegar: I loved how using the red wine vinegar added a special flavor to the sausage. But in a pinch, you can add another type of vinegar, like cider or balsamic.
Sorghum: If you can’t find sorghum in your area, you can use maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, or even molasses.
If you’re avoiding sugary ingredients, you can use a natural sugar substitute like powdered monk fruit sweetener or stevia instead.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground meat – pork, turkey, beef, chicken, venison or a combination
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/4 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon sorghum syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme (whole, not ground)
- 1/8 teaspoon tarragon
- 1/8 teaspoon marjoram
Directions
- Place all the Italian sausage recipe ingredients in a large bowl.
- Take an old fashioned potato masher and mix ingredients until well combined. Better yet, use your hands!
- Weigh out the Italian sausage into one-pound portions. Wrap in freezer paper, label, and freeze until needed.
- Serving size: 1 pound of sausage
Originally published on November 8, 2013. Updated with new pictures and information.
