Apple Onion Chicken Breakfast Sausage Recipe (Paleo) (2024)

This apple onion chicken breakfast sausage recipe has just the right balance of sweet and savory flavor, and is perfectly seasoned with a few herbs and spices. It freezes well, which makes itgreat for meal prep!

It’s funny how food cravings go.

Take a bagel, for example.

I’ll get the idea of the perfect bagel in my head, which for me either means an everything bagel lightly toasted with vegetable cream cheese, or a plain bagel untoasted with cream cheese, lox, red onion, and tomato. Either way, served with a cup of nearly black coffee on the side.

I build the idea up so much in my head, it’s like I’m almost ready to go to NYC for the weekend just to experience bagel perfection. (Ok, that’s just a smokescreen…I’m always ready to head to NYC.)

But then I get the perfect bagel and it’s not nearly what I’ve built it up to be. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great, amazing even. It’s just not the mind-blowing experience I had in mind. Which is what I try to remind myself of when one of those random cravings strike.

The exception to that rule is my recent craving for breakfast sausage. But that’s only because I knew I could make a healthy version that would knock the socks off of any sausage-lover out there!

Why You'll Love This Chicken Breakfast Sausage Recipe

• Budget-friendly. Instead of buying a convenience item like pre-made sausage patties, make them yourself to save money!
• Much more delicious. You can use fresh, quality ingredients and customize the recipe to suit your tastes.
• Ingredients you can pronounce. Sausage can be sketchy! Make it yourself so you know exactly what's going in it. No fillers or preservatives here!
• Meal prep. This sausage freezes really well, and you can reheat it directly from the freezer.

What Makes Breakfast Sausage Different?

There are a lot of different types of sausage; Italian sausage, Polish sausage (like kielbasa), and Spanish sausage (such as chorizo), to name a few! So what gives breakfast sausage its distinct flavor? The spices and seasonings!

Many breakfast sausage recipes use a blend of savory herbs, such as sage, marjoram, thyme, etc.

Spices, such as fennel seed, paprika, nutmeg are also common ingredients.

And specific to breakfast sausage (instead of other types of sausage), there is often a sweet component to balance out the savory flavor. For example, brown sugar or maple syrup are both delicious additions to breakfast sausage.

This recipe uses a mix of sweet and savory sautéed onion and apple, plus herbs and aromatics like thyme, sage, fennel seeds, and nutmeg. This sausage is sweetly savory, super flavorful, and juicy. It's perfect on a bed of sweet potato hash or cauliflower hash, topped with a fried egg.

The best part is that this recipe makes a big batch so you can stock your freezer with the perfect breakfast food for those mornings when you don’t have time to whip up a batch!

Chicken Breakfast Sausage Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

• Coconut oil - we use this to sauté the onion and apple, and also to pan-fry the sausage patties; you can substitute with olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee (clarified butter)
• Onion - for savory depth of flavor and aroma
• Apple - use crisp sweet apples; I leave the peel for color and nutrition, but you can peel the apples if you prefer
• Garlic - adds flavor and aroma
• Ground chicken breast - ground turkey breast will work just as well
• Minced fresh thyme - or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves instead
• Salt - so our homemade breakfast sausage isn't bland
• Minced fresh sage - this herb pairs really well with poultry, such as chicken or turkey; if you don't have fresh sage, you can use ¾ teaspoon dried crushed sage leaves instead
• Fennel seeds - a classic ingredient in breakfast sausage
• Black pepper - for a balanced flavor profile
• Nutmeg - nutmeg is another classic spice in breakfast sausage
• Apple cider vinegar - helps create a balanced flavor profile and acts as a meat tenderizer

How to Make Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Step 1: Sauté the Onion and Apple

Melt 3 tablespoons coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and apple, and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and cool completely.

Step 2: Make the Sausage Mixture

Combine the cooled apple/onion mixture, ground chicken breast, thyme, salt, sage, fennel seeds, black pepper, nutmeg, and vinegar in a large bowl. Just mix until the apples and onion are incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Step 3: Shape the Sausage Patties

Scoop the sausage mixture into 3-tablespoon-sized balls (I use an ice cream scoop for this), and then flatten the balls into 2 ½ to 3-inch circles. (Like making mini hamburgers.)

Step 4: Cook the Sausage

To cook on the stovetop, heat a large skillet or griddle (I use my cast iron griddle, but a nonstick surface will also work) over medium to slightly medium-high heat. Add a little bit of coconut oil and spread it around to coat the skillet or griddle. Add the sausages and cook until they’re golden on both sides and fully cooked inside, about 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping once. You can work in batches if they don’t all fit at once. (Don’t press down on the sausages as they cook because this will release the juices that keep them moist.)

To cook in the oven, preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and grease it with a little coconut oil. Line the sausages up on the prepared baking sheet, and bake until they’re fully cooked, about 5 to 6 minutes per side, flipping once. (Note that if they’re cooked in the oven, they won’t be golden on the outside unless you run them under the broiler.)

Serve the sausage with eggs or vegetable hash if desired.

Storage and Reheating

Store cooked breakfast sausage covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in an airtight container layered between pieces of parchment paper in the freezer for up to 2 months.

You can reheat this breakfast sausage right from the freezer (there's no need to thaw it first!). To do so, put the frozen sausages into a skillet with a splash of water, cover the skillet, and cook until warm throughout, flipping once.

Special Diet-Friendly

This recipe is paleo and Whole30-friendly! It's naturally gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free. And with just 4 grams net carbs per serving, it's also low carb and keto-friendly!

More Paleo Breakfast Recipes

• Zucchini Hash Breakfast Bowls
• Blueberry Muffins
• Paleo Bread (perfect for toast!)
• Brussels Sprout and Bacon Hash
• Sweet Potato Hash Browns
• Keto Oatmeal (aka Noatmeal)

Let's Connect

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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on March 26, 2014. I updated it with more information on October 23, 2020.