Breakfast sausages are one of those things I used to always grab from the store until I realized just how easy they are to make. These chicken apple maple breakfast sausage patties combine my favorite flavors: apples, maple, and sage. Just mix, scoop, press, and cook. No forming patties or getting your hands all dirty. Just simple ingredients and 15 minutes to make!
Why We Love These Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausages
- Juicy and tender - I use a little bit of extra-virgin olive oil to add the right amount of moisture so these patties stay juicy every time. No dry patties here (I use this same trick in my juicy gluten-free chicken meatballs).
- No extra step to form the patties - Just scoop the ground chicken mixture onto the pan and then shape into patties. No need to get your hands all messy when this works just as well.
- Natural sweetness - Shredded apple and pure maple syrup are used to add a touch of natural sweetness.
- 7 grams of protein per patty (more than store-bought!) - When I do buy store-bought, I always buy Applegate, but there are only 9 grams of protein in 3 sausage links (and I usually only eat 2). This recipe gives you 7 grams of protein per patty!
- Easy and quick - These take about 15 minutes to make and you have homemade sausage patties prepped for the week.
These chicken apple sausage patties are one of those recipes I wish I made sooner! It's amazing how easy these are and I love knowing the quality of the ingredients in my food. Made with wholesome, clean ingredients and as a bonus, they are so much cheaper than store-bought sausages.
I personally love the sage in these (if you are too, try my butternut squash mac and cheese), but my husband is less of a sage person, so I will sometimes cut down on the sage for him. The good thing about this recipe is you can adjust the seasonings and sweetness to your liking.
Like I mentioned, each chicken patty has 7 grams of protein, so if you're keeping it easy at breakfast and eating 2 chicken sausage patties with 2 eggs (and of course I always add fruit), that gets you 28 grams of protein on your breakfast plate!
Or if you want something other than eggs, make healthy apple cinnamon baked oatmeal or chocolate brownie baked oatmeal to eat with these breakfast sausages. All options are great for food prep!
Jump to:
- Why We Love These Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausages
- Ingredient Notes
- Variations
- How to Make Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausage
- Sara's Tips & Notes for Making Breakfast Sausages
- Ways to Serve Breakfast Sausage
- How to Store
- Recipe FAQs
- More Breakfast Recipes to Try!
- Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausage
Ingredient Notes
- Ground chicken - I use lean ground chicken (around 93%), but I've also made these with 99%, and that works just as well. The shredded apple and extra-virgin olive oil add moisture, so even extra lean at 99% will still result in juicy patties.
- Shredded apple - Any variety of a sweet apple will work. I like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady.
- Rubbed sage - This recipe calls for rubbed sage, but ground sage can also be used. There are amounts for both listed in the recipe card.
- Pure maple syrup - Make sure you use pure maple syrup and not the fake stuff, both for flavor and quality.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
🤍 Sara's clean food tip: I use organic chicken (pasture-raised is even better) to avoid antibiotics and GMO feed. At a minimum, I look for antibiotic-free ground chicken.
Take the guesswork out of clean eating! My free Clean Eating Guide shows you exactly what to look for when you're at the store."
Variations
- Reduce added sugars. If you'd like to cut down on added sugars, reduce the maple syrup to 1 tablespoon. Even though maple syrup is a natural sweetener, it still counts as added sugars.
- Add some spice. Add about ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes for some heat. If you like them really spicy, feel free to add more!
- Make it smoky. For a smoky flavor, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Skip the apple. The apple adds subtle sweetness and flavor, but if you prefer just a maple breakfast sausage, feel free to skip the shredded apple. No need to adjust the other ingredients.
How to Make Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausage
- Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix until just combined.
- Step 2: Heat skillet over medium heat and drizzle with oil. Once hot, scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per patty onto the skillet. Use the back of the scoop to gently shape each into a patty.
- Step 3: Cook for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Step 4: Flip each patty and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F or until cooked through.
Sara's Tips & Notes for Making Breakfast Sausages
- Use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron helps these cook evenly and gives them a nice sear, creating those beautiful brown and crisp edges. Lodge cast iron is what I use and it lasts forever!
