Italian Sausage Recipe
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This homemade Italian sausage recipe not only enables you to maintain full control over the quality of your sausage, it also tastes WAY better than store-bought! It’s super easy to make and you can double our triple the recipe and freeze it so you always have sausage on hand!
Ground sausage is something a vast variety of recipes call for; everything from soups and stews to pizza, calzones, meatballs, pastas, finger foods, hors d’oeuvres….it’s a staple ingredient and one you can make yourself so easily. Not only that, this homemade Italian sausage recipe tastes at least a hundred times better than any store-bought stuff! Additionally, since you have full control over what goes in it – and what doesn’t – you can trust this sausage will be the highest quality.
Why Make Your Own Ground Sausage?
You have FULL control over what is in it. And what is not. If you’re grinding your own meat you also have direct control over the quality of the meat itself as well as the ratio of muscle meat to fat. And then of course there are the seasonings: Most store-bought sausage contains things like corn syrup, MSG and that ever cryptic ingredient “flavorings” which could mean practically anything.
Making your own sausage is an empowering way of maintaining control over what you consume. And it tastes a whole lot better, too!
Pre-Ground Pork vs. Grinding It Yourself
You can use either. The easiest option is to buy quality ground pork and simply add the seasonings. If you prefer to have full control over the quality of meat and the muscle-to-fat ratio you can grind your own.
I use and recommend the STX International Turbo Force Electric Meat Grinder. It comes with a 3-year warranty, great reviews, and is all around the best value for the money. If you’re making occasional small amounts the KitchenAid Meat Grinder Attachment is another option.
Can I Substitute Other Ground Meats?
Absolutely! You can use chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or game. This homemade sausage recipe is terrific with any of them.
Can I Freeze Italian Sausage?
Of course! For convenience you can double or triple the quantity and then freeze it in 1/4 pound, 1/2 pound or whatever amount packages so you can simply grab what you need when you need it. No need to make a trip to the store.
Ways to Use Italian Sausage
The sky’s the limit in terms the number of ways you can use your homemade Italian sausage. Here are just a few ideas:
- Sausage Patties and Sausage Links (use hog casings for large sausage and sheep casings for small sausages)
- Meatballs
- Pizza, Calzones, Stromboli and Quesadillas
- Sausage Gravy
- Lasagna (here and here)
- Spaghetti Sauce and Bolognese
- Quiche
- Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Zucchini or other squash
- Homemade Sausage McMuffins
- Chili (try my Instant Pot Chili)
- Sausage Cornbread
- Soups & Stews (try my Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup, Black Eyed Pea Soup, Tortellini Minestrone Soup and Italian Wedding Soup)
- Breakfast Casseroles, Frittatas, and Breakfast Burritos
- Sausage Rolls
- Sausage & Egg Grits
- Cabbage Rolls
Italian Sausage Recipe
Let’s get started!
If you’re doing it yourself, grind the meat. Otherwise use ground pork or meat of choice from the store/butcher.
Place the ground meat in a bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Use your hands or a stand mixer paddle attachment to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Wrap and chill for at least 6 hours before using, preferably overnight for best flavor.
The sausage will keep in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months.
Use in any recipe that calls for ground sausage.
Enjoy!
For More Delicious Homemade Sausage Recipes, be sure to try my:
- German Bratwurst
- British Bangers
- Homemade Smoked Cheddar Sausages
- Homemade Breakfast Sausage Links (or Patties)
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Italian Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound freshly ground well-marbled pork butt*
- OR pre-packaged ground pork*
- *can substitute ground chicken, turkey or meat of choice
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon red wine
- 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt (start with less and fry a little of the sausage mixture and taste to decide if you want to add more)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely cracked black peppercorns (toast in a dry skillet for a minute or two until fragrant for maximum flavor)
- 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked fennel seeds (toast in a dry skillet for a minute or two until fragrant for maximum flavor)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (omit if you want a mild sausage)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage
Instructions
- Place the ground meat in a bowl and add all remaining ingredients. Use your hands or a stand mixer paddle attachment to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Wrap and chill for at least 6 hours before using, preferably overnight for best flavor.The sausage will keep in the fridge for 3 days or can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months. Makes 1 pound of ground sausage.
