Just grab a package of ground turkey next time you’re at the store and give this homemade turkey breakfast sausage recipe a try, it’s easy. From one breakfast lover to another, you’re going to love having a stash of these homemade sausage patties in the freezer. A perfect solution when you want a good old fashioned egg and sausage weekend breakfast.
This recipe was first published in June of 2014. I have updated the recipe to include step by step instructions and photos May, 2021.
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About This Recipe and Why It Works
Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage is a breeze to make using ground turkey from the grocery store spices from your pantry.
My favorite part of this recipe is that it makes a dozen or so patties. And with just the two of us, I package little freezer bags with two patties each (uncooked).
They’re easy to pull out and fry up for a quick weekend breakfast.
Tip: Double this recipe for an even larger stash of frozen breakfast sausage patties. Your future self will thank you.
Using a 93% lean mix makes a flavorful, juicy sausage patty with less calories and fat than ground pork.
Let’s talk about more of the benefits.
Making homemade turkey sausage patties allows you to control the fat content and the seasonings.
Most importantly, you can control the salt and the sugar content without compromising flavor. Yes, some our our favorite packaged sausages add corn syrup for flavor.
For this recipe, ground turkey is blended with dried herbs and spices, an egg and panko bread crumbs to easily be formed into patties.
Those patties only take a few minutes to fry up and you’re on your way to breakfast bliss.
Plus, these sausage patties stay nice and moist and still retain a solid texture after cooking.
It’s fresh, it’s quick, healthy, full of flavor and tastes much better than store purchased.
Let’s take a look:
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Turkey: Purchase a mix labeled 93% lean. This mix contains both white and dark meat which means more flavor. If you purchase ground turkey breast you’ll be getting a 99% lean product, which isn’t enough fat to create a good sausage patty. The texture will be too dry.
- Panko Bread Crumbs and an Egg: Will create the binder for the sausage patty and hold everything together for a perfect little ground turkey sausage paddy.
- Onion and Garlic
- Spices: Basil, thyme, ginger, chopped fresh parsley and some red pepper flakes for that little kick of heat that we all love. And of course, salt and pepper.
Ingredient Swaps and and Substitutions
The beauty of homemade sausage is the ability to season the meat to your liking. Tinker around with the spice blend by reducing the basil and adding:
- Sage, if you’re a Jimmy Dean Sausage fan, you’ll want to add some sage.
- Marjoram
- Fennel seed to give the flavor of an Italian Turkey Sausage.
- Meat: You can make this recipe using ground pork. Ground pork is usually sold as 80% lean, which means more fat than ground turkey.
- Panko: Don’t have Panko in the pantry? You can substitute Progresso Bread Crumbs. Either plain or Italian will work.
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1: Place all ingredients (minus the oil) into a large bowl. You’ll use the oil to fry the homemade turkey sausage patties later.
- Step 2: Using your hands, gently mix the ingredients together until well blended. TIP: We made lots of sausage in Culinary School. As soon as you’ve mixed the ingredients together, take a small pinch of the meat mixture and fry it up in a saucepan and test the seasonings. Adjust and make it perfect for your taste before proceeding.
- Step 3: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or preferably overnight. This will help marry the flavors.
- Step 4: Form the meat mixture into sausage patties and you’re ready to cook. Just fry them in a large skillet over medium heat, until browned and no longer pink inside.
FAQ’s
Absolutely yes. That’s the beauty of this recipe. Freeze the patties in portions and pull out of the freezer for a quick weekend breakfast. I like to use a small freezer bag. Slide the sausages in a single layer into the bag. Close and lay flat in the freezer. You can also freeze cooked sausage patties for a quick re-heat in the microwave. To reheat frozen cooked sausage patties, use your 50% power feature and microwave in 15 second increments until heated through.
Yes. Its wise to use an instant read meat thermometer to make sure the sausage is cooked through in the middle. 160 degrees.
Yes! And actually the instructions to this recipe advise to let the patties sit in the refrigerator overnight to “marry” the flavors. That way you’re ready to cook first thing the next morning. Easy!
Depending on the “use by” or “sell by” date on the package of ground turkey, this turkey sausage will last a couple of days in the refrigerator. I usually freeze uncooked sausage patties as soon as I can.
Tips For Success
- On Dicing Onion: Dice the onion as small as you can. With any mixture such as sausage, or meatballs, the smaller the pieces of onion, the better the mixture will stay formed. Large pieces of onion can cause the patties to fall apart.
- Use Your Hands: Use your hands to mix the ingredients together. The light touch of your hands is a perfect tool for this job. Using a spoon will crush ingredients together rather than combine, and you risk mashing the ingredients into a paste. And that will affect the texture.
- Adjust Seasonings: As soon as you’re done mixing the ingredients together, take a pinch of the ground turkey sausage and form it into a very small sausage paddy. Fry it up in a small fry pan (I use my omelette pan) and taste. Adjust seasonings to your liking before forming the larger patties.
Serving Ideas
Our favorite way to use this Turkey Breakfast Sausage recipe is to make homemade McDonald’s Sausage Egg McMuffin. And it’s so easy, as long as you have a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Let’s take a look:
- Spray a 2-cup pyrex measuring cup with non-stick spray, such as PAM
- Break an egg into the measuring cup and mix well using a fork.
- Microwave for 1 minute.
- Place the cooked egg on a toasted English Muffin, along with a cooked turkey sausage, and a slice of American Cheese.
