Italian Sausage (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
This Whole30 Italian Sausage is simple, authentic, and perfect for making sausage patties—or any recipes that call for bulk Italian sausage!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoons fennel seeds
- 1 pound ground pork or ground turkey, chicken, or beef
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel seeds, shaking occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer the toasted fennel seeds to a plate to cool to room temperature.
- Crush the toasted fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle or place them in a closed ziptop bag and bash them with a heavy object to crack the seeds.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground pork, applesauce, salt, toasted fennel seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and dried oregano.
- Use your hands to combine everything really well until the pork is sticky and tacky. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can mix the ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Form a tiny patty and cook it in the microwave (for about 30 seconds on high) or fry it in a skillet. Taste it for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Cover the sausage and chill in the fridge for at least one hour and up to 2 days. You can also freeze the sausage mixture for up to 2 months.
- You can use this meat in any recipe that asks for bulk Italian sausage or form it into patties and fry them up!
Video
Notes
Tips for the best Italian sausage:
- Don’t skip toasting the fennel seeds! The toasted fennel is the reason Italian sausage tastes so distinctive. Also, make sure you crush the toasted seeds to release the most flavor.
- Knead the sausage mixture until it is sticky and tacky. Making a double or triple batch? Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to mix everything up with ease.
- Cook up a little patty to taste for seasoning. There’s nothing worse than under- or over-seasoned sausage so I always fry up a tiny patty and taste it for seasoning.
- Chill the sausage for at least an hour to meld the flavors
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg