Turkey breakfast sausages are delicious and healthy too. And now, you can make them at home so that you know exactly what’s in them. We provide instructions for both using and not needing specialized tools, so you can get started making them right away!
I really love turkey breakfast sausages. They’re leaner than regular breakfast sausages but have such amazing flavor.
I especially love making my own. The reason is that I can control exactly what goes into them. I am able to choose the type of turkey to use, the seasonings to use, and the turkey’s quality.
The recipe below calls for ground turkey. You can grind your own if you have a meat grinder. This one is a grinder and sausage stuffer that attaches to a KitchenAid Mixer. You can instead use turkey that is purchased already ground from the grocery store. I prefer to not use ground turkey breast for this recipe because it can make fairly dry sausages. However, if you really want the leanness of breast meat, try using half ground turkey and half turkey breast. One of the best things about creating sausages at home is that you have total control over the ingredients!
Ever craved delicious, healthy turkey breakfast sausage links but found yourself disappointed by the store-bought options? Well, fret no more! With a little know-how and some simple ingredients, you can whip up a batch of mouthwatering homemade turkey breakfast sausage links that are sure to tantalize your taste buds and leave you feeling satisfied.
Dive into the Delicious World of Homemade Turkey Sausage Links: A Comprehensive Guide
This guide will walk you through the process of making turkey breakfast sausage links, from gathering the necessary ingredients to shaping and cooking them to perfection. Whether you’re a seasoned sausage-making pro or a curious culinary novice, this guide has something for everyone.
Gather Your Arsenal: Essential Ingredients for Homemade Turkey Sausage Links
Before embarking on your sausage-making adventure, ensure you have all the necessary ingredients at your disposal:
- Ground Turkey: Opt for ground turkey breast for a leaner option or regular ground turkey for a richer flavor. You can even combine the two for a perfect balance.
- Sausage Seasoning: This is where the magic happens! You can either purchase a pre-made sausage seasoning blend or create your own using spices like sage, thyme, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and a touch of cloves.
- Water: This might seem unusual, but water helps bind the mixture and ensures your sausages are juicy and flavorful.
- Optional: If you’re feeling adventurous, consider adding additional ingredients like fennel seeds, maple syrup, or even a dash of hot sauce to personalize your sausage links.
Shaping Your Sausage Links: Two Methods for Every Kitchen
Now that you have your ingredients assembled, it’s time to shape your sausage links Choose the method that best suits your preferences and kitchen equipment:
Method 1: The No-Equipment Wonder
- Wrap It Up: Lay two pieces of plastic wrap overlapping each other. Scoop a handful of sausage mixture onto the plastic wrap and shape it into a cylinder of your desired length and diameter.
- Tighten the Grip: Wrap the plastic wrap burrito-style around the sausage mixture, ensuring it’s nice and tight. Repeat this process with the remaining sausage mixture.
- Foil It Up: Wrap each plastic-wrapped sausage cylinder in aluminum foil and place them on a tray in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. This allows the sausages to firm up and maintain their shape.
- Unwrap and Cook: When ready to cook, simply unwrap the foil and plastic wrap, and you’ll have perfectly formed sausage links ready to be cooked to perfection.
Method 2: The Sausage Stuffer Shortcut
- Gear Up: Whether you have a hand-crank sausage stuffer or a KitchenAid attachment, consult the instructions provided with your equipment and purchase the recommended casings. Collagen casings are a popular choice for breakfast sausages.
- Prepare the Casings: Follow the instructions on your casings or the product reviews on Amazon to determine if you need to wet them beforehand.
- Load and Stuff: Fill the sausage stuffer’s meat compartment with your sausage mixture and attach the casing to the stuffing tube. Control the flow of meat and casings to achieve evenly sized sausages. Avoid overstuffing to prevent the casings from splitting.
- Twist and Form: As you feed the sausage mixture through the casing, twist it at regular intervals to create individual links.
Cooking Your Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links: Two Delicious Options
Once your sausage links are formed, it’s time to cook them to perfection. Choose your preferred method:
Method 1: The Skillet Sizzle
- Heat It Up: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a couple of teaspoons of cooking oil.
- Brown and Turn: Place the sausage links in the skillet in a single layer and cook until browned on the bottom. Turn them and continue cooking until they’re evenly browned and no longer pink inside, approximately 6-8 minutes.
Method 2: The Air Fryer Advantage
- Preheat and Cook: Preheat your air fryer to the desired temperature. Cook the sausage links for approximately 7 minutes, or until they’re browned all over and no longer pink inside.
Savor the Flavor: Enjoy Your Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links
Congratulations! You’ve successfully made your own delicious turkey breakfast sausage links. Now, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Serve them with your favorite breakfast sides, like scrambled eggs, pancakes, or hash browns, and savor the satisfaction of a meal made with your own hands.
Frequently Asked Questions: Unraveling the Mysteries of Homemade Turkey Sausage Links
Q: Can I use ground turkey breast for my sausage links?
