Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties are a breeze to make and beat any store-bought brand by a mile! Double or triple the recipe and freeze the rest.
Homemade turkey breakfast sausage patties beat store-bought sausages by a country mile. They are surprisingly easy to make and are freezer-friendly, making them a great make-ahead option for breakfast or brunch. Make-ahead breakfast recipes for the win!
Store-bought pork or turkey sausages tend to be loaded with unpronounceable additives and preservatives, caramel coloring and sky-high sodium counts. Are there some good ones? Absolutely! Just take care to read the labels. But why not try your hand at this homemade version?
For this turkey breakfast sausage recipe, I used ground turkey mixed it with an array of herbs and spices, and snuck in some grated zucchini for added moisture and nutrients (I love the zucchini trick for meatballs, too).
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We made these on Father's Day. They are a thousand times better than anything you can find at the store. Next time I'm doubling the recipe so we can freeze the leftovers. Thank you for the recipe!
- Reader review
📋 Ingredients
See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.
- GROUND TURKEY: Use lean (93%) ground turkey. While extra lean (99%) is lower in fat, it tends to produce dry patties.
- ZUCCHINI: Grated zucchini adds moisture and a dose of fiber.
- MAPLE SYRUP: Please use pure maple syrup, not a corn syrup-based breakfast syrup.
- HERBS AND SPICES: Dried thyme, sage, nutmeg, garlic powder and fennel add great flavor to the patties. I also add red pepper flakes, but feel free to leave them out if you're sensitive to spice.
- OLIVE OIL: For cooking the sausage patties.
✅ Substitutions
▪️ MEAT: Feel free to use a 50-50 mixture of ground turkey and raw Italian chicken sausages. Squeeze the sausages out the casings.
▪️ OIL: A neutral oil, such as avocado oil, can be used in place of the olive oil.
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🔪 How to make breakfast sausage patties
MIX THE INGREDIENTS: In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil. That's the ground turkey, grated zucchini and all of the seasonings.
FORM THE PATTIES: Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Using your hands, form each portion into patties about ¾-inch thick. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper until ready to cook. If you're not cooking the patties right away, cover them with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Bring them to room temperature before cooking.
COOK: There are a couple of different ways to do this, either pan-fried or baked.
PAN-FRY (PREFERRED METHOD): Since the ground turkey is already leaner than ground beef and I'm a proponent of the benefits of healthy fats, I prefer to pan-fry the patties in some olive oil. In my opinion, this produces the moistest, most tender patties. Cook until the breakfast sausages are browned and cook through, about 8 minutes per side.
BAKE (LESS PREFERRED): If you prefer to bake them in the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the patties on a baking sheet lightly coated with cooking spray or brushed with olive oil. Bake until the patties are cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 25 minutes. Switch over to the broiler and brown the patties for 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn under the broiler.
❄️ Storage and Freezing/Reheating Tips
These patties can either be frozen raw or cooked. They are fantastic to have on hand for weekday breakfast or weekend brunch. I like to make a double or triple batch then freeze the patties.
RAW PATTIES
Once the patties are formed and placed on the wax paper-lined baking sheet (you can also use parchment paper), cover loosely with plastic wrap and pop into the freezer into mostly frozen, about 1 hour.
Peel the patties off of the wax paper and transfer to a large resealable freezer bag. Place in the freezer.
To cook, I recommend defrosting the patties in the fridge overnight, then cooking as directed in the recipe below.
Alternatively, you may cook from frozen by increasing the cook time until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F and the sausage are golden brown, about 11 minutes per side.
COOKED PATTIES
Another option is to cook the patties, cool, then freeze as directed above. To reheat, microwave from frozen for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions:
AnswerWhile you may be tempted to swap in extra lean (99%) ground turkey, I strongly encourage you to stick with the lean version (93%). The extra lean produces dry patties. No one wants that!
Yes, these sausages can be baked. However, I prefer the texture of the patty and the perfect golden brown crust produced by pan-frying them in a little olive oil. See the notes above for directions on both methods.
Other Brunch Recipes You'll Love
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and comment underneath the recipe card below. Thank you!
Printable Recipe
Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties
Ingredients
- 1 pounds lean 93% ground turkey (See Note 1)
- ½ cup grated zucchini
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (See Note 2)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon dried fennel seeds crushed with knife
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Stir until well combined.
- Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Using your hands, form each portion into patties about ¾-inch thick. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper until ready to cook. If not cooking right away, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet. Add 4 patties and cook until the patties are browned and cook through, about 8 minutes per side.
- Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and patties. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was first published on June 5, 2018 and updated on February 24, 2023.
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Michelle
I like the sausage.
Whirlycook
At first, I thought "Zucchini? Really?" Surprise! It keeps the meat moist and you cannot taste it. These sausage patties were juicy and delicious. Only thing I will do differently next time is reduce the amount of maple syrup a little and increase the chili flakes slightly. Great recipe!
Dara
The zucchini really does work like magic. So glad you enjoyed these!
Christina Dee
We made these on Father's Day. They are a thousand times better than anything you can find at the store. Next time I'm doubling the recipe so we can freeze the leftovers. Thank you for the recipe!
Bonnie
Made these this morning. They are the best Turkey sausages. Store brought doesn't even come close and her moist.
Love them!
Pamela
Absolutely the best turkey sausage ever. I didn’t have zucchini on hand so substituted yellow squash. Amazing taste and tops the best restaurants and healthy as a plus.
Linda
The Mr. really liked them - very good and low carb. A tad sweet, I might cut back on the maple syrup next time.
RK
These look delicious! Could you also include instructions for cooking the frozen patties? Thank you