Create flavorful homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage with lean ground turkey and a special blend of dried spices. A delicious way to add a boost of protein to your breakfast plate.
Two patties of this wholesome breakfast sausage contain a whopping 21 grams of protein and come in at just 175 calories.
We frequently have breakfast out at a local restaurant recently that we aboslutely love. Their basic, or as they call it, their “boring breakfast” consists of eggs any way and your choice of a variety of sides including sautéed veggies (yay!), breakfast potatoes, sausage, or bacon. Since we’ve been low carb’n it (for the most part) we always opt for the veggies and a protein.
It’s their house-made sausage that prompted me to develop this recipe. Although we love everything else they make, my husband doesn’t care for it. He thinks it is too sweet and not at all the flavor profile he wants in his breakfast sausage.
So, off to work I went to create a lean turkey sausage that mimics the flavors you would find in a traditional pork sausage. And, my friends, this recipe is it!
The secret is in the spice blend. It infuses the ground turkey with a smoky, savory, and slightly peppery flavor that is quite the departure from the sweet breakfast sausage my husband turns his nose up at.
You can use this recipe to create sausage patties or crumbled sausage for use in other recipes.
Ingredients
- Ground turkey: I use 93% lean ground turkey for this recipe. Patties made with 99% lean ground turkey may not hold together as well when you cook them because a little fat is needed to help bind the mixture.
Poultry seasoning: This is a much overlooked spice blend that many people only use for their stuffing on Thanksgiving. It’s such a shame because it adds such warm, cozy flavor to recipes and it’s perfect for breakfast sausage. - Rubbed sage: One of the main flavor components of poultry seasoning. I double down on it by adding a little additonal to this spice blend.
- Fennel seed: This fragrant spice adds a flavor that will make any type of protein mimic Italian sausage. It’s a trick I use with my Easy Homemade Spaghetti Sauce and many other recipes. Lightly crush it between your fingers or with the bottom of a glass to help it open up and release its amazing fragrant essence.
- Smoked paprika: This versatile spice is a fabulous way to add smoky flavor and warm up the color of other ingredients.
- Red pepper flakes: Optional but add some if you’d like a little kick! Add as much or as little (or none at all) depending on your taste.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper: One of the best things about making your own sausage at home is controlling the sodium level. So much flavor comes from the other spices that there’s no reason whatsover to go heavy on the salt with this recipe.
How to Make Turkey Breakfast Sausage
With this recipe you can create sausage patties or crumbled sausage to use in other recipes. I’m detailing both methods below.
Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties
- Combine the spices in a small bowl and pour them over the ground turkey in a medium bowl. Mix well until the spices are well incorporated.
- Form the meat mixture into 8 equal sized balls.
- Flatten them to ¼-inch thick patties, shaping them into nice round circles.
- Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat it with nonstick spray. Add the patties, leaving space between them, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until browned. Flip, press slightly with a spatula, and cook 3 to 4 minutes more, until they’ve reached an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Turkey Breakfast Sausage Crumbles
- Make the breakfast sausage mixture as directed.
- Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place it over medium, heat. Add the turkey mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to press it down across the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, undisturbed, then stir and break it into chunks, cooking for about 4 minutes until fully cooked.
Use crumbled turkey sausage in breakfast burritos, as a pizza topping, or mix it into scrambled eggs for a boost of protein.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
Get the prep out of the way a day in advance. Refrigerating the uncooked sausage mixture for a few hours or overnight will enhance the flavor as the seasonings have more time to meld.
- Make-ahead instructions: After you form the sausage patties, place them on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper, cover well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Be sure to cook the sausage within 24 hours. Making crumbled sausage? Just cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.
- Storage: Once cooked, store the sausage patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 days.
Making a batch or two of this Turkey Breakfast Sausage on the weekend is great for meal prep. You can freeze it either before or after it is cooked so you’ll have fresh breakfast sausage ready to grab from the freezer when you need it.
- Freezing uncooked sausage: Flash freeze uncooked sausage patties on a lined baking sheet by placing it in the freezer for a couple of hours, or until they’re frozen solid. Then, transfer the frozen patties to a freezer-safe container and freeze them for up to 2 to 3 months. Allow the sausage to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking as directed in the recipe.
- Freezing cooked sausage: Freeze cooked sausage patties or sausage crumbles in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 to 3 months. To cook from frozen, heat in 30-second increments in the microwave until warmed through or in a skillet over medium-low heat.
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Turkey Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 ¼ teaspoons poultry seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed, lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional
Instructions
- Combine the spices in a small bowl. Place the ground turkey in a medium bowl and pour the spices over the top. Mix well until the spices are well incorporated.
For Sausage Patties
- Form the meat mixture into 8 equal sized balls and flatten them to ¼-inch thick patties, shaping them into nice round circles. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook. Can be refrigerated overnight or cooked immediately.
- Place a 12-inch nonstick skillet over MEDIUM heat and coat it generously with nonstick cooking spray. Add the patties, leaving a little space in between each one, and allow them to cook until well browned on the bottom, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and lightly press them down with a spatula (they’ll have bulked up a bit and should end up being no more than ½-inch thick). Continue to cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned on the bottoms and cooked through to an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
For Crumbled Sausage
- Coat a 12-inch nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place it over MEDIUM heat. Add the turkey mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to press it down across the bottom of the pan. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, undisturbed, then begin to press into it and stir it to break it up into chunks. Continue to cook, breaking it up into large crumbles, about 4 minutes or until cooked through
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
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