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.
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. 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.
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.
More savory breakfast ideas
Crustless quiche Savory waffles Savory pancakes Egg white omelette Or any of my savory breakfast recipes
