A super easy recipe for ground beef breakfast sausage. Mix the beef with the seasonings, spread in a pan, cover and bake, then cut to squares. Tasty!
I love making this homemade sausage because it’s not just delicious but also so easy. Rather than shape the beef into patties and fry them, I simply mix the ground beef with seasonings, spread it in a pan, cover, and bake.
When the sausage is fully cooked, I cut it into squares and serve. And if you don’t mind pork, this recipe also works well with ground pork. But I almost always make it with ground beef.
The ingredients you’ll need
You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make ground beef breakfast sausage. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need:
Ground beef: I use lean ground beef (85% lean and 15% fat). A leaner mixture is going to be too dry, in my opinion. I once tried using a 90/10 mix and it definitely wasn’t as good.
Kosher salt: If using fine salt, you should reduce the amount you use or the sausage might be too salty. A teaspoon of kosher salt weighs less than a teaspoon of regular salt.
Lots of spices: Smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried rosemary, dry mustard, crushed red peppers, and dried thyme. Make sure the spices you use are fresh! A stale spice can easily ruin a dish.
How to make beef breakfast sausage
It’s so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
1. Combine the beef with the spices and mix. Try not to overmix (overmixing will result in dense sausage), but do make sure the mixture is uniform and the spices are distributed throughout.
2. Spread the mixture in a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. You can leave the baking dish ungreased, although it won’t hurt to lightly spray it with cooking spray.
3. Cover the pan tightly with foil. This helps trap moisture inside and helps prevent the meat from drying out as it bakes.
4. Bake the mixture for about 45 minutes in a 300°F oven. Let it cool for about 10 minutes, then cut it into squares and serve.
How to serve beef breakfast sausage
I usually serve it with fluffy scrambled eggs, almond flour biscuits, and fresh berries. It’s a wonderful, filling breakfast or brunch that keeps me full for many hours.
Sometimes I actually serve this dish for dinner, and then I serve it with just about any side dish, such as roasted Brussels sprouts, for example, or mashed cauliflower.
What about leftovers?
You can keep leftovers of this beef breakfast sausage in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days. They keep quite well actually, and they are great sautéed in a little olive oil. Or you can reheat them in the microwave on 50% power.
I also enjoy them cold for my lunch, with Dijon mustard, fresh-cut veggies, and quick pickles or pickled red onions. And sometimes I have one of them in a cloud bread sandwich and pretend I’m eating a burger!
More meaty breakfast recipes
These egg sausage muffins are amazing. They are tasty, and fun to eat! They also look really pretty. And this sausage breakfast casserole is the perfect brunch dish. It’s tasty and filling, and leftovers keep well for several days.
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Ground Beef Breakfast Sausage
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb. lean ground beef (85/15)
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl and use clean hands to combine.
- Spread the mixture in a 9 X 13-inch baking dish, pressing on it to ensure it sticks together and to even it out.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake the ground beef breakfast sausage until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F, about 45 minutes.
- Using a wide slotted spatula, lift the baked ground beef breakfast sausage from the juices in the pan onto a wire rack that you’ve placed on foil. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and use a sharp knife to cut into squares.
- Keep leftovers refrigerated, and reheat them in the microwave, or (tastier!) sauté in a skillet with a little olive oil.
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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, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.