Easy Homemade Chicken Breakfast Sausage (with Maple!)

by Kayla Berman on May 12, 2023 0 comments

Chicken Breakfast Sausage is a quick, easy, healthy, and delicious breakfast recipe perfect for meal prep or to serve at brunch! Made with ground chicken, pure maple syrup, and a delightful seasoning mix … these chicken patties are sweet, savory, and flavorful. Higher in protein and lower in fat, they’re a great alternative to the classic breakfast meats!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I have been on a major breakfast sausage kick over the past couple of months. I can’t get enough of them! They are just such a quick, easy, and effective way to start off the day strong with a healthy serving of protein.

I have purchased quite a few varieties at the grocery store and they all have been great. But I got to thinking – why don’t I make my own, it can’t be that hard? Correct! It is not hard at all.

Homemade Chicken Breakfast Sausage Patties are incredible! Perhaps even more incredible than the store bought version. Here’s why I love them so much:

Affordable: Making breakfast patties at home is incredibly good for the bank! They require relatively inexpensive and minimal ingredients. Stocking up on the necessary spices and pure maple syrup could seem a bit costly, but once you buy them once you could make a bunch of batches of this recipe. It is so worth it!
Clean Ingredients: Maybe my favorite part about making breakfast sausage at home is that the ingredients are super clean. You know exactly what ingredients and exactly how much of each one is being used. No additives, fillers, or preservatives here!
Healthy & High Protein: Chicken sausage is a healthy, high protein alternative to the classic pork breakfast sausage! It is lower calorie and lower fat too, meaning it would be great if you are looking to lose weight or are on a healthy journey of any kind.
Flavorful: These sausages have a sweet, savory, and herby flavor with a subtle hint of maple. Truly delicious!
Great For Meal Prep: This healthy breakfast absolutely deserves a spot of on your weekly meal prep roster! I feel like most breakfast meal preps involve something sweet – like overnight oats. But these are the perfect savory alternative. They’re quick and easy to make and store great in the fridge all week long.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The ingredient list on these homemade chicken sausage patties is incredibly short!

Pretty much ground chicken, a handful of spices, and some pantry staples! Here’s exactly what you’ll need to grab:

Ground Chicken: Ground chicken is the key ingredient in this healthy breakfast recipe. You will need 1 lb of the ground meat! I recommend using a ground chicken that is either a combination of dark meat and white meat, or one that is entirely dark meat. Alternatively, you can use ground turkey or ground pork if you’d like.
Pure Maple Syrup: 2 tbsp pure maple syrup gives these breakfast chicken sausages that classic sweet and savory taste. You could swap in a different liquid sweetener of your choice, like honey or agave nectar. Or even a granulated sugar, like brown sugar – although with this option you will lose some extra moisture in the sausages.
Seasonings: The three main seasonings used in this delicious breakfast food are ground sage, dried rosemary, and dried thyme. These help achieve that typical breakfast sausage taste! You could always use fresh herbs instead – the results would be incredibly tasty. I just like to use the spice drawer versions, as they are more affordable and convenient.
Pantry Staples: This recipe calls for 4 basic ingredients that most home cooks will always have on hand – olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. You could use avocado oil or vegetable oil in place of the olive oil if need be!

Equipment

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How To Make This Recipe

This maple chicken breakfast sausage recipe requires 3 easy steps: mix, fry, and serve or store!

Step 1: Seasoning mix. Add the seasonings – garlic powder, dried rosemary, ground sage, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper – to a small bowl. Combine.

breakfast sausage seasonings in a small bowl

breakfast sausage seasoning mix in a small bowl

Step 2: Combine ingredients. Add the ground chicken, pure maple syrup, and seasoning mix to a large bowl. Combine thoroughly.

ground chicken, breakfast sausage seasoning mix, and maple syrup in a mixing bowl

Step 3: Freeze. Optional: Place the mixture in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. This will make it much easier to handle and form into patties.

Step 4: Scoop the sausage. Take about 2 tbsp sized scoops of the chicken mixture and place on a plate to prepare for cooking. Do your best to shape / roll them into balls.

Step 5: Add the sausage. Once all the chicken sausages are prepared, heat a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sausage balls. Flatten and shape them into chicken patties.

