It's easy to make sausage patties at home! This recipe takes just 20 minutes, and the result is juicy and flavorful.
These delicious patties contain no sugar or breadcrumbs. Just ground pork and seasonings. You can make them ahead of time, refrigerate or freeze them, and reheat as many as you need each morning.
These breakfast sausage patties are often on the menu at my house because, in addition to being incredibly juicy and flavorful, they are also easy to make and keep well in the fridge or freezer.
As much as I enjoy pancakes (like these almond flour pancakes) for breakfast, I often gravitate towards savory breakfasts like these patties, beef sausage, and oven bacon with fluffy scrambled eggs. I find them more filling and satiating.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Ground pork: I usually use lean ground pork - 85% lean and 15% fat.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper.
- Olive oil: I use it to cook the patties. I love the rich flavor it adds.
Variations
- You can replace the thyme with dried oregano, the garlic powder with onion powder (or use both!), and the smoked paprika with regular paprika.
- Dried mustard is an excellent addition; you can add a teaspoon.
- You can vary the ground meat you use. While pork is classic, other excellent options include ground beef, ground chicken, and ground turkey.
- Instead of olive oil, you can cook the patties in avocado oil or ghee.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Mix ground pork with lots of spices. The spices are the secret ingredient here. They add so much flavor!
Shape the mixture into patties. They won't be as perfectly shaped as commercial ones, and that's fine. Homemade is not supposed to be perfect.
Gently press your thumb or finger into the middle of each patty to create a shallow dimple. This helps the patties retain their shape while they cook.
Cook the patties in olive oil for about two minutes per side until browned and cooked through. The patties' internal temperature should reach 165°F. To check with a thermometer, insert it sideways into the patty, pushing it into the middle.
Serve immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to four days.
Expert Tips
Make Them Wide
The sausages slightly shrink as they cook, so it's a good idea to make them wider in diameter than you want them to end up being.
How To Know When to Flip Them
As a general rule, you should cook these patties over medium-high heat for about two minutes per side. Your clue that they're ready to be flipped is when you can tell their bottoms are cooked.
See the two photos below. The first shows the patties shortly after being added to the skillet. The second one shows that their bottoms are browned, so you can flip them and cook them on the second side.
Recipe FAQs
It's surprisingly easy. You simply mix fresh ground pork with spices, form the mixture into small patties, and cook them in olive oil. They only need to be cooked for about 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat.
You need a small amount of oil. I use 1 tablespoon. Ground pork, even lean, is fairly fatty and will quickly release rendered fat into the skillet. I recommend using a nonstick skillet.
Yes! Pork will give you the classic breakfast patty flavor. But you can also use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
If you opt for ground chicken or turkey, make sure to use dark meat. The white meat is too lean. If using leaner meats such as turkey or chicken, use two tablespoons of oil.
Serving Suggestions
One of my favorite breakfasts is two of these sausage patties with soft scrambled eggs. It's a delicious meal that keeps me full for hours. On the weekend, when I have more time, I add broiled tomatoes.
But don't limit yourself to breakfast! I often serve these patties for dinner with a simple side I can make beforehand, such as cucumber tomato salad, asparagus salad, or broccoli salad.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
You can also make these patties in advance and freeze them for quick and easy midweek meals. Place parchment or wax paper between the patties so they don't stick together.
More Sausage Recipes
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Recipe Card
Breakfast Sausage Patties
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork - 85% lean
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, use your hands to mix the ground pork, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, and cayenne pepper.
- Shape the mixture into eight balls. Press on each ball to form ½-inch thick patties weighing 2 ounces each.
- Gently press your thumb or finger into the middle of each patty to create a shallow dimple. This helps the patties hold their shape while they cook.
- Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Swirl to coat.
- Place the patties on the skillet (you might need to cook them in two batches). Cook them until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The sausages slightly shrink as they cook, so make them wider in diameter than you want them to be.
- The patties' internal temperature should reach 165°F. To check with a thermometer, insert it sideways into the patty, pushing it into the middle.
- Pork will give you the classic breakfast patty flavor. But you can also use ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power.
- You can also make these patties in advance and freeze them for quick and easy midweek meals. Place parchment or wax paper between the patties so they don't stick together.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Sondra G
Another simple and easy recipe - thank you so much. I'm a huge fan of your blog!!!
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you so much, Sondra! ❤️
Audrey
I thought these patties were very flavorful. I cooked them in butter. They're good for dinner too!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm glad you enjoyed these sausage patties, Audrey! Thank you for leaving a comment.
Ron
What was the kitchen scale used in the video?
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm using this kitchen scale in the video.