This Italian chicken sausage recipe brings all of that goodness with a lighter, healthier twist. If you’ve been grabbing store-bought links for pasta night or meal prep, it might surprise you how simple and fast it is to make your own homemade sausage at home.
The real magic happens in the seasoning—simple Italian herbs, garlic, fennel, and olive oil turn basic ground chicken into a rich, savory blend that tastes just as indulgent as pork sausage.
It’s on regular rotation as part of my weekly ingredient prep. Add it to breakfast egg bakes for your weekly meal prep, my easy one-pan sausage and rice, or savory cottage cheese bowls!
This Italian chicken sausage recipe is incredibly easy and can be used in a variety of dishes. If you’ve never made homemade sausage, you’ll be surprised how easy it is! Combining the chicken, seasonings, and olive oil takes just a few minutes. The most time-consuming part of this recipe is allowing the meat to rest, a crucial step for achieving optimal flavor.
You have complete control of the ingredients when you make sausage from scratch. Love garlic? Add more. Like things spicy? Spice it up! Italian chicken sausage is versatile—and it’s not just for pasta. Swap out the seasoning to make it work for the dish you’re using it in. I’ll give you ideas below.
Italian Chicken Sausage Recipe
Traditional pork sausage is delicious, but using ground chicken reduces calories and saturated fat while still giving you that hearty, savory flavor we all love. The most important part of this recipe is to season generously. We want a mouthwatering, flavorful sausage, so don’t be afraid to season it. This recipe freezes beautifully and is ideal for meal prep, especially if you’re seeking high-protein options.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This recipe couldn’t be more straightforward. You’re simply cooking ground chicken with olive oil and seasonings, and the result is an incredibly flavorful homemade Italian chicken sausage that is infinitely better than anything you can buy in the store!
Simple Ingredients
- Ground chicken. I buy pre-ground, but feel free to grind your own to save money.
- Olive oil. We’re using a leaner protein but adding back heart-healthy fat.
- Seasonings. I like using them separately to control the amounts.
Ingredient notes. Fennel is an essential ingredient in this Italian chicken sausage recipe. Fennel makes sausage taste like sausage. I use fennel seeds because that’s what I typically have on hand, and I grind them using a mortar and pestle, but ground fennel works just fine!
Simple Instructions
- Add the ground chicken, olive oil, and the seasonings to a bowl.
- Mix gently until thoroughly combined.
- Refrigerate for at least eight hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, spray a hot skillet with avocado oil.
- Cook the sausage over medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through.
Andrea’s tip. Let the chicken cook undisturbed so it develops a deep golden-brown crust. This extra time creates better flavor and texture, as shown in the final photo. Avoid moving the chicken too much so those delicious, crispy brown bits can form properly.
Italian Chicken Sausage – Serving Suggestions
- Italian sausage makes delicious soups. Bean soup, potato soup, and vegetable soup would be delicious!
- Sausage and mushroom pizza is one of our favorite ways to use this Italian chicken sausage recipe.
- Add it to eggs for a quick sausage veggie scramble, but it also works well with omelets and frittatas.
- You could make grilled sandwiches with Italian sausage, tomatoes, pesto, mozzarella, or fontina cheese.
Cook’s Notes
- Don’t skimp on the resting time. It allows the seasonings to penetrate the meat, resulting in a much better flavor. It also makes it a little easier to shape the meat into patties or links.
- This is one of my favorite recipes for food prep. You can make a double or triple batch and freeze it raw or cooked. I prefer to cook it first so it’s ready to go straight out of the freezer.
- The sky is the limit when it comes to flavor combinations. I stick to classic Italian flavors, but if you like spicy things, add some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper to the meat before mixing. For a more classic breakfast sausage, leave out the basil, marjoram, and oregano, and add a touch of maple syrup. Love Southwest flavors? Leave out the fennel, basil, marjoram, and oregano, and add chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne – you get the point!
- This also makes delicious breakfast sandwiches. Shape the meat into patties, fry them on both sides until they reach an internal temperature of 165°, let them cool completely, then freeze them for quick, easy sandwiches. Alternatively, you can shape the meat when it’s raw, freeze it between layers, and cook the patties fresh for breakfast sandwiches.
Storage
- To store in the refrigerator, let the sausage cool, then transfer it to a covered container. Refrigerate and use within three days.
- To freeze, let the sausage cool, transfer it to freezer containers, and freeze for up to six months.
- To reheat on the stovetop, transfer the frozen meat to a small pot, add about a quarter cup of water, cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. The water helps to defrost the meat without drying it out. You only need a little to do the job. Watch it closely so the water doesn’t evaporate and the meat doesn’t burn.
If you’ve tried my Italian chicken sausage recipe, please leave a comment below!
Italian Chicken Sausage Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds or 1 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil dried
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
Instructions
- Add the ground chicken, olive oil, and seasonings to a bowl.
- Mix gently until thoroughly combined.
- Refrigerate for at least eight hours, but preferably overnight.
- When ready to cook, spray a hot skillet with avocado oil.
- Cook the sausage over medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through.
This recipe is excellent! I’ve been buying Sprouts chicken sausage for years but at $8 a pound wanted to try making it from scratch. This recipe is far better than the Sprouts brand and much healthier! The only thing I added was some salt before cooking. Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!