Homemade Italian Sausage is a cinch to make at home and YOU control the ingredients. Use ground Italian Sausage in a variety of recipes.
If you’ve tried my homemade taco seasoning, homemade salsa, homemade breakfast sausage, homemade seasoned salt, homemade hamburger helper, homemade egg noodles, or homemade ranch dressing, then you know how rewarding it is to make foods that are typically store bought, at home – including homemade ground Italian sausage.
The homemade version of Italian sausage is a cinch to make with ground pork plus pantry staples including dried herbs and spices.
As the saying goes, nobody wants to see how sausage is made…except for my homemade version. Seriously, it is so easy and SO GOOD! I can’t wait for you to try it.
Spicy vs Mild Homemade Sausage
This recipe is for mild Italian Sausage, aka sweet Italian sausage, though if you want a spicy version you can simply add red chili pepper flakes to your desire.
What to Make with Italian Sausage
Use homemade ground Italian sausage in literally any recipe that calls for it. Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:
- Lasagna Soup
- Italian Rice Ball Skillet
- Italian Sausage and Peppers Cheeseburgers
- Italian Sausage and Pepper Ring Mini Meatloaves
- Cheesy Vegetable, Turkey and Sausage Rice Casserole
- Italian Sausage, Spinach and Tomato Soup
- Minute Sausage, Brussels Sprouts and Parmesan Pasta
How to Make Italian Sausage
Step 1: Make the spice and seasoning mixture.
Start by raiding your spice cupboard for the following herbs and spices:
- Dried parsley
- Sugar
- Fennel seeds, coarsely ground
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- Red chili pepper flakes, optional
I use my Curtis Stone mortar and pestle (procured during the most embarrassing 20 minutes of my life) to grind the fennel seeds.
You’ll want them coarsely ground vs a fine powder. You could also use a coffee grinder, though again, be sure not to grind them too fine.
Next, add the herbs and spices to a large bowl with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar then whisk or stir with a fork to combine.
Step 2: Mix with ground pork.
Add the spice mixture to ground pork then use your hands to mix until just combined – being careful to avoid over mixing.
The sausage is technically ready to cook at this point, though the flavor is 1000% better after chilling in the refrigerator overnight before using. You could also freeze it at this point.
Secrets to Cooking Ground Italian Sausage
When you’re ready to cook, follow these three steps to achieve tender, sausage with a gorgeous, golden brown crust:
- Cook the sausage in a large, cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Don’t disturb the meat too much while its browning, as it will prevent a golden brown crust from forming. Golden brown crust = flavor!
- Don’t overcook the sausage which could cause it to dry out.
That’s all she wrote! I hope you love this homemade version of store bought Italian sausage – enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground pork
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground fennel seed, see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- red chili pepper flakes , if desired for spicy sausage
Directions
- Add all ingredients except ground pork into a large bowl then whisk or stir with a fork to combine.
- Crumble ground pork on top then use hands to thoroughly combine, though do not over mix. For the best flavor, refrigerate sausage in an airtight container overnight before using.
Notes
- Grind fennel seeds using a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. You don’t want a fine powder, rather, a coarse grind.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
My go to as I have food allergies. Thank you!!!!
I’m so glad this recipe is a go-to of yours, Michelle! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Wow wow wow!! I am not a fan of sausages, mostly because I hate buying that stuff from the store and reading an endless list of weird ingredients.
But this recipe is gold!!!
They came out so tasty I couldn’t believe this is possible.
Saving this recipe forever
Ah, yay!! SO glad you enjoyed — thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Great recipe. I get my ground pork at Asian Markets. Regular ground pork is just too lean these days.
Thrilled to hear you loved it, Tim! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
sounds like a good one will make tmro have a good one
I used your recipe to make homemade sausage, using ground turkey. It turned out to be absolutely delicious.
I’m thrilled to hear that, Natalie! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Amazing, we make our wild boar ground pork this way – I have may 4 times now – following recipe exactly. Whole family loves it!! I will not buy pre-seasoned pork again after tasting this. Go Iowa Girls!!
Recipe how to make different kinds sausage
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Our stores only carry sausage, not plain ground pork. How would I make this recipe using ground sausage?
Hi Stephanie! Ground sausage is already seasoned so you wouldn’t need to add additional seasonings to it.
Mixed it up last night & didn’t cook until this evening. While none of us thought it was really sausage, we all agreed it was fantastic & was enjoyed by all. I truly appreciate it because ground pork is still affordable by us, whereas beef no longer is. Doubt we’ll ever go back to buying italian sausage again. I didn’t tweak the recipe at all. This is a keeper!!
I’m so so glad you liked the recipe, Lynn! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Am making again – twice in one month! Guess it’s time to jot down the recipe!
Ahh, love to hear that, Lynn! So glad this recipe is good enough to repeat. :)
I have used this recipe twice now to use ground pork we have in the freezer in my Tuscan sausage and kale soup. I left out the sugar and substituted caraway seeds for fennel, put them in an old electric coffee grinder I use for spices to roughly chop them.
It comes out so much better than when I use store bought italian sausage, in my opinion.
I’m so so glad you love this recipe, Sabrina! That soup with this homemade sausage sounds incredible!!
why is sugar added? can we use sugar substitutes?
Hi Terry! It helps round out all the flavors. You may leave it out if you like.
I am a novice and wondering, how lean or fatty the ground pork should be that is used in this recipe