A: Yes, you can use ground turkey breast, but it might result in slightly drier sausages. Consider combining it with regular ground turkey for a more balanced texture.
Q: Where can I find sausage seasoning?
A: You can find pre-made sausage seasoning blends online or at your local butcher supply store. Alternatively, you can create your own using your favorite spices.
Q: How long do homemade turkey sausage links last in the refrigerator?
A: Uncooked sausage links can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cooked sausage links can be stored for up to 3 days.
Q: Can I freeze homemade turkey sausage links?
A: Absolutely! Uncooked sausage links can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
Q: What are some creative ways to use homemade turkey sausage links?
A: The possibilities are endless! Use them in breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, pasta dishes, or even as a topping for pizza.
Additional Resources: Expand Your Sausage-Making Knowledge
- TheCookful’s Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausages Recipe: https://thecookful.com/homemade-turkey-breakfast-sausages/
- Emily Bites’ Turkey Breakfast Sausage Recipe: https://emilybites.com/2022/02/turkey-breakfast-sausage.html
- Tips for Making Sausage at Home: https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-sausage-at-home-435390
Embrace the Joy of Homemade: The Satisfaction of Creating Your Own Turkey Breakfast Sausage Links
Making your own turkey breakfast sausage links is a rewarding experience that allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavor to your liking. With a little effort and this comprehensive guide, you can create delicious, healthy sausages that will elevate your breakfast game and impress your family and friends. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your ingredients, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to embark on a culinary adventure!
How To Shape Sausage Meat
If you plan to use the turkey sausage meat to make sausage patties, check out our easy and quick method for creating patties that are all the same size.
If you want to make sausage links, you have two options. One option involves no special equipment at all. The other involves the use of a sausage stuffer.
To prepare turkey breakfast sausage links without the need for a sausage stuffer, refer to the comprehensive instructions found here. Essentially, though, you’ll be taking two pieces of plastic wrap and overlapping them to create a nice thick layer. Then you scoop a handful of the sausage meat mixture onto the plastic wrap. Form the meat into a cylinder the desired diameter and length for your sausage. Then wrap it in the plastic wrap, burrito style. Wrap it nice and tight. Then, wrap that in aluminum foil. Repeat this with all of your turkey mixture. Then put them into a single non-overlapping layer on a tray in the fridge. Let them sit there for 1-2 days. The tight wrap and the cold will form your sausages in a way that keeps their shape.
When you’re ready to cook your turkey sausages, unwrap them from the foil and from the plastic. You’ll have nice sausage-shaped cylinders of flavorful turkey that you can then cook following the instructions below.
Whether you have a Hand Crank Sausage Stuffer, or a KitchenAid Attachment, you should read the instructions that came with your equipment, and buy the casings that they recommend in terms of size and material. We use collagen casings, like these. Or instead, use these ones which are not collagen but are the thinner size that you’d want for breakfast sausages. It’s a good idea to read the instructions on the casings that you get as well. If they don’t have instructions, read the reviews on Amazon. You’ll find out if you need to wet the casings first, and also good info about how to cook the sausages so that they don’t split.
As mentioned, you should read the instructions on your sausage-stuffing machine. But basically, you’ll be putting your ground turkey mixture into the sausage stuffer meat compartment. Then you’ll put the casing on the tube that the meat comes out of. Lastly, you can use the hand crank to control the meat’s extraction, or the machine will do it for you. To get an even thickness of sausage into the stuffing, your job is to regulate the amount of casing you feed at a time. Do not overstuff the sausages. This may cause the casings to split during the stuffing process or even after you attempt to cook them.
Be aware that feeding the turkey into the casing takes some practice. To ensure that you have individual sausages rather than a single, long sausage, you must gauge how much goes through and then twist the casing (squeeze the turkey through the casing to create a nice indent, then twist the casing).
How To Make Homemade Turkey Sausage Meat
To begin, you’re simply going to mix together the ground turkey with seasonings and water. Although the water may seem strange, it makes the mixture sticky, which helps you shape it properly.
As mentioned, you can grind your own turkey or you can buy already-ground turkey at the store.
As to the seasoning, there are a couple of options. You can buy an already mixed sausages seasoning like this online, or at your local butcher supply store.
Another option is to make your own sausage seasoning. This is our recipe for breakfast sausage seasoning. You may already have some of the basic ingredients in your pantry, such as brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, garlic, and a tiny bit of cloves. It’s a really good combination with lots of wonderful savory overtones, a hint of sweetness, and some heat.
Whatever seasoning you choose to use, make sure to read the instructions about how much to use. You want to make sure you get the amount of meat right because every brand and recipe will vary. Our seasoning recipe specifies that it is for 5 pounds of ground meat. If you’re using 2. 5 pounds of ground turkey, you’d use half of the mixture that you make.
Here, we’ll walk you through a method for testing the seasoning for sausage meat if you’re unsure of how much to use and want to be extra cautious.