My Homemade Chicken Apple Sausage recipe is an easy way to make your own fabulously fresh sausage right at home ~ it freezes beautifully, too, so be sure to make extra so you can enjoy it anytime.
Chicken apple sausage is something our whole family can agree on, it’s been a favorite here forever. We buy it at the grocery store and order it in restaurants all the time, so I’m thrilled to be able to make it myself. And frankly, even though I love it, I’m always a little uneasy eating sausage in general because of the high fat content, and possible additives like nitrates, etc. This simple recipe takes care of all that and lets us indulge worry free!
sausage ~ demystified!
There’s really no mystery about making sausage, it’s essentially ground meat that has been mixed with various spices. If you don’t want to fuss with casings, you can form patties like I did. When you make it yourself you can control the quality of the meat, and the amount of fat. I used regular ground chicken from my grocery store, and mixed it chunky bits of apple and onion, lots of fresh cracked black pepper, and a nice amount of fresh sage for an easy but really delicious flavor. I was actually surprised at how ‘sausage-y’ these tasted, and I think that’s largely due to the seasonings.
chicken apple sausage making tips
Texture is key: the bits of apple and onion need to be small enough that the sausage patties hold together, but not so finely minced that you lose their great texture and crunch. I’ve talked before about this vegetable chopper that I love to use for getting a perfectly even tiny dice in fruits and vegetables.
The stand mixer! When it comes to mixing ground meats, I like to do it in my stand mixer. I find it does the best job of thoroughly mixing the ingredients without compacting the meat, and I don’t have to get my hands into the raw meat ~ yay!
Need to taste? Pinch off a small bit and cook it in a skillet, then taste. Adjust your seasonings accordingly. This is a good trick for meatloaves, meatballs, and any other ground meat recipe.
cooking your chicken apple sausage
After browning the sausage, I make sure to cook it gently so I don’t dry out the chicken. I like to cover the pan and lower the heat to let them cook through.
You can freeze homemade sausage patties raw or cooked
Raw:
– Shape into patties, freeze on a tray, then bag them up.
– Cook from frozen or thaw overnight.
– Best within 2–3 months.
Cooked:
– Fully cook the patties, cool, freeze on a tray, then bag.
– Reheat in skillet, oven, or microwave.
– Best within 2–3 months.
Homemade Chicken Apple Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 Granny Smith apple, or other tart, firm variety very finely diced
- 1/2 medium onion, very finely diced
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Put the ground chicken into the bowl of a stand mixer, breaking it apart as you add it. You can also do all this by hand in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the olive oil, and mix until everything is well combined, and the little chunks of apple and onion are evenly distributed.
- Form the meat mixture into small 1 inch balls. I use a 1 inch scoop to portion out the meat and then roll it in my hands. Place all the balls on a baking sheet and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the sausage patties for 2 minutes on each side. Then lower the heat, cover the pan, and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. The internal temperature of the sausage should be 165°F.
Notes
- I used packaged ground chicken for this recipe, but you can also grind your own with a meat grinder or a food processor. You could try boneless thighs for extra flavor.
- If this recipe seems a bit too lean for you, you can also finely chop some bacon (raw) and add it to the mix.
Nutrition
Can I use dry sage instead of fresh? If so, how much? Looking forward to making these!
Yes, you’ll use much less. If you like the flavor of sage, use a teaspoon.
I will make this tonight for dinner, but I will air fry instead of pan fry with oil to save the calories. I will add a tart Brussel sprout side dish to balance the flavours.
Hi! How exactly do you grade chicken? Whit what kind of mixer? And how finely grounded must the meat be? I have both – boneless chicken thigsh and chicken breasts. What do you think it’s better to use? Thanks!
Sounds delicious. They look like patties though, not balls. They also look bigger than a one inch scoop. I’m eager to try them. I’m with you, I love sausage but not a fan of the fat and additives.
This is a wonderful recipe! I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs, because it’s what I had. After the patties were almost finished cooking, I added four cups of homemade sauerkraut, covered with a lid and simmered the sausage and sauerkraut for about 15 minutes. This reminded me of the sausage we used to buy in a little Amish butcher shop in Lancaster PA. Delicious!
These smell soooo good cooking!! I didn’t think they would stay together but they do. Just as written. Can’t wait to taste them.
Oh they are good! Very fresh tasting with the fresh sage.
Can you bake these?
Sure, that would work fine.
I make a turkey burger with similar ingredients. I find that if you drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, it binds the patties well. But, i like the idea of adding bacon!
Great tip!