- The heat from the English Muffin, the egg and the sausage may be enough to melt the cheese. But, you can place the assembled sandwich in microwave for 15 seconds to melt the cheese more.
If you don’t have a pyrex measuring cup, find a small microwave safe bowl that’s about 3 inches in diameter (the size of the muffin).
I’ve also used left over cooked turkey sausage to make turkey sausage breakfast burritos. Just scramble two eggs, and when the eggs are about half way cooked, crumble in a paddy of cooked turkey sausage and stir to heat the sausage.
Grate the cheese of your choice over the slightly undercooked eggs and then transfer the mix to a soft flour tortilla. Roll up and microwave for about a minute to soften the tortilla and steam the contents.
I hope you give this easy homemade turkey sausage recipe a try, and if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating, and leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And you have a favorite homemade sausage recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
And if you love a good breakfast like us, don’t miss my Breakfast Category, you’ll find lots of eye opening recipes, including the most popular breakfast recipe on my site for Make Ahead Overnight Breakfast Burrito Casserole.
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Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey Mixture of ground white meat and dark meat.
- 1/2 Cup sweet onion minced
- 1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- 1/4 Cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes crushed
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoon panko bread crumbs
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
- Shape the turkey mixture into 12 patties, about 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the patties, over medium heat, on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the skillet and cook turning occasionally until they are crisp and cooked through and no longer pink on the inside. About 6 minutes.
Notes
Homemade Turkey Sausage …It’s what’s for Breakfast.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I’m sending your recipe off to a friend. He loves sausage but can’t have salt. If his wife eliminates the salt in your recipe, this will be one he would really enjoy.
I think your additions will make some good sausage from the turkey. Eggs, fried potatoes, sausage = great breakfast.
Morning food is probably my favorite food. I also alternative poultry all the time. Morning food snacks are the best.
Thanks for stopping by!
What a nice idea – I have a pot of sage in the window. Love the scrambled egg story – whaa nice food memory.
Thanks Vickie. And why the heck don’t I have a pot of sage in my window? 😉
Breakfast is probably my favorite meal. I also substitute turkey all the time. Breakfast sandwiches are the best.
I love a good breakfast sami! This looks delicious!
I love a good breakfast sandwich too. And always on Bayes English Muffins. 🙂
I’m so grateful to you for providing this delicious looking recipe for turkey sausage. I love a good turkey sausage; and so far, all I’ve found that I like is Jimmy Dean (not that I’ve tried all brands). As soon as I go through the over 2 lb. box of Jimmy Dean links (I prefer patties) that I got from Costco, I’m gonna try this recipe!
A long time ago, I read that scrambled eggs should be made with a little water and not milk, so I’ve been making them that way for some time. Either way, I agree it’s best not to cook them too fast.
I’ve never tried Jimmy Dean. I like their products. ::::: note to self.
Great recipe! I like poultry sausages too and usually make a chicken one. The turkey one looks excellent too, I will have to make some for the kids. I think I’m the only one in my house who isn’t fond of scrambled eggs, unless they are doused in cream and butter or cooked with cream cheese…then best!
note to self: Next time I make scrambled eggs use cream, butter and cream cheese. 🙂
I would love to have some of those in my freezer!
🙂 Me too, cuz now they’re all gone.
Wonderful turkey pattie. A good breakfast always starts the day right., though this would make a great lunch or dinner too!
Blessings dear. Catherine xo
You bet it would make a good lunch or dinner. And now I’m officially hungry. 🙂
now this is right on my list… I do so want to make this, and will… I have only briefly tried to make homemade sausage and love to tinker with different spices. I do love the sound of this one and I know it will be gone in no time flat..gobble gobble
Drick, I’ve only tried sausage once before and didn’t like the outcome. I hope you like this recipe. Let me know.
Great looking sandwich for sure!! And I make my eggs like your mom did too… and they always turn out perfect!!
Thanks Jenn!
Jeez, Lea Ann. this would be breakfast lunch or dinner for me. I always buy a poultry sausage so this would be a nice change. Making it myself, that is! Good flavors in this which means good eating to me!
I like the poultry sausages at Whole Foods. That’s why I wanted to try to make one myself. As always, thanks for stopping by and the comment.
This is the most serendipitous, uncanny timing of a post Lea Ann! I have changed over from regular pork sausage patties to turkey sausage patties in the morning. Since I wasn’t really crazy about the store-bought turkey sausage, I turned to veggie sausage (and like them actually). But now you’ve saved the day and shared this recipe with us and I will need to take a stab at making these. I love protein in the morning and a sausage sammie is a real treat to boot! I just want them healthier like this one! Thank you!!! Happy 2014 too!
xo
Roz
I really hope you like this recipe Roz. Let me know.
This would even make a wonderful dinner! Love the low and slow method too, just like making an omelette.
Thanks Susan. And funny about that omelet, Julia thinks we need to cook it in under a minute. Both ways work for me.
I love a good egg sandwich and this definitely looks like a winner! Thanks for sharing Lea Ann 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
You’re very welcome!
I’m obsessed with breakfast sandwiches so I have to try this version! Looks perfect!
Let me know what you think Pamela.
Love these sausages with the turkey – so much better for you than sausage. We scramble eggs slowly too, then they aren’t all dry and tough. Beautiful photo Lea Ann.
Sam
Thanks so much Sam. I agree about the “healthier” thing. I’m glad these turned out so flavorful.