This homemade chicken breakfast sausage is an easy breakfast recipe that's as full of flavor as regular sausage, incredibly low in fat, and ready in just about 15 minutes. If you love sausage, but you don't love the grease, then this is the recipe for you!
There's nothing like a good, homemade breakfast. It's always been one of my favorite meals of the day. I can remember my mom making huge weekend feasts to start the day when I was a kid, and I always loved it so much. As a mom, I've always tried to do the same.
I also love that it's so easy to create gluten-free breakfast recipes. Since I can't have gluten at all, I tend to lean into dishes like smoothies and protein-packed options like these kimchi egg cups.
I'm also a big fan of the savory flavors in breakfast sausage, but I'm not a big fan of the grease that comes with cooking it. That's why I created this chicken breakfast sausage recipe. I use ground chicken and classic breakfast sausage spices. Then, I air fry the sausages until they're golden on the outside and juicy on the inside.
These are so much better for you than regular breakfast sausage patties, and they're a great option to pair with other breakfast favorites like gluten free cottage cheese pancakes or sweet, healthy raspberry chia seed yogurt.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: It only takes a handful of simple ingredients to make this recipe. There are zero fancy ingredients!
- So Easy: All you have to do is mix and air fry these sausages. It's the easiest breakfast recipe you'll ever make.
- Better for You: Using ground chicken drastically cuts down on unhealthy saturated fat.
- Customizable: It's easy to adjust the ingredients to create different flavor profiles.
- Versatile: These sausage patties are delicious with all the same dishes that you'd serve with regular sausage. They make great breakfast sandwiches, too!
- Great for Meal Prep: These are freezer-friendly, so you can make as many as you want for future breakfasts.
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Ingredients
I used Springer Mountain Farms ground white meat chicken for this recipe. It's my only choice for chicken because it never uses added antibiotics or hormones and never adds animal by-products to its feed. It's also certified humane, which is so important to me.
You can find the complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Variations
- Spicy: Add red pepper flakes for spicy breakfast sausage.
- Ground Chicken: Ground turkey works well in place of chicken. For a richer flavor, try using ground dark meat chicken.
- Classic: Make this recipe with ground pork for a quick and easy classic breakfast sausage recipe.
- Maple: Add a bit of maple syrup for sweeter maple chicken sausages.
- Italian Chicken Sausage: Use a blend of fennel, garlic, black pepper, paprika, parsley, oregano, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Chicken Chorizo: Make a low-fat chorizo sausage with chile powder, garlic, cumin, coriander, and Mexican oregano.
- Breakfast Sandwiches: Make larger patties and use them as an alternative protein in this prosciutto waffle air fryer sandwich recipe with eggs and cheese.
How to Make Chicken Breakfast Sausage
Mix the ground chicken and seasonings in a medium mixing bowl until combined.
Divide the mixture into eight round patties.
Place the patties in a single layer in your prepared air fryer basket.
Cook at 400°F, flipping halfway through cooking, until the patties are golden and their internal temperature registers 165°F. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- I find it easiest to mix the ground chicken and seasonings by hand. Use food-safe gloves for easy cleanup.
- Mix the ground chicken and seasonings until combined, but don't overwork it. Overmixed ground meat results in tough patties.
- Never use nonstick spray on your air fryer basket. Instead, brush it with olive oil. Nonstick spray can damage the basket coating over time.
- Always preheat your air fryer for even cooking and accurate times. It only takes about five minutes.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake the patties at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes on a baking sheet.
- These chicken sausage patties can be frozen before or after cooking. If you freeze raw patties, simply air fry them at 400°F, adding 2 to 4 minutes.
Chicken Breakfast Sausage FAQ
Chicken breakfast sausage can be a healthier alternative to traditional breakfast sausage, as it is high in protein and has far less saturated fat. This is especially true of homemade sausage, as store-bought chicken sausage can still be laden with nitrates, added sugars, and high amounts of sodium.
Chicken breakfast sausage can be served with the same breakfast favorites you'd serve with regular sausage, such as eggs, bacon, grits, toast, pancakes, waffles, and the like.
The two main causes of dry chicken sausage are overmixing and overcooking. Overmixing the ground chicken causes the proteins to shrink too much during cooking, squeezing out the juice. Of course, overcooking the meat also dries it out.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Breakfast Sausage
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon sage
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tbsp onion minced
Instructions
- Lightly coat your air fryer basket with olive oil and preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees.
- Mix the ground chicken, thyme, sage, sea salt, black pepper, and minced onion in a medium mixing bowl until combined.
- Next, form the chicken mixture into nine sausage patties and place them in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Air fry the sausages for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until they're golden and their internal temperature registers 165 degrees.
- If you don't have an air fryer, bake the patties on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.
Notes
- Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Wrap individual patties in plastic wrap and freeze, cooked or uncooked, for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Reheat frozen cooked patties in the air fryer at 400 degrees for around 4 minutes (air fryer times vary).
- I find it easiest to mix the ground chicken and seasonings by hand. Use food-safe gloves for easy cleanup.
- Mix the ground chicken and seasonings until combined, but don't overwork it. Overmixed ground meat results in tough patties.
- Never use nonstick spray on your air fryer basket. Instead, brush it with olive oil. Nonstick spray can damage the basket coating over time.
- Always preheat your air fryer for even cooking and accurate times. It only takes about five minutes.
- If you don't have an air fryer, you can bake the patties at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes on a baking sheet.
- These chicken sausage patties can be frozen before or after cooking. If you freeze raw patties, simply air fry them at 400°F, adding 2 to 4 minutes.
Jean says
This was my first time making sausage out of chicken. My family love them.
Nicole Kendrick says
I was just as shocked my first time too! Next time around, you will be the expert!
Anonymous says
My family loved this!
Nicole Kendrick says
SO glad to hear that! Thanks for stopping by! - NK
Jet says
Perfect for busy mornings! I appreciate how simple and healthy this is. Thanks for sharing this!
Liz says
This was my first time makng homemade sausage and now my husband wants me to make it every weekend! The results were delicious!
Krystle says
Store-bought sausage is often too spicy for me, these were perfect. I like meal prepping them for breakfast!
Ashley says
This sausage recipe is so good! It's great having an alternative to pork sausage too!
Lora says
This chicken breakfast sausage sounds so flavorful and quick to make. I love that it’s a lighter option without the extra grease!
Swathi says
Chicken breakfast sausages are delicious. I enjoyed it as my breakfast, my family approved it.