Turkey Sausage

This turkey sausage recipe uses just 6 ingredients and cooks in less than 10 minutes. It’s juicy, healthy, and flavorful and works well as a breakfast sausage.

We love cooking with turkey. It’s lean, packed with protein, and contains barely any saturated fat.

Contrary to popular belief, ground turkey works well in recipes traditionally made with ground beef, including air fryer turkey meatballs, air fryer turkey burgers, and ground turkey meatloaf.

One of my favorite ways to use it is to make turkey breakfast sausage.

Table of Contents

1. What is turkey sausage?
2. Ingredients needed
3. How to make turkey sausage
4. Recipe tips and variations
5. How to store leftovers
6. Frequently Asked Questions
7. More recipes using turkey to try
8. Turkey Sausage Recipe (Recipe Card)

What is turkey sausage?

Turkey sausage can come as patties or links and is made up of ground turkey, spices, and some form of fat (usually olive oil). Like chicken sausage, it’s lower in calories than other sausages and has a milder and less meaty flavor.

While you can buy pre-packaged turkey sausage at supermarkets, making it at home is SO easy and tastes ten times better. Here are some reasons why I LOVE this recipe:

• Healthy and low calorie. Turkey sausage is high in protein and low in fat and perfect to include as part of an everyday diet. I like to make my family homemade sausage McMuffins with them!
• Cost-effective. It’s much more affordable to make your own than to spend over twice as much for the pre-made kind. You also skip out on all the additives and thickeners the store-bought brands use.
• Ready in 6 minutes. Set your timer when the sausage hits the pan. Three minutes on each side, and you are done!
• Tastier than other kinds of sausage. Compared to pork sausage, it doesn’t have the overpowering meaty flavors that can overwhelm a dish!

I love using these turkey sausage patties for making breakfast sandwiches or part of a breakfast plate. Pair it with eggs (Turkish style, over-easy, over-medium, or over-hard!) for a satisfying breakfast.

Ingredients needed

This recipe calls for just six simple ingredients that are mostly pantry staples. Here is what you’ll need:

• Ground turkey– Lean ground turkey or extra lean ground turkey. I don’t recommend the higher-fat cuts because the sausage ends up being soggy and greasy.
• Olive oil– Adding oil ensures the patties are juicy and moist in the middle, even when using lean meat. 
• Kosher salt and black pepper– To taste. 
• Dried sage– A key spice to enhance the peppery flavors. It’s also the secret ingredient used in McDonald’s sausage!
• Garlic powder– Adds a subtle garlic flavor without needing fresh garlic. 
• Brown sugar OR maple syrup– Adding a touch of either of these sweeteners balances out the savory and salty flavors. Trust me, it makes all the difference.

How to make turkey sausage

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step 1- make the mixture. Start by adding all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together until completely combined.

Step 2- shape into patties. Next, using your hands, shape the mixture into six patties.

Step 3- fry the turkey sausage. Add oil to a large skillet or pan and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the breakfast sausage patties and fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through. Serve the sausage immediately with your favorite sides. 

Recipe tips and variations

• Use a meat thermometer. Because we are using lean meat, you don’t want to overcook the turkey sausage. To prevent this from happening, I recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature. Ready-to-eat turkey should reach 165F.
• Bake the sausage. If you’d like to bake the turkey sausage instead of frying it, prepare it as instructed. Place them on a greased and lined baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 165F. 
• Change up the seasonings. Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes for some spice, or amp up the smokiness by adding smoked paprika and a dash of liquid smoke.
• Add cheese. You can never go wrong with cheese, so fold through 1/4 cup of your favorite shredded cheese into the mixture. I personally love mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese.

How to store leftovers

To store: Leftover breakfast sausage can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to five days. 

To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled sausage in a ziplock bag and store it in the freezer for up to two months. 

Reheating: Microwave the sausage for 30-40 seconds until hot or in a non-stick pan. 

Frequently Asked Questions

More recipes using turkey to try

• Air fryer turkey breast
• Air fryer turkey bacon
• Zucchini boats
• Crustless pizza
• Turkey drumsticks
• Turkey wings