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Very good recipe, but VERY salty. Next time I will only do half the amount. I did not realize it said to let it rest 6 hours so I didn’t do that but it was still very good.
Love this recipe, excellent authentic taste. Hint for those who think it is too salty, for anything like this (stuffing, sausage meat etc.) take a teaspoonful and fry a mini pattie to check seasoning, before adjusting if necessary. Also remember that salt will leach out into your sauce if you are simmering this in e.g. a tomato sauce for your pasta.
I have made sausage for most of my 68 years and I always like to try something new. I tried this recipe and found it to use more spices than is desirable. I understand that taste is in the mouth that eats it; however, I would reduce the seasoning to 1/2 or even 1/3 of the amount suggested. The garlic overpowers some of the lesser spices such as sage, etc.
I USED THIS IN A CHICKEN DISH WHERE YOU STUFF CHICKEN WITH TALIAN SAUSAGE AND SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND THEN WRAP IN PROSCIUTTO AND MAKE A PORCHINI MUSHROOM SAUCE, I HAD THE DISH AT A RESTAURANT SO HAD NO RECIPE SO JUST WINGED IT AND IT WAS AMAZING
I didn’t have enough pork to make a pound so I added 2 strips of bacon and a hot dog. Otherwise, I pretty much stuck to the recipe, except not as much salt. We are going to have some of it on pizza tonight.
I used very lean turkey and didn’t want to add animal fat and didn’t want dry meat. I added 1/2c oatmeal soaked with 1/2c of broth/water, 1 T corn starch and 2 pinches of baking soda, and 1-2 T of grape seed oil/olive oil.
I haven’t been able to buy natural Italian sausage for quite sometime because the Italian store closed and grocery chains don’t carry natural sausage. I’ve never made my own sausage and I’m a little intimated, but I’m going to try to make your recipe. L
WAY TOO MUCH SALT NEED MORE FENNEL OR MAYBE A LITTLE ANISEI I MADE spagetti sauce AND TO CUT THE SALT I THREW IN SEVERAL PIECES OF RAW POTATO THAT DID THE TRICK.
I agree, far too much salt. This was my second time making this sausage, only used 1/2 a teaspoon of salt and it was plenty. Freezes beautifully. Favourite for lasagne and also used it with gnocchi in a home made tomato sauce.
So much better than products purchased in any market or from any butcher in our area. Reminds me of what we used to make and consume on the farm…Better; due to more multi-ethnic spice blends being used more readily now. GREAT BLEND!!!
Thank you so much, Roberta, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe. Great Italian sausage. Turned this into meatballs yesterday using ground beef and adding 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (I had to use gluten free), 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated, and an egg. It made 20 meatballs which cooked for 18 minutes at 375 F. Totally awesome! Thanks.
That’s fantastic, Kathryn, thanks so much for the feedback!
Love! Love this recipe. I made 4#’s without the red wine. The family devoured it. I had trouble getting some in the freezer.
That’s awesome, Laurrie, thanks so much! :)
Kimberly
My wife thanks you for the recipe and asks me to make it on a regular basis. We both rave about it and it’s the best we’ve ever had. Aging for a day really makes it pop.
That’s wonderful, Grandpa in the Kitchen, thank you and please tell your wife thanks also! :)
How far in advance can I prepare the sausage meat? or is it best to do it the day before?
Hi Matthew, up to 2 days in advance is fine. And of course you can freeze it for several months.
I want to use fresh herbs in the recipe because I have them all in my garden so how much should I use because some people say you need more if there fresh
Hi George, yes you’ll want to triple the amount of fresh herbs. So if it calls for one teaspoon of dried you’ll want to use three teaspoons of fresh.
My wife is Thai and makes delicious northern thai sausage. She uses 25% pork fat and adds 1/2 cup of water, and natural casings. I want to follow your recipe with spices. The only other difference I see is she adds water. What do you think?
Hi Al, if you’re making actual sausages in casings then yes, adding ice water is common – it helps the spices combine with the meat and softens the meat mixture so that it doesn’t break the casings as they’re being stuffed. For example, I add ice water to my homemade British bangers: https://www.daringgourmet.com/homemade-british-bangers/. This Italian sausage recipe isn’t meant to be stuffed in casings, it’s bulk sausage meat, but if you do plan on using it to make sausage links then yes, you can add some water.