By simply adding breakfast sausage and sweet onion to pancake batter, you’ve got over-the-top savory sausage pancakes. Next time you’re craving pancakes and sausage, try combining the two into one simple dish. Putting cooked breakfast sausage in pancakes is our favorite way to enjoy this classic breakfast.
What Are Sausage Pancakes?
Sausage pancakes are a breakfast dish where sausage is cooked inside pancakes, combining sweet and savory flavors in one bite. Crumbled cooked breakfast sausage is folded into pancake batter and then cooked like regular pancakes. They’re popular in diners and easy to make at home. Served with butter and maple syrup are common toppings.
Routine mornings at Culinary School began where a team of students were assigned to cook breakfast for the whole class. Someone tossed cooked breakfast sausage into pancake batter on a whim. We all side-eyed it, we tasted it. Game over? Delicious.
Why You’ll Love Sausage Pancakes
Whenever I make pancakes at home, I’m always reminded how easy they are and how beloved they are and I wonder why I don’t make them more often:
- This is a super easy recipe for homemade pancakes, made special by adding crumbled cooked breakfast sausage to the batter.
- We used to get giddy when someone would sprinkle some chocolate chips into pancake batter. But inheriting the savory gene rather than the sugary one, I’m giddy over adding cooked breakfast sausage and onions to pancake batter.
- Pancakes and sausage make a great flavor combination because they hit that perfect balance of sweet and savory. Salty cooked breakfast sausage combined with slightly sweet, buttery pancake batter, the texture the flavor is intoxicating.
- This is a homemade pancake recipe without buttermilk. No special trips to the store. I use whole milk in this recipe.
- They're filling without being heavy. They reheat like champs. Kids love them. Adults love them, then quietly go back for more. I've served these at lazy weekends, holiday mornings, and these are an easy fix for a brunch event.
Served and topped with a pat of butter and maple syrup … who can resist fluffy homemade savory pancakes? Not me.
Noteworthy Ingredients
Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, mostly pantry items.
Best Sausage To Use
Breakfast Sausage: The star of the show. Any breakfast sausage will work, but choosing a Maple flavored brand will bring even more flavor. Jimmy Dean is my choice, and offers maple flavored breakfast sausage readily found at the grocery store. And check out Bovine and Swine’s Artisan Maple Sausage Breakfast links.
- Sweet Onion: Keeping onion small chopped will blend better with the smooth batter.
- Milk: I’m sure buttermilk pancakes are wonderful, but I’ve always made my batter with whole milk, which I always have on hand.
Step by Step Instructions
This part is easy, no tricks, no stress.
- Step 1: Brown the Breakfast Sausage First: Add crumbled breakfast sausage to a non-stick fry pan. Cook until pink is just starting to disappear from the meat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Step 2: Make the pancake batter: Add the dry ingredients into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add it to the milk in another bowl.
- Step 3: Add milk and egg to the dry ingredients and stir well.
- Step 4: Fold Sausage Into Pancake Batter: Stir in the onion and cooked sausage until well mixed.
- Step 5: Cook the Sausage Pancakes: Use the non-stick pan you used to fry the onion and sausage. Add a spray of the oil and once hot, add ¼ cup of the pancake batter. Cook each pancake on one side until bubbles start to show on the uncooked side.
- Step 6: Turn the pancake and cook until other side is golden brown.
Tip: When I make sausage pancakes for the two of us, I use a skillet and make 1 – 2 pancakes at a time. Which means I need to keep them warm. As each pancake cooks, place them on a warmed plate and cover with a clean kitchen towel. When feeding more people, you can cook them on a griddle and make many pancakes at once.
Tips for Success
- Do a small test pancake before continuing. I still do this with every batch, a habit from Culinary School. It’s worth it.
- Crumble the breakfast sausage as small as you can get it while cooking. Smaller than you think. Smaller chunks will distribute flavor better and bring a smoother texture.
- Be gentle when cooking the sausage. I don’t like the term “browning” meat. Browned ground meat carries a crispy texture. Cook the sausage just until the pink has been cooked from the meat. The texture will be more tender and will compliment the creamy texture of the pancakes.
