Homemade breakfast sausage patties are delicious and easy to make. The best thing is that you know exactly what has gone into them. These are sausages that you can feel great about!.
If you’re new to making sausages at home, sausage patties are a great place to start. They don’t need any special equipment and they taste great. They’re really easy to make too!.
You will need two things: a sheet pan, a round cookie cutter (or a glass), and the cookies.
To find out more about how it all works, scroll down or click here. Now you can go straight to the recipe.
Sausage patties are a breakfast staple in many households. Their savory, slightly sweet flavor pairs perfectly with eggs, biscuits, gravy, and more But have you ever wondered exactly what gives sausage patties their distinctive taste and texture?
In this article, I’ll break down the typical ingredients in sausage patties, discuss the different types, provide cooking tips, and share an easy homemade recipe to make your own from scratch. Let’s get started!
Sausage Patty Ingredients
The main components of sausage patties are:
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Ground meat – Pork, turkey, chicken, beef or a mix. Pork is most common.
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Fat – Usually pork fatback. Provides moisture and flavor
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Seasonings – Salt, pepper, sage, thyme, savory, garlic, and more.
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Binders – Help hold the sausage together Often wheat flour or breadcrumbs,
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Preservatives – Such as sodium nitrite. Prevent bacterial growth.
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Sweeteners – Sugar or maple syrup.
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Liquid – Water, milk, or egg helps bind ingredients.
The specific amounts of each ingredient depends on the recipe. But in general, sausage patties contain 60-90% meat, 10-40% fat, and around 1-5% seasonings.
Let’s look closer at the main components:
Ground Meat
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The type of meat affects flavor and texture. Pork is most common.
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Can use ground beef, turkey, chicken, or combinations.
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Meat is ground to evenly incorporate fat and connective tissue.
Fat
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Usually pork fatback, sometimes beef fat.
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Provides moisture, texture, and porky flavor.
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Typically 10-40% of the mixture. Too little = dry patties.
Seasonings
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Salt and pepper provide baseline seasoning.
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Sage, thyme, savory enhance flavor.
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Garlic, onion, chili flakes add aromatic qualities.
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Accent ingredients like maple syrup or beer.
Binders
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Help hold sausage together so it doesn’t crumble.
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Binder options: wheat flour, breadcrumbs, oats, eggs.
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Usually 1-4% of total mixture.
Preservatives
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Sausage patties often contain sodium nitrite curing salt.
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Helps prevent bacterial growth and botulism poisoning.
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Gives patties pink color even when cooked through.
Different Types of Sausage Patties
There are a few main varieties of sausage patties:
Pork sausage – Most common type. Made from ground pork and pork fat. Sage is signature seasoning.
Turkey sausage – Uses ground turkey meat. Leaner and lighter flavor.
Chicken sausage – Made from ground chicken. Very mild flavor.
Beef sausage – Uses ground beef. Heartier texture and flavor.
Maple sausage – Flavored with maple syrup or maple extract. Bit sweeter.
Spicy sausage – Contains spices like dried chili flakes or cayenne.
Pre-cooked vs. uncooked – Pre-cooked patties just need reheating.
Tips for Cooking Sausage Patties
Follow these tips when cooking sausage patties:
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Use medium heat. Too high can toughen texture.
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Don’t press patties. Pressing squeezes out juices.
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Allow patties to cook undisturbed to brown.
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Cook 3-4 minutes per side until browned.
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Cook links whole. Don’t slice before cooking.
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Preheat oven or toaster oven to reheat pre-cooked patties.
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Frozen patties can go straight from freezer to pan.
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Add a touch of oil to the pan to prevent sticking.
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Want to make your own sausage patties from scratch? Here is an easy recipe to try:
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 tbsp pork fat
- 1 tsp dried sage
- 1⁄2 tsp salt
- 1⁄4 tsp pepper
- 1⁄4 tsp dried thyme
- 1⁄4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions:
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In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well until fully incorporated.
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Form mixture into patties about 1⁄4 inch thick and 2-3 inches wide.
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In a skillet over medium heat, cook patties 4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.
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Serve warm. Patties can be refrigerated 3-4 days or frozen up to 2 months.
Make a double batch and freeze half for quick breakfasts later on! Customize flavors to your taste by adjusting spices or using different ground meats.
Sausage Patties Can Be Versatile
While most associated with breakfast, don’t limit sausage patties to just the morning! They’re also fantastic in:
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Breakfast sandwiches
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Biscuits and gravy
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Omelets and frittatas
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Grits or hash browns
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Pasta dishes
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Soups and chilis
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Pizzas
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Appetizers
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How To Shape Sausage Patties
I have a really easy technique for shaping breakfast sausage patties. They are easy and clean to make this way instead of using your hands like you would with burger patties.
What you do is to spread your seasoned ground meat out in a large sheet pan. Spread it so that it is the thickness that you want your patties to be.
Then you put that tray into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. You want it to firm up, but you don’t want it to freeze fully. If it freezes fully, the next step will be too difficult for sure.
After the meat is very very cold, maybe even a bit frozen in places but not fully frozen, get a round cookie cutter the size that you’d like your patties to be. You can alternatively use a glass with a diameter of the patties.
Use the cookie cutter or glass to cut your patties like this:
You’ll have the bits of meat that were around each patty. You can either spread that meat out on the tray and chill it and then cut it, or form those using your hands, or leave that meat to use as crumbled sausage meat (like for sausage gravy… mmm).
How To Freeze Sausage Patties
Once you’ve formed your sausage patties, you can cook them right away (see below), put them in the fridge for a few days, or freeze them.
Put some wax paper, plastic wrap, or parchment paper between them so they don’t stick to each other when you put them in the fridge. Don’t put more than two or three in a pile, though, or the ones on top will push down on the ones below and make them flat. Alternatively, you can keep them in a single non-overlapping layer.
If you’re freezing the sausage patties, put a piece of wax paper or parchment on a sheet pan. Then arrange the patties in a single non-overlapping layer. Freeze them fully. After that, cut the paper in half and put it between the frozen patties. Then, put the patties in a freezer bag. Since they are already frozen, they won’t stick together this way, and the paper will make it even worse.
What are Vegan Sausage Patties Made of?! Morning Star Farms Sausage Patties! **Up-dated 2021**
How do you make sausage patties?
To shape the patties, scoop out 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) of pork mixture and flatten to create 2 1/2- to 3-inch wide patties, forming about 16 patties.* Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sausage patties and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side.
What are breakfast sausage patties?
If you are a fan of breakfast, you are going to love these breakfast sausage patties. They are flavorful, herbaceous, and have just a hint of sweetness. These patties are great on the side with eggs or in a hearty breakfast sandwich. When it comes to breakfast sausage, most people are either in the sausage link or sausage patty camp.
Can you freeze sausage patties?
Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add sausage patties and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. *TO FREEZE: Uncooked sausage patties can be frozen between sheets of parchment paper for up to 1 month. Cook over medium low heat, turning often, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. DO NOT THAW.
Are homemade sausage patties better than store-bought?
Homemade breakfast sausage patties made with ground pork, brown sugar, and sage deliver sweet and savory flavor in every bite. These are better than store-bought since you can flavor them as you like!