Step 6: Cook the sausage. Cook for 3-4 minutes, leaving them undisturbed to develop a nice golden, brown sear. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until seared and cooked through.

Step 7: Serve and enjoy!

See? Making your own breakfast sausage at home truly is as easy as can be!

chicken breakfast patties being fried in a skillet

breakfast sausages with maple in a skillet

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptions

This homemade breakfast sausage recipe is absolutely scrumptious just as it is written, but there is always space for variations and adaptions. Here are some changes you could make to meet your personal preferences or needs:

Adjust Sugar: If you are on a no-sugar kick, following a keto diet, or simply don’t want the added sugar in this recipe – no problem! You can leave it out or replace with a zero sugar alternative.
Different Seasonings: The deliciousness of this breakfast really comes from the seasonings. The ones listed here are a delightful combination! But feel free to add, remove, or replace any that you’d like. Fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, sea salt, allspice, or paprika would all be a perfect addition!
Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs would provide amazing flavor in these sausage patties. They are just more work! But feel free to chop them up and use in place of their dried or ground counterparts.

Expert Tips

This chicken sausage, and really anything made with ground chicken, can tend to be a little dry. Therefore, I recommend using a higher fat percentage ground chicken with some dark meat rather than a lean ground chicken. This will result in more juicy and moist patties, while using only ground chicken breast could leave them dry and dense.
The ground chicken mixture can be a bit tricky to work with, as the maple syrup makes it a bit slippery. I recommend freezing the mixture for 15-30 minutes after combining. This will make forming the mixture into sausage balls or patties so much easier.
Make sure you add the sausages to an already hot pan or skillet.
When frying the chicken patties, let them sit undisturbed on each side. This is the key to developing that beautiful, crispy sear on the outsides!

Serving Suggestions

This quick breakfast food can be served in so many delicious ways!

Breakfast Sandwiches: These patties would be incredible in a sandwich. Layer them with some fried eggs and melty cheese on any bread you’d like. English muffins, bagels, and croissants are all fantastic options.
Breakfast Plate: Serve yourself up a well rounded, healthy morning meal. Add chicken sausage, scrambled eggs, a slice of whole wheat toast, and some fresh fruit to a plate. Yum!
Breakfast Taco or Burrito: Feeling like you want to switch things up a bit one morning? A Mexican inspired breakfast burrito or taco with these breakfast sausages would be delectable. Add all the delicious toppings too! Mexican blend cheese, salsa, sour cream, avocado, black beans, hot sauce, etc.
Brunch Spread: Chicken breakfast sausage pairs wonderfully with countless other breakfast and brunch dishes. Serve with my Egg White Frittata, Chia Seed Pudding, and French Toast Casserole for an incredible and versatile spread! There is bound to be something for everyone there.

FAQs

Are these chicken sausages healthy?

I am not a dietician or nutritionist, but yes in my opinion these sausages are healthy! They are a much healthier alternative to the classic breakfast meat – like bacon or pork sausage.

These are better for your heart health and are great for a lower fat or lower calorie diet. They’re also a great source of morning protein!

Plus, making your breakfast sausage at home is always a healthy option. This way you know exactly which ingredients and how much are being used!

What type of ground chicken should I use?

I recommend using ground chicken with a bit of dark meat in it, not just ground chicken breast. A slightly higher fat percentage will give these sausages a juicer, moister, and more enjoyable texture.

Plus a little extra fat will help achieve that classic sausage look, feel, and taste!

What kind of pan should I use for this recipe?

A cast iron skillet or pan will work best for cooking up these patties. Here is the exact 12-inch skillet that I use, love, and recommend!

Can I meal prep this recipe?

Absolutely! This breakfast recipe is fantastic for meal prepping – the sausage are easy to make and store wonderfully.

Preparing a batch at the beginning of the week is a great way to ensure you have an easy source of protein ready to go for the busy mornings ahead.

How to best store breakfast chicken sausages?

You can store these sausage patties in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep best for 5 days!

You could also freeze these chicken sausages. Simply store in a freezer safe bag or container and they will keep for a couple of months.

Related Recipes

More Healthy Breakfast Recipes

More Chicken Recipes

Connect With Me!

If you make this breakfast recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.