In the post-covid days of supply issues everywhere you turn, even simple things like turkey breakfast sausage can be hard to find sometimes.  Well, if you need a specific kind of sausage, that is.  Since I’m allergic to beef, pork, or lamb sausage, I have to find turkey breakfast sausage to have with our eggs and pancakes.

We live in rural Nebraska.  Our local small-town market doesn’t carry turkey sausage.  A 15-mile drive to the nearest city gives me more grocery options, but I can’t always find bulk turkey breakfast sausage.   Walmart usually has it, but on my last shopping trip they did not. 

I always feel more comfortable making my own anything simply because I know what’s in it.  Recipes and formulations can change, and hidden ingredients can be trouble.  Homemade gives me more peace of mind because I have control over the ingredients.   

So I started researching breakfast sausage recipes online.  Turns out it’s not all that hard.  And, I think it’s better than the store-bought sausage!

I don’t have a meat grinder, so I used store bought fresh ground turkey and added spices from my cupboard.  Don’t get too caught up with the exact spices.  Experiment with what you have on hand before you spend money on specific spices.

You can find a video of this recipe on YouTube.

Here’s how to make it:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 t. ground fennel seed

1 t. dried thyme

½ t. red pepper flakes

1 t. dried sage or 1 T chopped fresh sage

½ t ground savory

1 T duck fat

½ t. kosher salt

½ black pepper

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. Mix well with your hands until well combined.

Lay a sheet of wax paper near the bowl.  Form the turkey breakfast sausage mixture in to small patties.  Place the patties in a skillet preheated on medium heat.  Allow the patties to cook for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally.  Take your time, you don’t want them to burn on the outside before they are cooked inside. Lower your heat and cover the pan of they are browning too fast.  Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature.  170^◦ Fahrenheit is the safe temp for poultry.   Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel.  Enjoy!