Oct 20, 2012

Easy Homemade Turkey Sausage

Recently I was making my favorite breakfast casserole for lunch with friends. It calls for bulk pork sausage. When my friend explained they don't eat pork I got the idea to create this turkey sausage recipe.

Though generally speaking I don't have a problem with pork sausage, I know that Nourishing Traditions says pork is the least healthy of all the animal meats. (Meat in general is good for you, especially organic free-range meat, but pork can have some negative effects on health). This prompted me to look into the topic a little further which has been very interesting and a little surprising. Based on what I'm learning I'm already making some changes. This post was extremely helpful in learning about the nutrition behind pork.

One thing I already knew is hat turkey has a lot more protein than pork. The protein content varies depending on the location of the animal the meat is taken from, but as far as bulk pork sausage and ground turkey compare, turkey comes out a whole 8 grams of protein ahead of pork per serving. (Naturally there will be variations here and there due to different manufacturers and other variables.)

Bulk pork sausage equals about 19 grams of protein per 3.5 ounce serving.

Ground turkey equals about 27(!!!) grams of protein per 3.5 ounce serving.



I was very pleased with the end result of this homemade sausage and found it just as tasty, if not more delicious than bulk pork sausage. This is great news since I am always looking for more ways to increase our protein intake. 

Note: Using fresh turkey, as versus the frozen stuff, provided the best texture and flavor. I've also tried this recipe with ground beef, though turkey was more tender.


Easy Homemade Turkey Sausage

1 tablespoon coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 lb ground turkey, preferably fresh
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground sage
1 teaspoon fennel, optional
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if you like heat), optional

Place oil in a medium sized skillet. Turn the heat to medium. Add the ground turkey, breaking up with a spoon or stiff spatula. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients over the top. Mix together inside the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink is left (about 10 minutes).  Add to your dish or freeze for later use.

Preparation time: 1 minute. Cook time: 15 minutes. Servings: 4-6.

You can also mix together the turkey and spices and freeze for later use. This would probably give the best flavor and work well in situations when ground turkey is on sale.

Search terms:

Healthy bulk pork sausage substitute
Easy bulk turkey "sausage"

Clip-art from Pixabay.

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