Turkey Sausage
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My homemade 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.
Love cooking with ground turkey? Try my air fryer turkey meatballs, air fryer turkey burgers, and ground turkey meatloaf next.
We love cooking with turkey. It’s lean, packed with protein, and contains barely any saturated fat.
I love a savory breakfast, especially if there is some meat involved. Inspired by traditional breakfast sausage patties, I wanted to create a slightly healthier version, which is where my turkey breakfast sausage was born!
Contrary to popular belief, ground turkey works well in recipes traditionally made with ground beef. While you can buy pre-packaged turkey sausage at supermarkets, making it at home is SO easy and tastes ten times better.
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 my chicken sausage, it’s lower in calories than other sausages and has a milder and less meaty flavor.
Table of Contents
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 or beef sausage, it doesn’t have the overpowering meaty flavors that can overwhelm a dish!
Ingredients needed
- 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. Add all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix together until completely combined.
Step 2- shape. Using your hands, shape the mixture into six patties.
Step 3- Fry. 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.
Step 4- Serve the sausage immediately with your favorite sides.
Arman’s recipe tips
- 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.
Storage instructions
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
Yes! Turkey sausage is naturally lower in fat, calories, and cholesterol compared to pork sausage. It’s a fantastic source of lean protein, so it’s perfect for a healthier diet.
If you make your own turkey sausage or breakfast sausage, it is not considered processed meat, as no fillers, thickeners, or preservatives are added.
More savory breakfast ideas
- Crustless quiche
- Savory waffles
- Savory pancakes
- Egg white omelette
- Or any of my savory breakfast recipes
Turkey Sausage Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, olive oil, salt, pepper, dried sage, garlic powder, and brown sugar, and mix well.
- Using your hands, form 6 patties.
- Add oil to a non-stick pan and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add 3 patties to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Repeat the process until all the patties are cooked.
These turkey breakfast patties were delicious. Definitely healthier than store bought. My husband was pleasantly surprised with them.
Thank you!
So do I put the olive oil in the mix and use extra to cook them in? Just confused because it says six ingredients and when you add it to the as the recipe states , that makes it 7 ingredients.
I needed some Italian sausage for a pizza, and I only had ground turkey. I made the recipe as is, but added ground fennel seed for the Italian sausage flavor. So, good!!!!
My family loves this! Thank you!
You’re so welcome Lisa! Glad it was a hit, it always is in our house too 🙂
As usual, great recipe!
Thanks so much Jessi! We love our turkey sausage at home too, it’s so lean and so delicious.
Can this be seasoned with your ingredients but then ground in a skillet for crumbles instead of formed/cooked in patty form?
Hi Jenn, you can certainly cook the mixture down into crumbles instead of forming it into patties. We do something similar for taco filling sometimes!
Simple. Straightforward. Outstanding recipe. Had all of the ingredients in my pantry. I added 1/2 tsp Ground Black Cardamom. Thank you for the recipe. Chef kiss!!!
Oh nice, BK- How was it with cardamom- I just developed an ice cream using it, and now I’m keen to try it in this sausage 🙂
Easy and very good.
I would like to make hot sausage. How much cayenne pepper would you suggest?
Hi Carol- I’d start with less than you’d think, as cayenne’s spice level gets concentrated as it heats up. I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon first and see how it goes. I have a huge spice tooth (ha) and I’d stick with that for pleasant heat.
Dried sage is always tried or csn I put also fresh?
I wish I had disciverd this recie sooner, but it hits the mark. Delish. I am using it in all my recipes now
I love to hear that, Melinda. I’m so glad it’s a staple for you now 🙂
I love this . very good 😊
Thanks Sheryl! Its so easy and lean!
Excellent taste
I don’t like ground turkey yet this was very delicious 😋 when using course Celtic salt, pancake syrup & ground sage. Thanks so much! Will never pay for store bought with nitrates & artificial ingredients!
Sounds delicious Sy! So glad you can make your own at home now.
Just made this recipe for the first time, half cooked as prescribe3d and half cooked on air roast. Both are excellent and I will not be buying Turkey sauage at the store any longer.
YES! That is what I like to hear, Melinda! 🙂