- Don't over mix the chicken mixture. Over mixing can result in dry and tough patties.
- Make the patties thinner. If you like your patties on the thinner side (which are great for making sandwiches), you can form the patties between two sheet of parchment paper to really get them thin. Or, after you scoop them onto the skillet, press them down using parchment paper and the bottom of a cup.
- Use a digital meat thermometer. This is the best way to ensure the sausage patties are cooked through, but not overcooked. If you don't have one, just ensure the patties are cooked through before removing from the heat.
- Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop. This is the easiest way to scoop and shape the patties. If you don't have one, a regular spoon will work just fine.
Ways to Serve Breakfast Sausage
- For an easy breakfast, eat alongside 2 eggs and fresh fruit. I usually fry up 2 eggs along with these sausages, avocado, and some fresh fruit. Two eggs and two sausage patties will give you 28 grams of protein!
- Make a batch for brunch. Serve with a brunch spread with sweet potato crust quiche or dairy-free frittata.
- Use in a breakfast casserole. Use these in place of the sausage in my dairy-free breakfast casserole with sausage (add cooked sausage).
- Enjoy with pancakes or waffles. Make some oat flour pancakes or these easy gluten-free waffles to go along with the sausage.
How to Store
Okay, as I mentioned, these are perfect for food prep and freezing, so go ahead and double the batch so you have some for freezing and prepped for the weeks ahead!
Storing: Allow sausages to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Cooked sausage will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Store cooled sausages in a freezer safe container. I like using Stasher bags. A ziplock type bag is best so you can squeeze out as much air as possible to help maintain freshness. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Reheat on the stove over medium heat until heated through. If reheating from frozen, no need to thaw, just reheat from frozen. You can also reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Recipe FAQs
Nope! I know a lot of people like to peel apples first, but for this recipe it's not needed. Leave that skin on and shred as is. Also, one less thing to do!
Yes, either ground chicken or ground turkey will work with similar results. As with chicken, ensure it's cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
You can bake them at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes (or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F), flipping halfway through. That said, the stovetop gives you a brown, crisp and more flavorful exterior, so I recommend the stovetop when possible.
More Breakfast Recipes to Try!
Chicken Apple Maple Breakfast Sausage
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Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 skillet or frying pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or avocado oil)
- ¾ cup shredded apple (about one medium apple)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (reduce to ¾ teaspoon if table salt)
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon rubbed sage (or ½ teaspoon ground sage)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Preheat a cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat and drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix until just combined. Don't overmix, as this could result in drier patties.1 lb. ground chicken, 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ¾ cup shredded apple, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon rubbed sage, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- Using a spring-loaded scoop (a spoon works too) scoop about 2 tablespoons of mixture onto the heated skillet and use the back of the scoop to gently shape into round patties. Repeat until skillet is full. Cook about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, and flip. Cook an additional 3 minutes, or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F.
- Repeat until all of the ground chicken mixture has been used. You should get 12 patties.
Notes
- A cast iron skillet works best, as it helps these cook evenly and gives them a nice sear, but any skillet/fry pan works.
Nutrition
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Audrey says
Thanks for the great recipe! I've been wanting sausage (on a restricted diet for health reasons) and haven't found a clean storebought option in my area, so this was great! I think the 2 TB of maple is too sweet for my taste, so I appreciate the note about reducing maple. Definitely a keeper!
Sara Ecklin says
I'm so happy to hear this and so glad you found something that works for your diet. My husband also likes when I reduce the maple syrup a little bit 🙂
pam says
made these w/ turkey and added everything bagel seasoning , family gobbled them up.. second batch added chili flakes for a bit of spice and that was a great hit.
Sara Ecklin says
Oh, I love EBB seasoning... I'll have to try that! Appreciate you sharing the modifications you made!
Kari says
I used to buy the chicken apple sage breakfast sausages from the store, but now that Sara has this amazing recipe, I won't be doing that anymore! I made these last night and warmed some up for breakfast this morning. I think I found a new staple; thank you, Sara!
Sara says
I love the protein boost these give our morning breakfast. Plus, they are so flavorful...yum!