- Keep the heat moderate. Too hot and the outside of the pancake will burn, with the middle not cooked through.
- Use a non-stick spray to cook the pancakes. Avocado oil spray or PAM works well here.
What To Serve Them With
- Serve Sausage Pancakes alongside fried eggs, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit and a glass of orange juice. Coffee … always coffee. Breakfast is served.
Variations
- Cheesy Sausage Pancakes: Throw a handful of grated cheese into the pancake batter along with the sausage. Grated cheddar is a great choice here and delicious with eggs.
- Mini Sausage Pancakes For Kids: Make them silver-dollar size. They’re easy to flip, easy to eat = less drama at the table.
Questions You Might Have
Absolutely yes. This recipe makes about 16 pancakes and with just the two of us, I wrap them well in packages of four pancakes, in plastic wrap. They freeze beautifully. Just place them in the refrigerator the night before, then reheat the thawed pancakes using either a microwave or air-fryer.
Yes, and doing so will make this an even easier breakfast recipe. Using pre-cooked links or sausage patties will work well here, just make sure you cut or crumble them in small enough pieces to be manageable in the pancake batter. If I were going to eliminate the step of cooking fresh sausage, then I’d simply omit the step of adding fresh onions.
No. Please don't. Raw sausage won't cook evenly inside the pancake. You'll end up with burned outsides and undercooked centers. Not great.
More Popular Breakfast Recipes
And don’t miss my category for Breakfast Recipes, you’ll find some eye-opening recipes to get your day started. Including the most popular on my site for Pan Fried Biscuits. Made from canned biscuits, these are a true treat.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
And, don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter for more delicious recipes and cooking tips. Make it a delicious day … every day.
Maple Sausage Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 10 ounces Breakfast Sausage Preferably Maple flavored.
- ¼ Cup Sweet Onion fine chopped
- 2 Cups All purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ Cups Milk Drizzle in more milk if batter needs thinned. I think I probably used about ⅛ more cup of milk.
- 1 large Egg lightly beaten
- Butter and pure maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Add crumbled breakfast sausage to a non-stick fry pan. Cook over medium heat until pink is just starting to disappear from the meat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients into a bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add it to the milk in another bowl. Add milk and egg to the dry ingredients and stir well.
- Stir in the cooked onion and sausage to the batter and stir until well mixed.
- I use a spray can of Avocado oil to fry the pancakes. Use the non-stick pan you used to fry the onion and sausage. Add a spray of the oil and once hot, add ¼ cup of the pancake batter. Cook each pancake on one side until bubbles start to show on the uncooked side. Turn and cook until other side is golden brown.
- Stack cooked pancakes on a plate as you make them, cover with a clean towel to keep them warm until ready to serve.
- Serve topped with butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.
Notes
-
- Be gentle when cooking the sausage. I don’t like the term “browning” meat. Browned ground meat carries a crispy texture. Cook the sausage just until the pink has been cooked from the meat. The texture will be more tender and will compliment the creamy texture of the pancakes.
-
- Use a non-stick spray to cook the pancakes. Avocado oil spray or PAM works well here.
- Any breakfast sausage will work, but choosing a Maple flavored brand will bring even more flavor. Jimmy Dean offers maple flavored breakfast sausage and check out Bovine and Swine’s Artisan Maple Sausage Breakfast links.
Nutrition
Savory Sausage Pancakes … it’s What’s for Breakfast
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I love your recipes, I used this concept but not the pancake recipe. I’m anxious to use your pancake recipe. I had leftover Trader Joe’s Pancake batter from two days ago in the refrigerator. I sliced up Jimmy Dean Sage Precooked sausage, browned the sausage well and then poured batter over.
Such a simple concept and just amazing.
OMG these pancakes were fabulous. Very easy to prepare and so tasty! An absolute keeper. Thanks Lee Ann
Hi Sally. Thanks so much, and so glad you liked the recipe. And most of all, thanks for taking the time to star rate the recipe and write a review. Make it a delicious day. Lea Ann
Whaaaat! This is genius. What a great idea Thanks for the inspiration.
V.