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!
I was wondering if you have ever tried it with regular paprika? I do not have the sweet Hungarian paprika and was thinking of trying to substitute it with regular paprika.
Hi Brooke, yes you can absolutely use regular paprika (which is usually Spanish). I just don’t recommend using smoked paprika or hot paprika (unless you like your sausage really hot!).
I made 1kg of this and increased the spices and herbs accordingly. I only got to put it in the fridge for a couple of hours before cooking. Personally I think the salt level is fine, each to their own taste I guess. I used the meat in a white lasagna with bechamel sauce and artichokes. First time I have made lasagna without tomatoes. It was amazing, my wife has requested it to be our regular lasagna from now on. You recipe has inspired me to learn how to make and smoke my own sausages from now on. Thanks
That’s wonderful, Austin, thank you so much! And your lasagna sounds absolutely fabulous!
I made the recipe as written without first reading the reviews, oops! Next time I will cut the salt in half. I scams the spices up for 1.5 lb of pork. But the flavor was too intense for my taste. For me, I think the seasoning amounts as written (except for the salt) would be perfect for 1.5 lbs of pork.
I’ve made this recipe twice now and will make it again. Very good! I reduced the salt to 1 tsp form 1 1/2 – 2 tsp and still found it too salty. I will cut back to 1/2-3/4 tsp next time I make it. We live in Portugal and Italian sausage is nowhere to be found here, even in the Italian markets.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Lisa, I’m happy you enjoyed it!
This was a tasty recipe but far too much salt to be great. Will make again but with heavily adjusted seasoning.
Tolles Rezept! Kommt immer perfekt heraus. Danke!
Das freut mich sehr, Ingrid, vielen Dank! :)
Do you need to grind the peppercorns after toasting them?
Hi Mathew, this calls for coarsely cracked peppercorns; no need to grind them further unless you prefer them finer.
Thank you Kimberley. I am looking forward to making this and then making sausage patties (like a burger patties) out of it.
Hi, I don’t know if you’re ever going to see this, but I’m dieting, so I’m paying attention to all the calories I’m preparing, and your recipe for this 1lb of Italian Sausage says it’s 8 servings @ 85 calories a serving which is a total of 680 total calorie for this entire recipe. I went out and bought 80/20 ground pork from Walmart, as that is what “well marbled” meant to me, and didn’t even think to look on it’s package but it says that for 4 oz there are 290 calories, which means in 1 lb there are 1160 calories in the ground pork alone. I mean I already made the recipe, and will be trying it tomorrow night regardless, but is there something I’m not seeing correctly here, were you using a far leaner grind for your ground pork, cause I’ve seemed to double the calories using 80/20. Thanks.
Hi Down, I just double checked the nutrition info and you’re right. The recipe card uses third party software to calculate the nutrition info and I don’t know how it got the figures it did but I just went in and manually updated it. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
Hi. I’m not sure where you see that. I see 8 servings at 180cal each?
When calories count, try this recipe with ground turkey. That is what I use and it is equally amazing!
I’ve used a variety of Italian sausage recipes before but this one, by far, has been the best. The depth of flavor with the spices has now made it my go to recipe.
I’m so glad, David, thank you very much!
A pork butt weighs about 8 lbs, the recipe yeild says 1 lb.
This recipe doesn’t call for a whole pork butt, it calls for 1 pound of pork butt.
Great recipe, Kimberly! I just made it with beef to make sausage for a meatball recipe and it turned out GREAT! I had to use white wine but it was stil perfect! My girls loved them! Thank you for sharing!!!-Nicole
Fantastic, Nicole, thank you so much!
OMGosh, this the best Italian Sausage recipe. I have made many recipes from the internet and this is far better than all of them. I doubled the recipe, used red wine vinegar, didn’t have red wine open. The perfect combo of spices. Juicy and delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe Kimberly.
I’m so glad, Darlene, thank you very much!
Made this for the 2nd time using 93% lean ground turkey. We didn’t have any wine so I added 1 Tbls. EVOO. This is the best Italian sausage seasoning recipe I’ve found so far. Makes amazing grinders!
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sandy, thank you!
When searching for a good italian sausage recipe, your review helped make the choice for me. This is why. I have lived in Georgia for 29 years. Not only did you use the word grinder but also posted on my 60th birthday. By the way, italian sausage grinder only way to go. I’m so going to try this recipe and thanks for the welcomed flashback.
Hi LaFaye, I grew up in Iowa in a small town close to Des Moines which has a large Italian population and many Italian restaurants. Lasagna and grinders are my favorites and finding this great recipe so I can make out of lean chicken or turkey is huge for me being on a restricted diet.
Made this recipe let it sit overnight and fried it up and I wasn’t impressed. All I could taste is the wine. Will look for another recipe.
In a whole pound of meat seasoned with a ton of spices “ALL” you could taste was a single tablespoon of wine?? LOL, sounds like the Princess and the Pea, Scott. Either that or you’re using some seriously “off” wine.
Just made this recipe for the first time and it was extremely easy! I eyeballed the ingredients and am now going to wait at least 6 hours. I’ll use it in a zuppa toscana recipe. The meat smells amazing so it’s hard to wait, but I know that patience is a virtue.
Fantastic, Fukuryu, thanks for the feedback and enjoy that zuppa toscana!