Homemade Italian Sausage (Easy)
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This Homemade Italian Sausage is made with ground pork, Italian sausage seasoning, garlic, fennel, and a few pantry ingredients for flavorful sausage you can cook as crumbles or shape into patties. The homemade seasoning gives the meat the classic fennel-forward flavor of Italian sausage, while resting the mixture allows the flavors to meld. Ready to cook in about 10 minutes once the sausage has rested, this easy recipe is perfect for pasta, pizza, soups, sandwiches, and more.
Try my Baked Italian Sausage and Homemade Italian Seasoning next!
Quick Look: Homemade Italian Sausage (Easy)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Dietary Info: High-protein and gluten-free
- Method: Mix, refrigerate, and cook on the stovetop
- Technique: Combine ground meat with Italian sausage seasoning and the remaining ingredients, refrigerate to let the flavors meld, then cook the sausage as crumbles or shape it into patties before cooking.
- Flavor/Texture: Savory, juicy, garlicky, herbaceous, lightly spicy
Why I Love Making Italian Sausage at Home
Making homemade Italian sausage is the best because I can control the seasoning and make exactly the kind of sausage I need for a recipe. My Italian sausage seasoning gives the ground meat plenty of fennel, garlic, herbs, and savory flavor, and you can easily adjust the heat depending on whether you want a mild or spicy sausage. I especially love having homemade sausage ready for pasta sauces, pizza, soups, and Italian-style skillet meals.
Try my Italian Sausage and Peppers and Orcheiette with Sausage and Broccoli.
Made With Amore,
Table of Contents
Simple Ingredients
A few flavorful ingredients turn ground meat into homemade Italian sausage with the classic savory and fennel-forward flavor you expect.
- Ground Pork: Pork is the traditional choice for Italian sausage and provides enough fat for juicy, flavorful sausage. Ground turkey, chicken, lamb, or beef can also be used.
- Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning: My homemade seasoning blend brings together fennel and Italian herbs and spices for the signature flavor of Italian sausage.
- Dry Red Wine: Adds depth and moisture to the sausage mixture. Beef broth can be used instead if you prefer to cook without wine.
- Salt and Black Pepper: Enhance the flavor of the meat and seasoning.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne: Add heat when making a spicy Italian sausage.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Ground Pork: Pork gives the most traditional flavor, but ground turkey, chicken, lamb, or beef can also be used. Be sure to try my Italian Turkey Meatballs and Italian Sausage Meatballs.
- Wine: Substitute beef broth for the dry red wine if preferred.
- Spicy Sausage: Increase the red pepper flakes or cayenne for a hotter sausage.
- Sweet Italian Sausage vs. Hot Italian Sausage: For sweet Italian sausage, leave out the red pepper flakes and cayenne for a mild sausage with classic fennel and herb flavor. For hot Italian sausage, add red pepper flakes or cayenne for more heat. For a mildly spicy sausage, start with a small amount of red pepper and adjust to taste.
How To Make Homemade Italian Sausage
This easy homemade Italian sausage comes together by seasoning ground meat, resting it so the flavors can meld, and cooking it as crumbles or patties. Follow the step-by-step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
- Place the uncooked sausage in a bowl with the homemade Italian sausage seasoning blend.
- Combine the ground sausage and sausage seasoning blend with other ingredients until well combined.
- Cover the ground Italian sausage mixture with plastic wrap and let the flavors meld together (at least 5 hours).
- Cook in a cast iron pan and crush into 1-inch chunks or desired texture. Add a little water or oil to the pan if desired.
- Cook until the sausage is nice and brown.
- Alternatively, shape the sausage into patties and place them on a tray.
- Cook the homemade sausage patties in a cast iron pan. Flip once to get both sides a nice golden brown.
- Serve the patties for breakfast, make into breakfast sandwiches, or freeze!
Italian Sausage FAQs
Fennel is one of the signature flavors in Italian sausage, along with garlic, black pepper, herbs, and other seasonings. My homemade Italian sausage seasoning combines these flavors into an easy blend for seasoning ground meat.
Pork shoulder (Boston butt) is ideal for its perfect balance of meat and fat, keeping the sausage juicy and flavorful.
Yes. This recipe is designed to be easy to make without sausage casings or a sausage stuffer. Cook the seasoned meat as bulk sausage crumbles or shape it into patties before cooking.
Store uncooked homemade Italian sausage in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use it within 3 days.
For longer storage, shape the sausage into patties or portion it into crumbles and freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Label the package with the date and thaw the sausage overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
Cooked sausage can also be refrigerated and used in pasta, soups, pizza, or other recipes.
Serving Suggestions
I love using homemade Italian sausage in so many different dishes. Add it to Sugo al Pomodoro, Lasagna Bolognese, or Stuffed Pasta Shells, or use it in this Creamy Sausage Pasta for a richer pasta dish. Brown and sprinkle it over Homemade Pizza, combine it with rice and vegetables for Italian Stuffed Peppers, or add it to Sausage and White Bean Soup or Sausage Lentil Soup. You can also shape the sausage into patties and serve it alongside eggs or use it in Breakfast Sandwiches.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Use ground pork with some fat for the juiciest and most flavorful sausage.
- Rest the seasoned meat in the refrigerator so the fennel, garlic, herbs, and spices have time to flavor the meat.
- Don’t overmix the meat because excessive mixing can make the cooked sausage dense.
- Cook a small test piece before cooking the entire batch so you can adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Cook the sausage thoroughly and use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
More Italian Meat Recipes
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Homemade Italian Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground pork, preferably with 20% fat for juiciness or substitute with ground turkey, chicken, lamb, or beef
- 2 ½ teaspoons Homemade Italian Sausage Seasoning
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1-2 tablespoons dry red wine, or substitute with beef broth for a non-alcoholic version
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayene pepper , optional for extra Spicy or Hot Italian sausage
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat – In a large mixing bowl, add the ground meat of your choice. Pour in red wine or beef broth to help keep the sausage juicy and enhance flavor.
- Season the Sausage – Sprinkle the Italian Sausage Seasoning evenly over the meat. Add salt and black pepper to taste, adjusting as needed.
- Mix Thoroughly – Use your hands or a spoon to gently mix everything together. Be careful not to overwork the meat, as this can make the sausage dense.
- Cover & refrigerate at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.
Use Immediately or Store –
- For sausage crumbles: Cook immediately in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it apart as it browns.
- For sausage patties: Shape into small patties and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- For sausage links: If using casings, stuff the mixture into natural casings using a sausage stuffer, then twist into links.
Notes
- Use ground pork with some fat for the juiciest and most flavorful sausage.
- Rest the seasoned meat in the refrigerator so the fennel, garlic, herbs, and spices have time to flavor the meat.
- Don’t overmix the meat because excessive mixing can make the cooked sausage dense.
- Cook a small test piece before cooking the entire batch so you can adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Cook the sausage thoroughly and use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Under you Italian Sausage seasoning recipe it says to use 1 to 1.5 TBSP of the seasoning per pound. In you actual recipe for Homemade Italian sausage with 2 lbs of meat it says 2.5 tsp. Iโm assuming there was a typo somewhere. Iโm thinking we should go with the TBSP, not the tsp. Will you clarify please ? Also, your meals are delicious!!! Thank you so much!
Yes, it is TABLESPOONS! I will fix. Thanks!