I recently asked followers on social media what type of recipes they wanted to see me post more of, and the consensus was almost unanimous, Breakfast! Breakfast! Breakfast! So here’s the first of many breakfast recipes I’ll be sharing over the coming weeks. These Pork & Apple Breakfast Sausages are juicy, flavorful, and perfect for anyone wanting to make their own breakfast sausage at home without the mystery ingredients you find in store-bought versions.
These homemade breakfast sausage patties combine a touch of sweetness from shredded apple with a savory spice blend that’s balanced, cozy, and full of flavor. Whether you’re making a small batch just for the weekend or a double batch to meal prep for the week, this is one easy homemade breakfast sausage recipe you’ll make again and again.
I am in love with this recipe. My kids have an obsession with sausages but I never feel 100% great about eating store bought ones so this is absolutely perfect.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better than store-bought: Skip the store-bought breakfast sausages, these have no fillers or preservatives, just real ground meat and a handful of pantry spices.
- Quick & easy: You only need about 10-15 minutes of cooking time and a few basic tools to make a large batch of perfectly seasoned breakfast patties.
- Incredibly flavorful: The combination of fresh sage, red pepper flakes, ground cloves, and garlic powder creates a seriously delicious sausage that’s warm, aromatic, and slightly spiced.
- Great for meal prep: these are perfect to have on hand for a quick protein packed breakfast
- Freezer-friendly: Cook once, and enjoy all week! These cooked sausage patties can be frozen and reheated in minutes for breakfast on busy mornings.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground Pork: Use pork with about 20% fat for juicy patties. Prefer something leaner? Try ground chicken or turkey, both work perfectly.
- Minced Garlic: Adds depth, you can substitute garlic powder in a pinch.
- Paprika: Gives the sausage that golden color and mild smokiness.
- Red pepper flakes: For a little heat. Adjust depending on your spice preference.
- Dried sage or fresh sage: A classic breakfast sausage herb that adds an earthy, aromatic touch.
- Pinch of ground cloves: One of my secret ingredients that gives warmth and depth, nutmeg can be used instead.
- Shredded apple: The second secret ingredient! Keeps the sausage moist and adds a touch of natural sweetness. I like using gala, honey crispy or macintosh but your could also use granny smith which is a much more tart apple
- Salt & black pepper: Basic seasoning for balance.
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
You don’t need special equipment, but these tools make it even easier to get the best results:
- Large mixing bowl
- Clean hands or a hand mixer to combine the meat
- Large skillet
- Plastic wrap or a freezer-safe container for storage
How to Make Pork & Apple Sausages
- In a large bowl use your hands to mix all of the ingredients together until the spice mixture is evenly distributed through the meat.
- Shape into 8–10 small patties
- Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for about 5–6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
Ways to Modify the Recipe
- Try using different meats such as a pound of ground turkey, ground chicken, or even ground beef for a lighter or different flavor profile.
- Mix in fresh thyme, fennel seeds, or a touch of brown sugar or maple syrup for a sweet-savory combo.
- Like it spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or chili flakes. Prefer mild? Omit them entirely.
- Give them an Italian-style twist by adding dried herbs, onion powder and a hint of poultry seasoning to make mild Italian sausage or country sausage patties.
What to Serve With These Sausages
These fresh sausages are so versatile! Serve them in breakfast sandwiches with English muffins and eggs. They’re also delicious alongside breakfast burritos, tacos or a simple fried egg.
If you’re hosting brunch, serve them with pancakes, waffles or a veggie hash, they pair beautifully with both sweet and savory sides.
Common Questions
Yes! These homemade breakfast sausage patties are ideal for meal prep. You can make the meat mixture and form the patties up to 24 hours ahead, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
You can also flash freeze the uncooked patties in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking tray, then transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. When you’re ready to cook, thaw them overnight in the fridge for best results.
Cooked patties will last about 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a frying pan over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil, or pop them in the air fryer for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
For longer storage, freeze the cooked sausage patties in layers separated by parchment paper. You can reheat directly from frozen in the air fryer or skillet, perfect for quick weekday breakfasts.
To cook your sausages in the oven, preheat it to 400°F (200°C) and arrange the patties on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 15–20 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the pork and apple sausages are golden brown on the outside and fully cooked in the center.
Here are a few more recipes using ground pork:
- Homemade Chorizo
- Shrimp & Pork Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Pork Fried Rice
- Pork & Eggplant Stir Fry
- Asian Pork Meatballs
- Thai Basil Beef
- Zucchini Stuffed with Pork & Tomato Sauce
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Pork & Apple Breakfast Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/2 tsp ground sage
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 cup shredded apple
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl combine all of the ingredients and work with your hands to really mix everything together.
- Form the mixture into 8 to 10 patties
- Heat a skillet on medium high heat. Add in 1 tbsp of oil and once hot add the patties ensuring to not overcrowd the pan (you may need to work in batches). Cook the patties for approximately 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown on the outside and cooked through in the center.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
I just made this Pork & Apple Breakfast Sausage recipe, and it was fantastic! The combination of flavors is perfect, and I love that it fits my Whole30 plan. Can’t wait to serve it to my family! Thank you for sharing!
‘Cook time = 10 minutes” – no indication of how (oven, grill, pan……) or what temperature?
Wow!!! Amazing! I added about a teaspoon of Fennel. Also Mesquite Liquid Smoke to one batch, and Hickory Liquid Smoke to another. Whoa! Never going back!
Could you bake these?
Can you make a batch of pork/ apple sausage prepared for cooking and freeze till wanting to cook?
You can although I personally would recommend freezing them after cooking, they reheat really well
Nice flavor profile. I followed the recipe and the result was very nice. This encourages me to use more ground cloves in my pork dishes.
Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Thanks for the comment! Ground cloves is one of my favourite spices to use in savoury breakfast dishes
Can these be frozen? Either raw, or cooked? Thank you!
Yes they definitely can! I find that they are best frozen after being cooked and then its quick and easy to thaw and enjoy.
I am in love with this recipe. My kids have an obsession with sausages but I never feel 100% great about eating store bought ones so this is absolutely perfect.
I completely agree! Store bought sausage are always packed with preservatives and hidden ingredients. These ones are easy to make and so flavourful.
Shaped these into bite sized patties for my husband to take to work for breakfast. He absolutely loved them and wouldnt stop raving about how tasty they were. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Love the bite sized patty idea! I’m so happy to hear that they were husband approved!